Kia Picanto review

The only real bugbear with the Kia Picanto's driving position is that – like all city cars – its steering wheel adjusts for height and not reach. Still, its driving position still works well for most people, somehow, and it's certainly better than the Volkswagen Up's, which tends to block the instruments. 

The driver’s seat is supportive, despite the lack of lumbar adjustment – another commonality with rivals at this end of the market – and has enough side bolstering to stop you sliding around in corners. Thanks to well-aligned pedals and the driver’s seat height adjustment (on all but the entry-level trim), it's really comfortable, even on a long trip. '3' trim and above even adds a front centre armrest to lean on as well.

The rear side windows are slightly smaller, but rear passengers are unlikely to feel claustrophobic; the Picanto is relatively bright and airy in the back compared with most city cars.

The rear pillars are chunkier and the rear screen is relatively small, but even so, over-the-shoulder visibility is slightly better than it is in a Hyundai i10 and much better than the Dacia Sandero. It's a shame that rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera are available only on the mid and upper trims, with no option to add them on the cheaper variants.

With '1' and '2' trims you get only an AM/FM radio, Bluetooth and a tiny, 3.8in monochrome screen, although that's better than the entry-level Sandero's system, which doesn't have a stereo.