'New' Naza (KIA) Picanto: only for the fairer sex?

With an unorthodox tagline like "Guys love cars, girls love Picanto" I found myself warming up to the new Picanto facelift model a little warm and fuzzy inside, perhaps even a tad blushy....or have I even gotten myself in touch with my feminine side? I know, I shudder at that thought too.





But truth be told, this Naza reabged Kia is pretty (no pun intended) decent. Though having to make do with just a tiny 1.1 litre 4-pot with old-tech port fuel injection, common distributor coil-to-spark-plug-cables spark ignition system and regular throttle cable for fuel metering, this little hatch feels quite peppy on the move from the word go (till about 100km/h). Decent enough for town driving. The chassis also felt surprisingly solid, while the liquid-filled dampers gives very pliant ride around the city and suburbs, where it intended range of commuting are mostly destined for. Of course, like its i1o cousin, uphill task can be a bit of a chore, after slowing down to pick up pace again.





I can't give you the fuel consumption figure since I had hardly burned off past the fuel tank's half way mark. Sorry about that. But I reckon it would be as economical as the Hyundai i10 since both are 'blood' cousins in more ways than one. Supermini these days also feels more well screwed/bolted together. Such a feeling of solidity on the road can be appreciated by way of nicer planted agility (granted, the suspension setting is still on the soft side) and somewhat tighter body control. Even the steering feels okay with a nice weighting to it. Inside, you don't even feel cramped like you do in an old Perodua Kancil anymore. Shoulder room and elbow room are acceptable here in the Picanto and I am no horse-riding jockey.


The Koreans have indeed come a long way. This 'new' Picanto is a potentially viable alternative to the rather pricey (relatively speaking, of course) 'local' Perodua Viva. For a fact, that was mainly why the Hyundai i10 walked away with NST-Maybank Car of the Year 2009 Award in the entry-level car category.


Interestingly, my wife initially liked this car for its affordability, being a brand new car with manufacturer's warranty, less worry about costly unscheduled maintenance et al. For those with no hang-ups about Korean automotive brand or badge snobbery issues, imagine paying off for this car in four, maybe five years instead of seven. And for whatever the residual's worth after that hire-purchase period, the average damage in depreciation is say, a more manageable RM5k per year? Kinda makes great food-for-thought, financially speaking, yes?



Back to my better half again, she subsequently complained of lack of power after the few days of joint sampling of this tester, and also of bumpier ride than her Mitsu Colt Ralliart. Hmmm....so "Girls love Picanto"? Probably not all girls, especially women...



Related posts:
Perodua Viva Elite
Driven: Hyundai i10

Perodua Viva Elite

Today I shall get down-to-earth, back-to-basics with this car review. No other car epitomize this better than Perodua Viva Elite. It is by no means bargain-basement cheap, considering that Perodua is considered a national car maker and is afforded tariff exemption, special tax incentives et al.






Not paying much attention to this Perodua model initially, I was surprised at how decent this rebadged Daihatsu Charade (of previous generation) can be. Things that matter like ABS, twin SRS airbags are there. Even the wing mirrors are electrically foldfable. Hear this UMW Toyota: (well, they are of the same core business group anyway), where's the electric folding mirror action for the RM175k Toyota Prius?

Then there's also adjustable seatbelt anchorage points on the B-Pillars. Similar items in Toyota Avanza and even Nissan Grand Livina? No.

Though the seats are not the last word in comfort - its flanks support and backrest are a little thin/stingy but the thigh supports are surprisingly adequate (at least for my short stature) i.e. ant-posterior length-wise up to the mark. Once again, even the ever popular (D-segment!) Toyota Camry is a little shortchanged here. Serious.

Drive wise, there is nothing much to complain about. It's sprightly enough, light footed and willing on the move. There's even 4 -speed auto now, versus the Kancil 850 EZ which my better half owned 8 years ago. Idling vibrations is still noticeable, even though idling engine speed is pretty high at 1000rpm. The instruments panel are simple, clean and easily legible. something that the other 'major' national carmaker needs to learn for its Neo model or even its new Evora...er, I meant Exora.

The chassis gets a tad floaty as you breach our national highway speed limit but I guess flogging it to, say 130 km/h is much akin to wearing your Croc sandals to do snorkeling.

Funnily, the alloy wheels managed to look like wheel caps, which is something rather 'bizarre' considering that some good wheel caps can mimic otherwise these days!
In contention for a NST-Maybank COTY award 2009, whether the Viva Elite will present better value than the Hyundai i10 remains with the end-user. While the little Hyundai does handle better and has a better interior, the Viva's trump cards are its features.

At the end of the day, most motorists at this entry-level budget segment will likely emphasise on Viva's resale value in the future as a key consideration factor in their purchase.
Or perhaps another choice may be the newly relaunched, facelifted and renamed Naza (Kia) Picanto?