If the Picanto was a footballer, it would be an agile and surprisingly stylish player that impresses the fans – and only the manager would know about the drink problem.Anyone who drives one in London must feel a twinge of conscience every time they drive a congestion-charge free Picanto into the central area. It has an official CO2 figure of 99 g/km (and 67.3 mpg), but our example has managed 39.6 mpg overall, and rather less than that in town. 39.6 mpg in petrol car equates to 167 g/km of CO2, which is no-one’s idea of environmental awareness.
” Going from a year in a 150 bhp Ford Focus Ecoboost to a 1.0 68 bhp Picanto could have been a culture shock. However, the first journey in the little Kia on a motorway proved to be a relief. Of course, it is noisier than the Focus, mainly because the smaller engine has to rev a lot higher, but it is bearable at any vaguely legal speed. The refinement means you are not reaching for a sixth gear that isn’t there: fifth gear provides decently refined cruising.
