CR5 Issue 147 August 2017

Motoring By
James Baggott
Paddleboarding in a Picanto
To prove just how practical
its new city car can be, Kia
challenged James Baggott to
tackle the Italian coast on a
paddleboard.
It’s all too easy to pigeonhole
cars like the Kia Picanto as city
centre shopping carts, fit for
nothing more than a quick trip
to the supermarket.
While it might be true that
the Korean car firm’s baby has
traditionally been bought by
grandparents and students,
it’s an image the brand is
desperately hoping it can shed.
This is the third generation
of Kia’s second bestselling UK
car and with it comes more
aggressive looks, a sharper
driving style and clever
technology aimed at helping
it appeal to a far broader
spectrum of buyers.
Kia believes it can convince
customers that while it might
still be an easy and fun to
drive little car, the new Picanto
can still cope with the bigger
adventures city dwellers might
hanker for too. That’s why I
find myself squeezed into a
wet suit, dripping with sea
water after a paddle-boarding
adventure on the Italian
coastline.
To prove just how versatile
its new Picanto can be, Kia
has invited us to the Toscana
coastline, crammed two blowup
paddleboards, wet suits
and a picnic in the back of one
of their latest city cars and
pointed us towards the coast.
Costing from just £9,450, the
Picanto now boasts more
passenger and luggage space
but with no overall increase
in size over the previous
model. The Koreans have
managed that by increasing the
wheelbase while at the same
time reducing overhangs. That
means inside there’s a 25 per
cent increase in luggage space,
topping 255 litres with the rear
seats up and 1,010 litres with
them down.
That extra carrying capacity
certainly comes in handy. The
two giant paddleboards are
easily swallowed in the boot,
while overnight bags for two
and accessories find a home
too. In fact, it’s surprising just
how much space there is left
over.
There’s a choice of engines
in the new model. Our test
vehicle – in ‘2’ specification
– features the 1.0 litre 66bhp
unit. But there’s also a 1.25
litre 83bhp option and a 1.0
litre turbocharged option. As
fun as the latter sounds, even
the lowest output unit hauls
the city car along at a perfectly
adequate rate (despite the
addition of a lot of luggage)
hitting 60mph in 13.8 seconds
and a top speed of 100mph.
What’s more it’ll do that
while sipping fuel at a miserly
64.2mpg rate on the combined
cycle.
Crossing the rich, lush
green vine-covered Italian
countryside near Grosseto as
we attempt to find the beach,
the Picanto’s light steering
and peppy engine impresses,
as does its ability to soak up
potholes you’d fear would
otherwise swallow it.
As we approach the beach, the
asphalt crumbles away and
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