Picanto proves to be a hero

KIA: FUEL ECONOMY IS ONE OF ITS BIGGEST VIRTUES

- Jaco van der Merwe

After six months and 4 086km, we finally had to hand back the keys of our long-term Kia Picanto EX manual. And it was not easy letting go of our venerable hatchback.

We are privileged, or some might argue spoiled, to sample anything from large SUVs, bundu bashers, performance crossovers, double cab bakkies, luxury sedans, vans and sports cars. But sometimes it is the unobtrusive little cars like the Kia Picanto that prove themselves as the everyday heroes.

Some of the extravagant rides we sample probably need only one cylinder to produce more than the 62kW of power and 122Nm the Picanto's naturally aspirated four-pot 1.2-litre petrol engine produces. But the humbler the harras of horses, the more wallet-friendly the feeding. And excellent fuel economy is one of the Picanto's biggest virtues.

Before Chinese SUVs flooded our market and buyers started turning a blind eye to their unhealthy thirst in lieu of the attractive price and spec lists, fuel economy was a bigger yardstick than it is now. But there is no fooling the discerning buyer who does the maths to see how much the damage at the pumps will be. In the case of the Kia Picanto, it is one of the most frugal choices out there.

The Korean carmaker claims that the hatch will sip 5.1 litres per 100km. To average 5.7l/100km over more than 4 000km with very little open road driving is therefore very commendable.