Kia Picanto review - MPG, CO2 and running costs

Whichever way you look at it, the Kia Picanto is one of the most affordable cars money can buy. That goes for everything from list price, to fuel and other consumables – even the brightly coloured option packs offer decent value.

Under the latest WLTP test regime, the 1.0-litre Picanto emits 128g/km of CO2, up from 101g/km under the NEDC test. It also returns a claimed 50.4mpg, compared to 64.2mpg under the NEDC test cycle. However, these poorer figures aren't really cause for concern, it's just that the official fuel economy test is tougher, and more realistically represents what you can expect to get from a Picanto in real-life driving

There are a number of changes you can make to the car’s spec to help improve these figures, too. Go for the four-seat version rather than the five-seat car and you’ll improve emissions and boost fuel economy.

The 1.2 emits 129g/km in its most basic 2 trim, although this figure rises to 134g/km for the GT-Line S. Official fuel economy is around 48-50mpg, depending on which equipment grade you go for. Add the auto gearbox to this engine and the best that you can expect is 43.5mpg, with emissions of 148-152g/km.

The 1.0 T-GDi is a reasonable performer, with claimed economy of 48.7mpg and CO2 emissions of 133g/km.

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Insurance groups

Insurance groups for the Kia Picanto range from 4 to 7 for X-Line versions, and then jump to Group 10 for the GT-Line models. That means it'll be just as popular as the old car with young drivers. 

Depreciation

The Picanto continues to be a decent performer for residual values, and the low list prices mean the money you’ll lose is comparatively small compared to cars in the class above.

On average, the Picanto will retain around 45% of its original list price, with the lower-spec models delivering the best figures over three-years and 36,000 miles of ownership.