Kia Picanto 1.25 MPI GT-Line 2017 first drive

The new Kia Picanto is a small car, and a big deal for Kia. The previous two generations have been big sellers - and very well regarded - but Kia faces a big challenge to hold its own in the increasingly crowded city car market.

We’ve previously driven the new Kia Picanto with its GT-Line finery on, but this is our first outing in the final UK specification on British roads.

The GT-Line’s sporty styling certainly stands out, with 16-inch alloy wheels, chunky front and rear bumpers, and even a twin exhaust. Does an 83bhp Picanto really need a twin exhaust? Kia clearly hopes the style-conscious young buyers it’s targeting will think it does.

Those young buyers might be a little less impressed with the interior spec. The Picanto is available in the UK in five trim levels – 1, 2, 3, GT-Line and GT-Line S. Oddly, aside from the styling cues, the GT-Line’s tech is based on the mid-level 2 trim.

That means the GT-Line features black and red faux leather seats and stainless steel pedals – but doesn’t get the 7.0in colour touchscreen available on the 3 and GT-Line S. The system that GT-Line does get features Bluetooth, but you suspect smartphone-savvy 20-somethings might prize the built-in sat nav and Apple CarPlay in 3 trim as much as, if not more than, shiny metal pedals.

Regardless of which trim level you go for, the third-generation Picanto features a revised, lighter bodyshell with a longer wheelbase and greater torsional stiffness. Notably, for a city car, an autonomous emergency braking system is standard on all models.

In the city, the new Picanto excels, living up to the reputation of its predecessors. Visibility is great all round – there seems little need for the rear parking sensor and cameras available on higher trim levels – and it’s responsive and manoeuvrable.

At low speeds, the ride can occasionally suffer on our particularly rough UK roads or speed bumps, but take to faster, more flowing roads and the Kia Picanto is surprisingly engaging. The steering is light but precise, and it’s stable enough to be good fun on twisty B-roads.