Kia Picanto - Manual or Automatic

Believe it or not, hatchbacks are an important part of our society. They are affordable to buy, easy to maintain, and drive around in our urban environment. Today, we have a number of hatchbacks available in the Philippines - Chevrolet Spark, 2019 Honda Brio, Mitsubishi Mirage, etc - however, it seems that the Kia Picanto has been one of the most underrated cars of its segment.

There are four Kia Picanto variants available - 1.0 LX MT, 1.0 LX AT, 1.2 EX MT, and 1.2 EX AT - that start at Php 590,000. As you can see, there is an option for either going with the manual transmission or with the automatic transmission in both the 1.0-litre and 1.2-litre variants. We think it’s a good thing that Kia is providing as many options possible to its customers.

So, the biggest question is, whether you should go for the manual or the automatic variant of the Kia Picanto? We’ll try to clear some air for you.

Picanto isn’t the most expensive hatchback out there. That’s why it’s quite obvious and understandable that it will lack some high-end features. And that list is going to increase in the car’s base variants. What we are trying to say is that, if possible, avoid buying the 1.0 LX MT and 1.0 LX AT variants. To keep their cost low, Kia has skimped on various features.

Kia Picanto dimensions-

Length	3595 mm
Width	1595 mm
Height	1495 mm
Wheelbase	2400 mm
Ground clearance	151 mm
Gross vehicle weight	1370 kg
Fuel tank capacity	35 litres

 

What are the features that Kia has skimped?

Ans. In terms of size and dimensions, all the variants of the Picanto are the same. However, some of the features that the 1.0 LX MT and 1.0 LX AT variants don’t get are-

• Dual front airbags
• ABS
• Keyless entry with alarm
• ISOFIX mounts
• LED position lamps
• LED DRLs
• Alloy wheels
• Wider tyres
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• 7-in touch screen infotainment

Kia Picanto 1.0 LX MT and 1.0 LX AT engine specifications-

Engine type	Kappa 1.0, in-line 3 cylinders, Multi-Point Injection
Displacement	998 cc
Max power output	67 bhp at 5500 rpm
Max torque output	95 Nm at 3750 rpm
Transmission options	5-speed manual / 4-speed automatic

Now with two out of the four variants out of consideration, we are left with only two variants - 1.2 EX MT and 1.2 EX AT. Of course, one of the best features of these two variants is their engine. They are powered by a more powerful 1.2-litre 4-cylinder engine which produces 84 bhp of max power and 121 Nm of torque.

Kia Picanto 1.2 EX MT and 1.2 EX AT engine specifications-

Engine type	Kappa 1.2, in-line 4 cylinders, Multi-Point Injection
Displacement	1248 cc
Max power output	84 bhp at 6000 rpm
Max torque output	121 Nm at 4000 rpm
Transmission options	5-speed manual / 4-speed automatic

Also, most of the missing features in the base variants would be available in these higher-end variants. Although even these higher-end variants of the Picanto don’t provide good safety features, they are definitely better than the base variants.

So, we would advise you to select between the Kia Picanto 1.2 EX MT and 1.2 EX AT. The transmission options in these variants are the same as before - 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic. So now, it would really depend on your personal preference, whether you like to drive a manual or an automatic. If you are a driving enthusiast, then most likely you would go for the manual otherwise if you like relaxed driving, the automatic would be better for you.

If you want to have better exterior features with more sportiness, then there’s the Kia Picanto GT Line variant which sits even above the 1.2 EX AT variant. It gets all the bells and whistles of the 1.2 EX AT along with a handful of added features for a more appealing appearance.

Kia Picanto colors-

Picanto is available in 11 different colours - Orange, Blue, Titanium Silver, Aurora Black, Clear White, Shiny Red, Light Yellow, Alice Blue, Honey Bee, Milky Beige and Sparkling Silver.

Kia Picanto price list-

Variant	Price
1.0 LX MT	Php 590,000
1.0 LX AT	Php 635,000
1.2 EX MT	Php 700,000
1.2 EX AT	Php 745,000
1.2 AT GT Line	Php 798,000

 

Also Read: Kia Picanto: All you need to know about the cute little hatch