2026 Kia Picanto review

The Kia Picanto has long been the go-to guy in the cheap-car class.

It’s tiny, and it has a relatively tiny price tag, too. But recent price jumps have made this Korean micro-car a little less appealing than before.

This review is of the range-topping GT-Line auto variant, and it’s arguably the hardest to justify if you’re working with a small budget for your new city car.

James’ earlier review of the base manual is well worth checking out if that’s you, because the Picanto arguably does its best work when you’re spending less on it.

So, should you consider the GT-Line flagship? And is the automatic variant worth a shot? Read on to find out.

How much does the Kia Picanto cost?

Prices have bumped up for this coin-conscious model range in 2026, with $800 increases to the list price for all grades, albeit with no spec changes or adjustments.

The Picanto hatch is one of the most affordable cars in the market, based on list pricing. I checked what the final price would be for this grade, and using a 2000 postcode the online configurator stated $25,040 drive-away.

That still makes it one of the cheapest cars available, with an almost-equivalent MG 3 Essence hatch listing at $25,990 drive-away. Other budget cars you could consider include the Mahindra XUV3XO and Chery Tiggo 4 compact SUVs (both priced from $23,990 drive-away), the Hyundai Venue light SUV (manual from $23,750 plus on-roads), or the awesome little BYD Atto 1 electric hatch priced from $23,990 plus on-roads.

To see how the Kia Picanto lines up against the competition, check out ourcomparison tool

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What is the Kia Picanto like on the inside?

The GT-Line interior is a bit of a step up from the base grade, though not as sporty as some other top-spec Kia models.

Sure, you get the stitched steering wheel leather and fake leather seat trim with grey finishing. But it’s not exactly that big of a ‘wow’ moment inside this cabin.

It’s a budget car, and the equipment on offer feels that way, too. Both front seats are manually adjustable, and there is no heating or ventilation available either.

There’s a very small touchscreen by modern standards at just 8.0 inches in diameter, and while it does have Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, it’s also very basic in other ways.

Agreeably though, you do have buttons down below for a number of media controls, and there are tuning and volume dials as well.

I had no real issues with the system during my time but, as I said, it is very basic.

In front of the driver, there’s also a pretty rudimentary looking digital instrument cluster – with bold, large display elements for the speedo and tachometer, and a small 4.2-inch configurable display showing you your trip computer and driver assistance features.

The climate system is also rather elemental – you just have manual rotary controls, and no automatic climate control.

The cabin space is well considered when it comes to storage upfront, however, with a couple of USB ports, a storage location down below the ventilation controls, and configurable cupholders so you can either have them as cupholders – or not.

Further, there is an open centre console area, and a covered small hidey hole with soft padding to rest your elbow on. Just one at a time, though, as real estate is at a premium here.

The doors have large bottle holders, and you have a reasonably sized glovebox.

There are vanity mirrors on both of the sunvisors, though they are not illuminated, and nor are they adjustable for length.

Beyond that, there’s a manual-flicky rear-vision mirror. So, yes, it is pretty basic.

Back-seat space is not great for someone my size. At 182cm/6’0” and with the driver’s seat set to my position, my knees were hard up against the seat ahead, but headroom is decent thanks to the Picanto’s tall-boy body.

There are three seatbelts in the back, though it will be more comfortable for just two occupants, plus ISOFIX child seat anchors in the window seats and three top-tethers as well.

But when it comes to other inclusions in the back, it’s limited.

There is a single map pocket on the passenger-side seatback, but there are no door pockets or bottle holders, and the material finishing on the doors is all hard plastic.

Between the seats, there are no directional air vents, and just a single USB-C port.

And there isn’t a fold-down armrest, nor are there any cupholders in the rear.

It does have a 60:40-split/folding rear seat though, so if you do need to fold them down, you can allow yourself a bit more space – up to 1010 litres, in fact.

In the cargo area, there is a good amount of space for such a small car – 255L with the seats up. There are a few different shopping bag options, a light for better visibility at night, and you get a cargo cover as well.

You have to make sure that you can fit your things in through the gap, though, as it’s wider at the bottom than at the top.

But you’ll appreciate the fact there is a space-saver spare wheel underneath the boot floor – a big plus for a little car.

To see how the Kia Picanto lines up against the competition, check out ourcomparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

Buy the GT-Line, and you still get the same engine and transmission options as the base grade.

It’s a shame there’s no delineation across the range in terms of powertrains, because this car deserves a better engine and transmission.

The auto models are thirstier on paper than the manuals, and over my week of testing across urban, errand-running, highway and freeway driving, I saw a return of 7.2L/100km – similar to what I’ve seen in some mid-size petrol SUVs.

So don’t go thinking that buying this small car will be the most efficient choice from a fuel consumption standpoint.

To see how the Kia Picanto lines up against the competition, check out ourcomparison tool

How does the Kia Picanto drive?

I let my partner do some running around in this car during my week with it and when I asked her what she thought, she said: “I hope that car is cheap, because it feels it!“

And I understand exactly where she’s coming from with that critique.

I think the biggest deterrent for this car is the underwhelming non-turbo petrol engine, and the at-times-lazy four-speed automatic transmission.

For an urban-dweller who just goes to the shops and back, it could be perfectly acceptable. Even country-town customers might be fine with what’s on offer here.

But for those who venture outside of city limits, it really does require quite a bit of thought in terms of how the engine and transmission will behave in some situations.

On the freeway, if you approach any sort of gradient, you might find the gearbox will kick back, and you’ll be revving very hard. And at 110km/h, even in fourth gear, the engine is working its butt off (around 3300rpm). It’s not a hushed engine, either.

So indeed, the powertrain is the least enjoyable element of the driving experience, and it is further exacerbated by the lack of the excellent 1.0-litre turbo engine that used to be available in the GT-Line grade of the previous-generation range.

Look, for those who – as I said – just need a car to run to school or uni or the shops or whatever in, and don’t necessarily feel like they’ll be needing all of the kiloWatts this engine offers, then it could be perfectly acceptable.

But the five-speed manual version allows you to exploit a little more of this somewhat, ahem, meagre motor.

Otherwise, the Picanto is an absolute cracker of a thing to drive – with beautiful steering response and pretty impressive ride comfort for something so small – because it’s so light and has such a short wheelbase.

It deals with lumps and bumps better than you probably expect, even with these sporty low-profile tyres and funky 16-inch wheel package.

The rubber offers fairly good grip in corners as well, and if you find a fun stretch of road you will find yourself chuckling a little bit in this car as you chuck it around.

But it can feel unrefined in terms of noise intrusion in the cabin – from the tyres, wind, and the engine – so if you’re looking for a more serene experience, I would argue there are better choices out there for similar money to this.

On the plus side, for those who hate modern cars because of safety nannies, this car doesn’t have any of those ADAS annoyances.

There is a lane-keeping system, but you can quickly turn it off by holding a button on the steering wheel, and you don’t have any of those incessant chimes beeping at you about speed zones, or driver monitoring.

In fact, it’s a bit of a pure experience in that regard, and a better one for it, in my opinion.

On the whole, it is a cheap car, and in some ways it does feel cheap.

But it’s still commendable and recommendable if you are looking for a compact runabout – just don’t go thinking you’ll be getting the most thrilling experience in terms of the powertrain, especially with the auto.

To see how the Kia Picanto lines up against the competition, check out ourcomparison tool

What do you get?

Wondering what you get when it comes to sacrificing a few extra takeaway coffees per week to find yourself in the fancier GT-Line flagship? Here’s a rundown of the standard gear in both Picanto grades.

2026 Kia Picanto Sport equipment highlights:

• 14-inch alloy wheels
• Space-saver spare
• Automatic halogen headlights
• Automatic high-beam
• Halogen daytime running lights
• Power-folding exterior mirrors
• 4.2-inch instrument cluster screen
• 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay
• Wireless and wired Android Auto
• 4-speaker sound system
• Air-conditioning
• Cloth upholstery
• 6-way manual driver’s seat with height adjustment (NEW)
• Height-adjustable headrests
• 60:40-split/folding rear seats
• Leatherette-wrapped steering wheel and shifter
• 1 x front USB-A outlet
• 1 x front USB-C outlet

Picanto GT-Line – for just $1800 more – adds:

• 16-inch alloy wheels
• Reflector LED headlights
• LED daytime running lights
• LED front light bar
• LED rear combination light
• Gloss black grille, badging
• Chrome beltline trim
• Heated exterior mirrors
• ‘Premium’ upholstery
• Soft-touch centre armrest
• Height-adjustable front seats
• Alloy pedals
• ‘D-Cut’ steering wheel
• Gloss black interior trim
• 1 x USB-C port (behind centre console)

To see how the Kia Picanto lines up against the competition, check out ourcomparison tool

Is the Kia Picanto safe?

The Kia Picanto doesn’t have an ANCAP safety rating and, if it did, it wouldn’t be the maximum score.

The existing Picanto’s rating expired at the end of 2023, and it’s now officially ‘unrated’.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
• Blind-spot assist
• Driver attention warning
• Forward collision warning
• High Beam Assist
• Lane Follow Assist
• Lane keep assist
• Leading vehicle departure alert
• Rear cross-traffic assist
• Rear occupant alert
• Reversing camera
• Rear parking sensors
• Safe exit warning

The Picanto has six airbags – dual front, front side and full curtain coverage.

To see how the Kia Picanto lines up against the competition, check out ourcomparison tool

How much does the Kia Picanto cost to run?

The ownership promise from Kia is a strong one at first glance, but while you do get a very strong seven-year warranty, you’re essentially subsidising that by paying over the odds for maintenance.

The service intervals are generous, but for a basic car the service costs are higher than average. A Chery Tiggo 4 costs $309 per visit, for comparison’s sake.

If you do service with Kia, though, you can get your roadside assistance topped up annually, to a maximum duration of eight years.

To see how the Kia Picanto lines up against the competition, check out ourcomparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Kia Picanto

It looks great, and if you’re sold on the idea of a brand-new tiny petrol hatch, it’s the best in the business.

It’s far from perfect, though, and sharply priced SUV rivals are starting to cut its grass.

If I was buying a Picanto, it’d be the GT-Line, but it’d also be the manual, because it’s the most enticing pick of the pack here.

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MORE: Explore the Kia Picanto showroom