Kia Picanto review - Reliability and Safety

Kia has built a hard-earned reputation for reliability over the past two decades, cemented by a bold seven-year/100,000-mile warranty. In our 2019 Driver Power survey, the maker finished 3rd out of 30 brands with feedback focusing on how Kia provides comfortable, reliable, high-quality cars. The Picanto finished a credible 29th in the top ‘100 New Cars to Own’, with just 5% of owners reporting a fault within the first year and was also named ‘Best City Car,’ with its stylish looks and low servicing costs highlighted. 

Euro NCAP crash tested the Picanto in standard and safety pack-equipped guises in 2017, and they earned three and four stars respectively. Automatic Emergency Braking features on the safety pack-equipped cars, and this uses a long-range radar to detect slowing vehicles, first playing an audible warning, before applying the brakes to prevent a collision. Cruise control and Rear Park Assist also feature.

Warranty

All Kias – including the most basic Picanto – come with a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty. While most people won’t keep their car that long, it shows impressive confidence in the product – backed up by a solid performance in our annual Driver Power owner satisfaction survey. Rivals like the Skoda Citigo and VW Up! get a three-year warranty, while even Hyundai (Kia’s sister brand) can only manage a five-year guarantee on the i10.

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Servicing

Kia offers a variety of service plans under its Care-3 policy. That means owners can get their first three services for around £300 (30,000 miles or 36 months) – or £330 including the car’s first MoT. Care-3 Plus starts from around £600 but covers five services, taking the car to 50,000 miles or its fifth birthday.

The fixed-price servicing deals offer decent value for money and are transferable to any subsequent owners should you choose to sell the car before the time is up. All work is undertaken by Kia technicians, using genuine Kia parts, tools and a Kia diagnostic kit.