Actual cost and usage: Kia Picanto 1.2 Edition 7

“A city car with little space but good handling of all aspects: from the radio to the clutch to the steering.” Editor Thomas Hellmanzik gives the Kia Picanto 1.2 Edition 7 a good rating in a comparison test of two small Asian cars. But does the Korean also deserve credit in terms of fuel consumption and daily costs?

Our test application

When it comes to consumption, first he should be criticized. According to the WLTP standard, the Picanto should use 5.2 liters of super fuel per 100 kilometers. In the test it was 6.0 liters, which means fuel costs of 10.62 euros for this distance. When moved carefully, the consumption is reduced to 4.9 liters – and therefore the value of premium gasoline required for 8.67 euros. With a dynamic driving style, however, fuel consumption can increase to 8.0 liters and the associated costs up to 14.16 euros. Fuel costs are calculated based on the current daily fuel price on our partner website mehr-tanken.de (29.02.2024 / Super: 1,77 Euro/L).

Monthly maintenance costs

Picanto owners, on the other hand, can skip the car tax, which costs just 68 euros per year. 356 euros are suitable for liability insurance, while an additional 58 euros should be planned for a comprehensive insurance upgrade and 278 euros for a full insurance upgrade. All these sums add up to monthly maintenance costs of 189 euros if the 7th Edition Kia Picanto 1.2 covers 15,000 kilometers per year. If the mileage has doubled, this value will increase to 341 euros. The loss of value is not included in this calculation.

This is how testing is done

The automotive and sports test uses consist of three usage trips with different weights. The so-called “passenger use” accounts for 70 percent. This is a journey from home to work that is on average 21 kilometers long. The economy driven period, approximately 275 kilometers long is counted as 15 percent. The remaining 15 percent goes to the driver group of sports. The length is roughly the same as the Eco route, but the route has a larger section of road and therefore a higher average speed. The basis for calculating fuel costs is always the price quoted on the “more fuel” website on the day the article was created.

Monthly maintenance costs include maintenance, wear parts and vehicle tax based on an assumed annual mileage of 15,000 and 30,000 kilometers without depreciation. The basis of the calculation is trial use, three-year holding period, no-claims class SF12 for liability and comprehensive insurance for Allianz, including discounts for garage parking and restrictions for certain drivers (not under 21 years). At Allianz, SF12 means a discount rate of 34 percent for liability and 28 percent for comprehensive insurance.