Test Drive Kia Picanto since 2011 Hatchback

Kia Picanto: Unisex

Long-term test Kia Picanto: first week

In our garage, the new guests urban low-generation kia picanto. This machine since its appearance on the editorial park immediately became the object of jokes. As well, and its temporary owner. It would still be a small hatchback painted in a frivolous heavenly blue color, and the image of an exclusively female car dramatically dissembly with a male shoe.


But if you abstract from the color of our beginner's blessing, for the new Picanto there are still nine color options, then in the rest of the hatchback, it tries to get away from the adverse ladies of the image. Both design and equipment. The Picanto no longer have naive open-colored chokes, and smooth forms of the body gave way to strict lines, spectacular climbing on the sidewalls and embossed linings on the thresholds. Unisex?


Old and new Picanto-externally are completely different cars! But if the design of the front would come up with the charged hatchback, then the back is all much more boring just another urban supermini.

Hatchback is trying to declare everyone that he has grown, has become a serious car. Look at his blowing face with a slightly protruding front bumper, which would quite fit and charged hatchback, and on the elements of an adult car, such as LEDs in headlight headlights, rear lights and repeaters of turn signals in the housings of the rearview mirrors. But if the front Kia Picanto looks stylish, then the decoration of the back is too different in the style. As if these two parts of the body painted two different designers, which in the process of work with each other were almost not contacted.

And yet, on the clothes, a new version of Picanto meets perfectly. New Designers KIA and personally, Kusken Thoms, who once providing this project, offset. And what's in the cabin? The door opens with a button on the handle (a non-accomplished access system is another sign of a serious car), and inside


The top pebano has a very rich list of equipment, which includes climate control, USB and AUX connectors, heated steering wheel and even the access system without a key with the ability to start the engine with the button. Do not meet any of this at competitors even for extra charge.

And inside the little hatch is also very good! The quality of finishing materials is more than worthy for the car of this segment. Yes, you will not meet soft plastic here, but in general, the interior finish is no worse than some Japanese class higher. Plus, an interesting design: a flat two-spin (!) Steering wheel with a comfortable grip, a central console, tapering to the passenger part of the cabin, and a black and silver finish. Everything is collected qualitatively, the panels are fitted smoothly and at first glance to manage all the functions conveniently.

But what is hiding behind a pretty design? For example, the steering wheel is adjustable only on the angle of inclination, and the front seats are not adjusted in height. Because of this, rising drivers in turns are sometimes sometimes led to the dashboard: you sit high, but the rear view mirror interferes with a review. Another feature of the new Picanto lack of adjustment adjustment devices.


Kia has a bright and memorable car.

On the other hand, the selected backlight level is almost optimal. The eyes cut down, but also does not make peer in the wells in an attempt to disassemble the instruments. Plus, the interior rails added the Dark button on the front panel. It is located to the right of the CD load slot and turns off the largest and brightest at night. The central console element is highlighted with a red magnetic display. It is strange that the remaining backlit buttons and dashboard elements are not extinguished

In place, where most cars have a backlight brightness adjustment spin, on the left side of the steering wheel, there is a power heating button! Such a chip, a long time was the prerogative of exceptionally prestigious models, it certainly does not have any of the competitors. At the same time, it is heated (and very quickly) not only the place of grip, but the whole Baranka is entirely. Great!


Three wells for extremely clear devices with large numbers and well-readed fonts: speedometer, on-board computer, tachometer, which is only in expensive versions and fuel reserve. No engine temperature pointer.

Landing behind the wheel for tall drivers is not the most comfortable. It is difficult to choose successful settings due to the lack of adjustment of the armchair in height and departure of the ram.

A glacial, by the way, also the privilege of top-end complete sets of Comfort and Luxe.

Well, another plus is an MP3 audio system with a USB and a linear input and four speakers. Its sound does not affect the imagination, but the presence of different options for connecting external devices will certainly please. Here else would bluetooth add

True, all of the above charm the test Kia Picanto is the features of the top modification LUXE. In simpler versions there will be no heating of the steering wheel, nor blessing access, no LEDs in lighting and mirrors, nor climate control (air conditioning is only in the fourth of five at the venue of the Comfort version), nor the light sensor, nor even beautiful overlays on the thresholds. The maximum configuration option is offered only for vehicles with the most powerful in the range of 1,2-liter motor capacity of 85 horsepower and a four-stage automatic transmission. And there is such a car, too, an adult 549 thousand 900 rubles. More than half a million rubles for supermini -named!


At hatchback, LED sections in headlight headlights, rear lights, turn signal repeators and an additional stop signal in a small spoiler on the edge of the trunk lid. Finally, the new KIA corporate identity, one of the stem elements of which is the shape of the radiator grille, got to Picanko.

There are, of course, the options are simpler. The most affordable pebano in the Standard version with a liter three-cylinder motor capacity of 69 horsepower and five-speed mechanics costs 364 thousand 900 rubles. But for this money, the buyer will receive only the central locking, audio preparation, rear-view mirrors with an electrically regulating, flightcomputer, electric drive of all glasses and heated front armchairs. ABS and air conditioning is not. This equipment appears only in the top for the machine with a liter engine of the Comfort configuration for 459 thousand 900 rubles.

Prices for Picanko with a 85-strong unit and automatic starts from 404 thousand 900 rubles. But here again neither the air conditioner nor ABS with them the hatchback will cost 95 thousand rubles more expensive.

Expensive? I guess, yes. But if you compare with competitors who, by the way, Picanto is not so much, it will turn out that the Korean hatchback in similar versions is normal. For example, a five-door Chevrolet Spark in the top version with a 81-strong motor of 1.2 liters and mechanics costs 481 thousand 600 rubles. Already elder Citroen C1 in a five-door body, equipped with a 68-strong motor, robot and optional side airbags, tachometer, air conditioning, music, 14-inch wheel wheels, leather steering wheel and lever (that is, about all what is The top KIA) will cost 475 thousand 300 rubles. But neither one of the competitors you will not find not the fact that there is not necessary access and heating steering, but even climate control.

Does this mean that Picanko is really better than its competitors? Let's try to learn for the month of our test. Do not switch!


Exploitation
Common car mileage, km 1708
Mileage from the beginning of the test, km 163
Fuel consumption, l. 9

Specifications Kia Picanto
Engine type gasoline R4
Working volume, cm 1248
Max. Power, hp / rpm 85/6000
Max. Moment, nm / rpm 121/4000
Drive type front
Transmission 4-st. Automatic
Front pendant independent MacPherson
Rear suspension half-dependent beam
Disk brakes ventilated in front, drum rear
Dimensions (DHSHV), mm 3595x1595x1480
Wheel base, mm 2385
Curb weight, kg 875
Max. Speed, km / h 163
Acceleration 0100 km / h, from 13.4
Fuel consumption (combo), l / 100 km 5.3
Fuel tank volume, l 35
Tire size (lane, ass.) 165/60 R14
price, rub. from 394 900.

Efim Repin

A source: Magazine Motor [July 2011]