Is New Kia Picanto GT-Line Still Worth the Money?

When I first drove this Picanto, the entire range retailed for $17,000 or under, now none are under $20,000. Much has changed in technology and looks but is it all worth it? Watch this review as it ping-pongs from yes to no and back again. Why? By making Picanto better, Kia made Picanto worse.

Let me explain;

The current model launched 7 years ago, in 2017. It followed a year of the previous generation which had been wildly successful, and went on to re-form the super-mini segment after its own image. That is a terribly important point to remember, the super-minis are a dying segment within a dying segment.

Passenger cars are mere embers in the fireplace of motoring. Punters are pacing a path to purchase sturdier steeds; SUVs now stand supreme. So how then, did a tiny 5 door hatch come to be so significant? Simple, its quality could not be bettered for the bucks, now there are better for less.

Since 2017 Picanto had been fettled here and there, but the 2023 facelift was more than a new pair of frilly knickers and a pearly necklace, there was a trove of tasty treasures too. Sure, the frilly knickers came in the form of a new front and rear, and sexy they are too, but it is the tech that would be its hasthag. It effectively gave Picanto an extra few year’s grace after-which it will no doubt go the way of the dodo.

ABOVE: 2024 Kia Picanto GT-Line

GT is gone, right?

Kia rarely puts a foot wrong, but the axing of the Picanto GT made no sense, or did it? GT gave Picanto a halo, one now slipped to the ankles. With the GT-Line now driving away at 24grand, there was simply no room for a range-topper sitting above it. Some say 24grand for a Picanto is a bit rich anyway.

What’s new?

Picanto, already handsome, is now downright sexy. The modernisation of the 2017 Picanto brought a gorgeous face and slappable rump, both of which make Picanto fit for another few years at least. The squared-off features of EV9 have been scaled down to perfectly fit the boxy body of Picanto. Only GT-Line scores the sexier LED lights.

Inside, the no-leather cabin feels classy, but nothing can hide its working-classy roots. The poor darling has loads of scratchy plakky bits, perfectly acceptable in a sub15k car, but not in a carriage in her mid 20’s. What looks like leather soon gives up its factory fettled secrets. As comfortable as the seats are, they can’t disguise the extremely firm ride, but more about that later.

The dash is crowned by a smallish tablet, now adorned with the wireless marvels of CarPlay and Android Auto. Although the actual sound is a little ordinary, it can be sorted fairly cheaply with a couple of aftermarket purchases.

The driver dials are banished, replaced by extremely clever digital readouts that do bang-up job of looking like a full LCD screen. The 4.2” LCD screen is flanked by 2 of these readouts, thus giving the onlooker and impression of a more expensive 12.3” dash.

The rest is all concealed beneath this façade modesty. There is a full list of driver and safety aids that have been lavished on Picanto HERE:

The Drive:

Like the rest of the car, much of the drive is excellent for a sub-20k car. For a model that tops out near 24 grand, the drive is far too choppy, especially on rutted and uneven concrete of Sydney’s woefully neglected inner west. It is like riding a BBQ down a cobbled lane, such was the choppy rear torsion beam performance.

The sunny little 1.2L petrol engine is happy at parking speeds but breathlessly pursues freeway onramps. That is partially down to the 62kw, but it is the 4-speed automatic that is best set for local duties only. As I said in the video, I prefer it to a CVT, but that is like asking me if I’d like to be punched in the throat or kicked in the cobblers. I’d like nether thanks.

Finally, the purpose of gluing a tiny 1.2 into the engine bay is economy, but we never bettered 7.0L/100k.

Conclusion:

I’ve loved the plucky Picanto for all its wonderful quirks, but as features have been added and the price placed north, the gloss has gone off it. The are bigger cars that cost less, and there-in lies the issue. Picanto is sexy, and glorious, and fun, just not for that price.

Picanto once held the perfect formula: price and value VS quality and drive. Now, it doesn’t.

2024 Kia Picanto GT-Line

Price: $21,290