Test drive Kia Picanto 2004 - 2007 hatchback

Nutcracker

He looks like a bright toy, but, having met him closer, you will understand that this is a completely adult car. With a lively, cheerful and even very caring nature.


Toy from a fairy tale?
It seems that here a lot of florist masters, violets, daisies and daisies, painted bizarre patterns on a green carpet. Quite unexpectedly for mothers walking in the park and grandmothers with children, among this, who had not yet had time to fade in early autumn, there was another, much more attractive decoration of a small, elegant red machine. Parents and their children looked at her, as if at a fairy -tale character.
 

However, I, looking at our Pikanto, could not get rid of the feeling that I saw the Nutcracker from the Hoffmann's fairy tale: short and thin legs stuck out of an overly dense body. But by dandy clothing it was immediately clear that he was incense and not without taste.
 

To describe the portrait of the baby, the diminutive-missile wheels, kapot, doors are asked ... Even an adult pikant had to be replaced with something like a picket. After all, from twenty steps it seems that everything in this baby is done, if not for gnomes, then the maximum for children.



Despite the fact that it is small ...
 
But this continues only until you get to know this machine close. The miracle of Korean engineering was not made of wood, not at all with oil paints, and even more so this is not a New Year's toy on the Christmas tree.
 

Three healthy men easily climb into the elegant cutie, and she, having gone in an adult way, dashingly breaks off. Yes, Pikanto is only 3.5 meters in length and a little more than 1.5 meters of width. But in that focus that almost the main trump card of this Nutcracker Symbiosis is compact dimensions and very worthy spaciousness.


    
    
 


At the wheel you feel in an adult without any discounts to the car. With an eighty meter growth, I did not have to fully move the seat. There are still a couple of clicks in the reserve. More than 67 centimeters remain above the head. And not only children will go on the gallery. True, if they already waved with dad, then although they will not clarify their heads with their heads (from the pillow of the chair to the ceiling of 90.5 cm), but the contact of the knees with the backs of the front seats can no longer be avoided.

But the efforts of the air conditioner in the cabin reigns a life -giving coolness. The front windows are opened by an electric drive. The steering wheel helps to rotate the amplifier. In each visor on the mirror. The driver and passenger are not deprived of special shelves for umbrellas, there is also a duet of cup holders.

 

The mirror in the visor will surely like the ladies

The same shelf for an umbrella is in front of the passenger

Electric drive of the front windows and speakers in the doorway on all Pikanto
 
There is a place for a large bottle between the seats

Under the right front seat of a drawer tray


But perhaps the most important thing in Pikanto is simply nice to be. Large, well -readable devices pamper the abundance of control lamps, affably life at every turning on. On the console, although there is no radio (this is a paid option), there are comfortable air conditioning handles illuminated by green lights. And, of course, each time, being inside, it is gratifying to meet funny colored inserts at the factory they are selected so that they harmonize with the color of the body in seats.

 

Under the floor of a two -story trunk there are separate compartments for a first -aid kit, a sign of emergency stop, keys and spots

The maximum luggage volume is 882 liters


Of course, in some places in the KIA salon, saving is noticeable: the steering column is monolith, and the seat was forgotten to be endowed with height adjustment; The creators did not regret already four airbags, but for some reason they did not provide for the trunk shelf. If not for that, the little Korean would deserve a solid five for the interior.
 

Now let's see how he is ready for quite adult tests on the highway.
 



Little bulletin
The first thing that was pleasantly struck in such a baby: as if in the expensive golf class sedan, the motor is almost not heard on idle. The heart of Pikanto is not a heroic only 1.1 liters, but still allows the baby to compete in the city with many sculptures. The modern multi -point injection system, three valves for each of the four cylinders, high (10: 1) degree of compression, and the result was not slow to affect the hood of 64 liters. With. Raise this for a short (4.44) main pair and only 852 kg of your own weight, and the secret of agility will become clear to you.
 

If necessary, you can dull the traffic lights and maintain leadership up to 6070 km/h. Believe me, no one will probably expect such a brisk nature from the baby. However, in order to survive in the city jungle, Pikanto has more secrets. The gear ratio in the steering mechanism is only 14: 1 (for comparison: in acute the steering wheel of Mazda-3 14.6: 1). Together with small dimensions and short -term, successfully preventing the development of rolls to the suspension, this provides Kia magnificent maneuverability. That the thread in the needle ear, Pikanto can pass where more solid participants in the movement are forced to scarefully slow down. In more and more close Moscow, this is an indisputable plus.
 

But here I turned on the air conditioner for a small engine, this is a very noticeable power consumer, and acceleration to 4000 rpm became truly turtle. According to the denouement of the third ring, you can go faster, yes, alas, the motor no longer allows.
 

Another noticeable minus of a small energy intensity of the suspension. Almost every joint on the asphalt is transmitted to the salon with a treacherous buch. And on the compounds of spans on the batteries of the Korean, he will greatly fever. And all because of the pendants and rather hard tires of the Kumho size of 155/55 R13 for smooth European roads.
 



Sparkle the prince
Yes, of course, our compatriots, who have been accustomed to thinking large-scale for many years, live widely and in black to envy the Raikomov Volga, is difficult to defeat their complexes and stop paying attention to the mocking views of the owners of large sedans and jeeps. These Europeans are transplanted into such Kia Matiz, WaGon-R+, Alto, Lupo, Twingo, Aguil and others. So Koreans plan this year to sell 60 thousand Pikanto in Europe this year.
 

And yet, the opportunity to turn on a handkerchief, in a dense city stream, piercing into the narrowest gap in a tight city stream, to park where many will not even fit with a great desire, to refuel almost twice less than quite economical golf-class machines, these advantages and these advantages and Many people will like us. That is why his fate in the Russian market is far from hopeless even despite the non-dumping price of $ 10,30013,200. For comparison, in fact, the only classmate of Kia in Russia, Deu-Matiz, more than $ 3,000 is cheaper.
 

Possessing quite adult talents that are inherent in the head of large competitors (Getz, 206, Fabia, Corsa, Polo), in a similar equipment it is $ 26 thousand cheaper. In a word, I won’t be surprised if we also have a fair sex, for whom a picket will turn out to be not just a bright small machine, but a kind of good caring prince, with whom it is easy and pleasant even in a complete everyday bustle of life.
    
Baby with adult requests

The price of Pikanto-1,0 from 10 thousand conditional units, and Pikanto-1.1 10 350 Y. E. Please note: one conditional unit at the official KIA dealer of Redegi is 30 rubles. Such machines have a steering wheel, front electric windows, central locking, audio training and 2 airbags, and a more powerful namesake can also boast of the heating front seats. With air conditioning and side pillows (for 1.1 liter plus disks from a light alloy and inserts for aluminum in the cabin), such cars cost 11 190 Y. e. and 11 850. E. You can refuse discs, inserts for aluminum and heating the seats and save 460 U. e.
 
PER

Maneuverability, controllability, efficiency, generous equipment by means of security, pretty appearance, bright convenient salon and ease of trunk transformation
AGAINST

Closer in the back salon, small trunk, modest basic equipment and a small number of options, the lack of steering wheel adjustments and seats in height, hard suspension, high price
 
Kia Picanto 1.1 (1.0)

common data
 
Body (number of places/doors)
hatchback (5/5)
 
Equipped mass, kg
852 (850)
 
Complete mass, kg
1350
 
The diameter of the turn, m
9.2
 
Length x width x height, mm
3495x1595x1480
 
Base, mm
2370
 
Front/back, mm track
1400/1385
 
Speed, km/h
152
 
Acceleration time 0100 km/h, with
15.4 (16.3)
 

Fuel consumption, l/100 km average
5.4 (5.0)
 


Engine
 
Location
Front transversely
 
Design
gasoline, 4-cylinder, in order
 
Diam. Tsil. x stroke piston., mm
67x77 (66x73)
 
Working volume, SMZ
1086 (999)
 
Compression ratio
10: 1
 
Power, L.S. at rpm
65/5500 (63/5500)
 
Torque, kgsm at rpm
9.6/3000 (8.8/4500)
 

Chassis
 
Drive unit
On the front wheels
 
Transmission
Mechanical, 5-speed
 
Suspension:
with reptile stabilizers
 
front
Independent, such as McEferson
 
behind
dependent, elastic cross
 
Steering
rhealenic type with hydraulic power steering
 
Brakes
disk, in front ventilated
 
Tires
155/55 R13
 
 
Alexey Sergeev, photo of Maxim Goncharov
 
 

Source: Magazine buy a car [17/2004]