Kia’s Picanto is cheap, easy to drive — and the perfect car for both young and old

IT’S fair to say 17-year- olds and 77-year-olds don’t have a lot in common.

You don’t see a nan in a hoodie and you don’t see a 17-year-old fist-pumping a mate because he’s just hit the jack on a bowls green.

But there are one or two things that close that 60-year divide.

Like Corrie and EastEnders and a Ruby Murray on a Saturday night. In the car world, you won’t see a teenager in a Honda Jazz and you won’t see a grandad imitating Ken Block outside Halfords.

But you will see young and old drivers at the wheel of a Kia Picanto.

Simply because Picanto is the perfect starter car — especially this high-spec GT-Line at £14,645 — as well as being the perfect last car to see us out.

Actually, you can slice £2,500 off that sticker price with scrappage of any car or van seven years or older. Finance from £150 a month.

Right, let’s crack on.

My daughter passed her L-test in a Picanto without a single proper lesson.

Partly down to her awesome dad, of course, but mostly because the Picanto is a doddle to drive and even easier to park.

It’s also bloody good fun. As light as a match and powered by a peppy, whizzy 1-litre turbo petrol.

Ticks all the boxes

At the same time, you can nudge 50mpg, so it costs peanuts to run.

Next up, looks. Little nip/tuck for 2021 but still unmistakably a Kia: Bow-tie front grille, ice-cube running lights, more colours than a tube of Smarties. Not quite as cool as a Volkswagen Up! perhaps but the Picanto is cheaper and has way more kit.

And that’s exactly why you will sign on the dotted line. For the kit.

This is a city car with luxuries from a mid-range Sorento.

I’m talking about buttons to warm your back and pinkies, 8in touchscreen, reversing camera, Apple CarPlay, wireless phone charging and all sorts of anti-crash kit.

They all please. As does that seven-year warranty. The Koreans know exactly what people want from a small car and Picanto ticks all the boxes. In the last few years we’ve seen several big-name models axed as manufacturers struggled to make their entry-level cars pay.

Ford Ka. Vauxhall Adam. Vauxhall Viva. Suzuki Celerio. All gone. Peugeot 108 and Citroen C1 will be going at the end of this year.

That has cleared the dancefloor for the likes of Kia and VW and the Toyota Aygo.

But pound for pound, Picanto is the pick of the bunch.

You could even go halves with your nan.