New Picanto Automatic

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   The deal on the Swift is very tempting and I have been offered a further few hundred off if I place the order in January ready for a March delivery with the new '12' number plate. The only thing stopping me at the moment is that I want to drive the Suzuki Splash first but am likely to put my name down for one or the other soon. I have gone through the list of every small auto on the market and at the minute the Suzukis are out on top. If I had a bit more money I might consider a Polo with DSG gearbox but they have had a few technical issues with that gearbox and it is not as much fun to drive as the Swift. I like the new Kia Rio but the Auto is a lot of money (without the sort of deal that Suzuki are offering) and the mpg / co2 not as good. The Swift is in the same road tax band as the Picanto. 
The Swift has, I think, about 95 bhp which is more that respectable for a 1.2 engine. As with many little Japanese motors it likes to be revved to deliver the performance. If you just potter about then it doesn't feel particularly swift (sorry, couldn't resist). If you get the gearbox to kickdown and use the revs then it goes well enough, and certainly as well as the Picanto, if never fast. They both use conventional torque converter automatics and change smoothly. I also reset the ave. mpg on the trip computer and managed 48mpg during the drive. The Swift feels a little bigger than it is which is either a good or bad thing depending on why you drive a little car. If you want the easiest car to slot into parking slots then the Picanto wins but ultimately the Swift is still a little car and shorter than a Fiesta, Polo etc....  The Swift is excellent for safety (not that the Picanrto is bad) and has seven standard airbags and ESP. It also has a five star Euro Ncap rating.

I owned a Swift a few years ago and the new one surprised me with how well Suzuki have ironed out the flaws in the old model. The new one rides very well over poor surfaces, is noticeably quieter and feels a lot more solid. The good handling of the original has been, if anything, improved further and the turn in and body control remind me of a Mini. It is not perfect, however, the boot is quite small although as you might expect still larger than the little Picanto. 

Right, I'll stop boring you all now, this is, after all a Kia forum, not a Suzuki forum. However, I do like Kia and had the pricing and spec of the Rio been more appealing I might have considered one.

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ptolemy Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 30 Nov 2011 Location: Worcestershire Status: Offline Points: 10	Post Options Post Reply Quote ptolemy Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 15 Jan 2012 at 6:14pm
	The deal on the Swift is very tempting and I have been offered a further few hundred off if I place the order in January ready for a March delivery with the new '12' number plate. The only thing stopping me at the moment is that I want to drive the Suzuki Splash first but am likely to put my name down for one or the other soon. I have gone through the list of every small auto on the market and at the minute the Suzukis are out on top. If I had a bit more money I might consider a Polo with DSG gearbox but they have had a few technical issues with that gearbox and it is not as much fun to drive as the Swift. I like the new Kia Rio but the Auto is a lot of money (without the sort of deal that Suzuki are offering) and the mpg / co2 not as good. The Swift is in the same road tax band as the Picanto. The Swift has, I think, about 95 bhp which is more that respectable for a 1.2 engine. As with many little Japanese motors it likes to be revved to deliver the performance. If you just potter about then it doesn't feel particularly swift (sorry, couldn't resist). If you get the gearbox to kickdown and use the revs then it goes well enough, and certainly as well as the Picanto, if never fast. They both use conventional torque converter automatics and change smoothly. I also reset the ave. mpg on the trip computer and managed 48mpg during the drive. The Swift feels a little bigger than it is which is either a good or bad thing depending on why you drive a little car. If you want the easiest car to slot into parking slots then the Picanto wins but ultimately the Swift is still a little car and shorter than a Fiesta, Polo etc.... The Swift is excellent for safety (not that the Picanrto is bad) and has seven standard airbags and ESP. It also has a five star Euro Ncap rating. I owned a Swift a few years ago and the new one surprised me with how well Suzuki have ironed out the flaws in the old model. The new one rides very well over poor surfaces, is noticeably quieter and feels a lot more solid. The good handling of the original has been, if anything, improved further and the turn in and body control remind me of a Mini. It is not perfect, however, the boot is quite small although as you might expect still larger than the little Picanto. Right, I'll stop boring you all now, this is, after all a Kia forum, not a Suzuki forum. However, I do like Kia and had the pricing and spec of the Rio been more appealing I might have considered one.

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ptolemy Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 30 Nov 2011 Location: Worcestershire Status: Offline Points: 10	Post Options Post Reply Quote ptolemy Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 15 Jan 2012 at 6:23pm
	Oh, in the interests of a little more balance, the Suzuki has a three year warranty whilst the Picanto has that amazing seven year cover. The Picanto is also available with that good value pre paid servicing deal (£269 for three years). The Swift has 16" wheels whereas the Picanto 2 has 14" wheels and so tyres will be cheaper on the Kia. (Feel al little better now that I have said that).

Gazcaz Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 31 May 2010 Location: Nottinghamshire Status: Offline Points: 62	Post Options Post Reply Quote Gazcaz Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 15 Jan 2012 at 7:18pm
	Thank you for that ptolemy, I have also on our short list the mazda 2 activematic(1.5l),as well as the suzuki. one thing i forgot to say at the start, is this is mainly for the wife to drive,so as you say about parking etc, i think the wife will want to go for the picanto as she has been happy with the one we've got(1.1 lx auto) But i will still drag her round the other two cars just so she can be sure? Gazcaz.

ptolemy Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 30 Nov 2011 Location: Worcestershire Status: Offline Points: 10	Post Options Post Reply Quote ptolemy Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 16 Jan 2012 at 12:35pm
	The Mazda 2 drives very well. I did take a look at one and have driven a manual version. However, the co2 / road tax is quite high and the mpg (realistically 35ish according to user reports) ruled it out for me.

New Picanto Automatic

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