2020 Kia Picanto EX Review | Philkotse Philippines

Subcompact hatchbacks are arguably among the popular vehicle of choice for individuals who consistently drive through the urban jungle. It’s one of the ideal vehicles for places such as Metro Manila due to its diminutive dimension, light steering feel, five-seater capacity, and relatively fuel-efficient engine. The said characteristics make subcompact hatchbacks a practical and economical choice.

As such, local car brands are pitting their respective challengers in the said segment. Kia Philippines is not a stranger when it comes to offering a reliable subcompact hatchback. Through the years, the Kia Picanto has been one of the contenders in its segment. We took the 2020 Picanto EX for a weeklong drive to see what it can offer. This is Philkotse’s 2020 Kia Picanto review.

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The 2020 Kia Picanto has the right amount of striking and smooth exterior styling. It does not come with as much sporty-like appeal that’s seen on its segment rivals such as the Honda Brio and Toyota Wigo. The 2020 Kia Picanto’s exterior is rather simple, subtle, and tamed.

The Kia Picanto comes with a distinctive fascia

The striking styling can be seen at the front end of the Picanto. It is fitted with sweptback multi-reflector halogen headlights that also comes with a bit of blacked out effect. You can also see Kia’s signature tiger-nose grille featuring a black mesh design. It also has an angular bumper that gives the Picanto enough presence even at standstill.

In addition, the bumper is integrated with fog lamps, which come with a fang-like housing design. As a whole, the 2020 Picanto’s front end is not the most striking in its segment but it looks sleeker compared to other vehicles in its class.

The Picanto is a small yet functional hatchback

Turning at the side, the 2020 Kia Picanto comes with crisp character lines as seen on the fenders, and the door panels. The vehicle also gets a body-color door handles, which is nice since it creates a seamless look to the Picanto’s side profile. However, the exterior or the side mirrors of the 2020 Picanto are not integrated with turn signals and are not power-folding, which are features found on other vehicles in its class such as the Honda Brio RS. The Picanto’s side profile is finished off with a stylish set of 14-inch alloy wheels.

The rear of the Picanto is fitted with wraparound taillights

The simplicity in terms of design continues to be seen on the Picanto’s rear. It comes with wraparound halogen taillights that are sort of a better version of the taillamps seen in the second-generation Kia Carens (model sold way back 2008). The Picanto’s rear also gets a spoiler that’s integrated with a third brake light.

Overall, the exterior design of the 2020 Kia Picanto is a representation that having less could sometimes be more. Despite having a less striking design compared to its rivals, the 2020 Picanto still looks good. Its simplicity translates to sleekness, which could tap car buyers who are looking for a subcompact hatch that comes with a simple yet distinctive exterior design.

The 2020 Kia Picanto’s interior comes with a dark theme along with silver trims. Similar to its exterior, the Picanto’s cabin has a straightforward styling that seamlessly integrates essential vehicle functions.

The Picanto’s straightforward dashboard layout

The Picanto’s cabin is filled with hard plastics, which is expected given the price point in the subcompact hatchback segment. Despite having hard plastics throughout the cabin, the Picanto has a classy interior. I find it classy because the layout of the dashboard all the way to the center console looks neat. It’s clutter-free and gives you a relaxed feeling when you are seated in the driver’s seat.

Moreover, the floating type 7-inch infotainment touchscreen is a nice touch as it gives the Picanto a more standout head unit as compared to its segment rivals. To put things in perspective, the infotainment system of other subcompact hatchbacks in the Philippine market is integrated or housed into the center of the dashboard.

Picanto’s three-spoke steering wheel

The 2020 Kia Picanto also comes with a 3-spoke steering wheel made from polyurethane, which is a material that’s common in the small hatchbacks in the local market. It is equipped with audio and phone controls. It also comes with a trip meter button that allows you to view essential vehicle information such as your average fuel consumption. In case you’re wondering, the steering comes with a manual tilt-only adjustment, which is once again a feature that’s expected in consideration of the Picanto’s price point.

The instrument cluster of this subcompact hatchback has a white on black design. The analog speedometer is clear even in daytime driving. Another thing I like about the Kia Picanto is the design of its aircon vents, which come in a vertical orientation on the sides while horizontal in the middle. This design adds to the Picanto’s unique look among its segment rivals.

Rear seats can be folded down for more cargo space

In terms of seats, this car uses cloth or fabric as its main material. The seats provide a comfortable driving experience and provide enough support when you’re making a full turn. This Picanto can accommodate up to five occupants including the driver. However, to maximize ride comfort, the Picanto can best accommodate four individuals. The rear passenger area has more than enough leg- and head-room for individuals standing at 5’5”.

You can fit an assortment of items in the Picanto

On the other hand, the Picanto’s default trunk space (with the rear seats up) offers a decent luggage room. You can fit an assortment of items to it such as two small to medium-sized maletas, four to five overnight bags, three gym bags, and even a five-day supply of groceries. In case you need more cargo space, the rear seats of the Picanto can be folded down. In fact, it comes with a 60:40 fold configuration for you to maximize its cargo space.

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As I mentioned earlier, one of the highlights of this 2020 Kia Picanto is its 7-inch infotainment touchscreen. Aside from having a floating-type design, the said infotainment is integrated with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This feature allows you to mirror your phone’s operating system to the infotainment touchscreen, allowing access to your favorite apps.

Reverse camera with static guidelines

Moreover, the infotainment touchscreen transforms into a rear-camera display when you shift to reverse. The rear-camera of the Picanto also comes with static guidelines, which move simultaneously in the direction of the steering wheel. In this way, parking the vehicle becomes easier and safer. Aside from the infotainment touchscreen, the Picanto is equipped with speed-sensing door locks, driver and front passenger airbags, an anti-lock braking system, Isofix, and immobilizer.

The 2020 Kia Picanto is powered by a 1.2-liter gasoline engine that delivers 83 hp and 122 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a four-speed automatic transmission.

Powered by a 1.2-liter gasoline engine that delivers 83 hp and 122 Nm of torque

The Kia Picanto’s 1.2-liter gasoline engine puts out adequate power. It accelerates well and has minimum to no delay in terms of power delivery. The engine shifts a little bit above the 2,000rpm mark, which relatively adds to the overall fuel efficiency of the vehicle. The Picanto’s four-speed automatic transmission is smooth and doesn’t have shift shocks. As such, expect to have a smooth and comfortable drive onboard this subcompact hatch.

The Picanto has a composed stance

Speaking of ride comfort, the Picanto can absorb impacts within reason. This car can take on the dilapidated roads along EDSA without compromising overall ride comfort.

The suspension does a good job of minimizing the impacts especially when you accidentally drive through a pothole. Another thing I like about the Picanto is its light steering feel, which responds even to minor inputs.

The light and responsive steering result in less driver fatigue since it quickly points the vehicle in the direction you want to go. As such, weaving through the tight city roads is not a problem for the 2020 Kia Picanto. Moreover, parking the vehicle is as easy as 1-2-3 because you can steer the vehicle with minimal effort.

This car can be your daily city driver

The Picanto can also take on the up and downhill terrain as seen on the inner roads of Kapitolyo in Pasig City. With three passengers onboard, the Picanto can climb inclined roads without putting too much stress on its engine. However, I noticed that the Picanto has a little hint of body roll when driving through tight turns. But, the driver’s seat does a good job of keeping your body in place.

Another thing I noticed during testing is that you can hear a significant amount of engine noise inside the cabin as you put more pressure on the accelerator. But overall, the Picanto is a fun car to drive due to its adequate power, good acceleration, and light steering feel.

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During the test drive, I was able to get 10 km/l while driving at an average speed of around 20 km/h. When city roads get a bit cleared up, the Picanto registered 13km/l while driving at 40 km/h.

As a whole, the Picanto can be considered as one of the fuel-efficient cars in its class.

The 2020 Kia Picanto EX should be on your list when you’re shopping for a subcompact hatchback. It comes with notable features such as the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, floating-type infotainment touchscreen, straightforward yet functional interior layout, a fuel-efficient engine, among many others.

The Kia Picanto is an underrated subcompact hatchback

As such, the Picanto is an underrated subcompact hatchback that’s sitting in the shadows of its Japanese counterparts in terms of popularity in the market. Why so? Well, one big factor is the Picanto’s price tag. This 2020 Kia Picanto top-spec EX variant is priced at Php 745,000 as of this writing.

In comparison, the Picanto is Php 15,000 more expensive than the sporty-looking Honda Brio RS. Moreover, Kia’s subcompact hatchback is priced Php 45,000 more as compared to the Toyota Wigo TRD.

But, Kia Philippines offers the Picanto with a five-year warranty, which is not bad at all, and it has a relatively more refined four-cylinder engine, so there’s that.

Q: Is Kia Picanto worth buying?

Similar to other subcompact hatchbacks in the Philippine market, the Kia Picanto is worth buying. Although, the top-spec Kia Picanto EX is not the cheapest subcompact hatchback that’s available in the local market.

Q: How much is Kia Picanto in the Philippines?

The Kia Picanto is available with four variants. It has a starting price of Php 590,000 for the LX MT variant. On the other hand, the top-of-the-line EX AT comes with a price of Php 745,000.

Q: Is Kia Picanto fuel efficient?

During our test drive of the 2020 Kia Picanto EX, we got 10km/l while driving at an average speed of 20km/h. Of note, the Picanto EX is powered by a 1.2-liter gasoline engine that’s mated to a four-speed automatic transmission.