SA Roadtests
South Africa
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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. We drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under South African conditions. It also just happens that most of the vehicles we drive are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get at home.
Unlike most car reports, what you read in these pages will not be a faithful reproduction, albeit slightly reworded, of what appeared in the manufacturer's press release. We look for background material, user experience and whatever else we can find that's beyond the obvious. Our guiding rule is that you will be able to tell that the car was actually driven.
*To read one of our archived road tests, just select from the alphabetical menu of manufacturers' names on the left. Hover your cursor over the manufacturer's name, then choose from the drop-down menu that appears.
*Pre-owned: Our tests go back quite a few years, so if you are looking for something pre-owned, you might well find a report on it in here.
*Please remember too, that prices quoted are those ruling at the time the reports were written.
Posted: 15 October 2014
If you were hoping for daytime running lights, five more airbags, ESP, an LED touch-pad and a refreshed interior for this year’s Picanto 1.2 EX manual, you’re out of luck. All that our local models picked up in the mid-life facelift were the frontal features of the European three-door version.
Specifically, its new grille is slightly larger and features a silver painted bezel surrounded by bevelled edges for a more expressive, three-dimensional look. The ‘tiger nose’ on the range-topping EX also features red bordering to separate the bezel from the black mesh grille, emphasizing its sporty appearance. The new bumper incorporates a smaller kidney grille separated from the lower air intake, which is now narrower and positioned lower. The fog lamps are larger, as are the integrated fog lamp housings.
Much as the additional safety kit, lights, screen and trim would have been appreciated, hard economics dictate that they would probably have pushed the Picanto’s price, already at the higher end of average for 1200 cc entry-level cars, up into the realm of “forget about it.” By the way that oblique reference in the sub-heading, to the classic Robin Williams movie, was simply a pun on the car’s Korean name; Kia Morning. Indulge me.
Now that we have established that this is essentially the 2012 car with a nose job, let’s look at it closely. The 1248 cc naturally aspirated engine develops 65 kilowatts of power and 120 Newton-metres of torque. These numbers place it at the upper end of the output scales for engines this size and in the same league as Honda’s Brio and the Peugeot 208. In practical terms it pulls strongly; readily maintaining momentum up reasonable inclines like those found travelling northward on the 100 km/h, high-revenue, stretch of freeway between Howick and Nottingham Road. Put plainly, it keeps going without having to change down.
Suspension is courtesy of McPherson struts in front with a torsion beam at the rear and braking is by means of 241 mm ventilated discs combined with 180 mm drums. ABS with EBD is standard on the more powerful EX cars. SA versions are fitted with the “high” suspension package providing 152 mm of ground clearance; 10 mm more than is the case with Euro-spec models. The combination felt comfortably firm but compliant, soaking up rough asphalt and a stretch of dirt road easily.
Other features exclusive to 1.2-litre EX models include powered windows at the rear to complement those in front, 15-inch alloy wheels, heated electric mirrors, six speakers for the sound system rather than four, Bluetooth connectivity, emergency stop signalling (a triple flash from the hazards), a second airbag, leather wrapped gear knob and steering wheel with repeater controls, and a storage box under the front passenger’s seat. I found this awkward to slide open because it tends to jam, although it might loosen up with use.
The boot loads at upper thigh level and is about 17 centimetres deep. Its shape is useably rectangular with only slight intrusions from the wheel arches. A light and a non-slip rubber mat are standard fittings as is a five-segment tray under the floorboard to accommodate small, personal items. The spare is a steel spacesaver. Seatbacks fold 1/3:2/3, the squabs lift and tumble to allow the cushions to fold completely flat and a pair of clip sockets keep belts out of the way while you fiddle with the backs.
Rear passengers are well accommodated, considering that this is essentially a little town car, with adequate headroom, enough space for knees thanks to seatback cutouts and sufficient foot space. Storage is provided by seat back pockets and a single cup holder at the rear end of the open topped centre console, but no door bins. Entry and exit is easier than on some bigger cars.
The driver’s seat adjusts mechanically for height, as does the steering wheel with its satellite controls for sound and phone. Seats are covered in a patterned black fabric and provide a commanding viewpoint, but are a little too firm for long distance comfort. Storage is fairly generous with the open-topped central console mentioned earlier, a double cup holder and an open tray below the auxiliary plug and USB socket that supports MP3 files only. The cubby is bigger than expected; there are narrow door bins with space for bottles and a shallow depression on top of the dash that could hold a few light items.
Hand and foot controls include a conventional parking brake lever sited comfortably for right hand drive, the five-speed stick shifter that’s easy to reach and well-spaced pedals that allow sufficient room for big left feet to find the footrest. Vision outward is easy, it turns on a button with its 9.8-metre turning circle and controls are light and easy to use.
All-in-all it’s a grand little car that thoroughly deserved being a three-time winner of the Standard Bank People’s Wheels award, but it’s starting to lag behind what buyers expect. It’s time our SA version was given the balance of the 2014 upgrade.
Test car from Kia Motors SA press fleet
The numbers
Price: R143 995
Engine: 1248 cc, DOHC, 16-valve four-cylinder
Power: 65 kW at 6000 rpm
Torque: 120 Nm at 4000 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 11,6 seconds
Maximum speed: 169 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 6,2 l/100 km
Tank: 35 litres
Boot: 200/605 litres VDA
Warranty: 5 years/150 000 km; with 3 years roadside assistance
Service plan for 2 years/45 000 km: Available at R4119-00
Read about the 2017 update here
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This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.
I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. If I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.
Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so they can see I do actually exist.
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SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8