The Kia Picanto was recently voted the most economical four-seater in the A-segment in a German survey.
The Kia Picanto was recently voted the most economical four-seater in the A-segment in a German survey.
Using a database of 5 500 new cars, the ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil Club) surveyed the total ownership costs over a four-year period with the cars covering 15 000 km each year. The costs included the purchase price, depreciation, residual value, scheduled servicing and general maintenance, fuel, insurance, taxes.
The Picanto’s overall running costs were calculated at an average of about 30 cents per kilometre, a feat which won it the title of Germany’s most economical car.
According to Yong-Hwan Kim, senior executive vice president and chief operating officer of Kia Motors Corporation, “The Picanto has been one of our global top sellers since its launch in 2003, with over 70 780 units sold in 2004. And through the first six months of the current year, the Picanto has been our best seller in overseas markets, with over 56 530 units delivered.”
Jean-Charles Lievens, senior vice president of Kia Europe, said, “The Picanto was designed to appeal to Europeans, delivering a lively drive with a spacious cabin and high levels of safety. The Picanto is also one of the cleanest cars in Europe with a CO2 rating of just 118 g/km.
“Now, we have independent confirmation that those numerous appealing attributes are also backed up by long-term low ownership costs. Picanto sales in Europe so far this year have reached more than 45 000 units and this latest endorsement from the ADAC will encourage further rises in demand for what is already our most popular model,” concluded Lievens.
As well as heading the top ten list which included the Hyundai Atos and the Citroën C2 (a 1,1-litre version not available in South Africa), the Picanto also outperformed several entrenched models from major global manufacturers.
