Kia Picanto GT-Line and Kia Sorento review: I tried the latest offering from Kia and this is what I thought

To consolidate its status it has given its smallest car and its largest SUV summer updates on looks and specifications. The Picanto four-door hatchback and the Sorento 7-seater SUV are bookends to an award-winning range of electric, semi-electric and petrol and diesel cars. Las month it was voted top car brand for customer loyalty and satisfaction, including handling of complaints (UK Customer Satisfaction Index).

Picanto prices for a range of eight versions start at £15,595 and close at £19,720, respectively getting the entry model ‘2’ with a 62bhp engine and the 77bhp GT-Line S with automatic gears.

Sorento’s range of nine opens at £41,995 for the 190bhp 2.2 diesel eight-speed automatic and ends at £56,670 for the 248bhp 1.6 PHEV six-speed automatic. In between is the 212bhp 1.6 self-charging hybrid automatic from £42,995. All the above are offered in standard and slightly more expensive premium trim.

A few weeks ago Kia hosted driving sessions at a modern events village in the grounds of what, last century, was the press baron Lord Beaverbrook’s grand Surrey estate.

The Sorento was more of a social fit than the PIcanto. Possibly some of the villages on the prescribed route had houses under the million mark and not every drive had a big bucks SUV or limousine.

We were in the one-litre Picanto GT-Line, a tag which adds a bit of chutzpah when tootling through, say, Bushey. The four seater, five at a squeeze, is welcome in a world where handy, small and cheapish cars are getting rarer. At just under 12-ft long and 63 inches wide it is nimble and easy to place. Just right for me most of the time.

The new one is much changed in appearance, both inside and out. All models have a rear view camera and navigation and the top PIcanto has a sunroof. There is no turbocharged model this time and if you want a bit of pace then you’ll look at the 77bhp 1.2 four cylinder model.

On the undemanding roads chosen, the 52bhp three-cylinder engine with its five manual gears was fine. Just don’t ruminate on the 0-62mph time of a yawning 15.4 seconds. In town and in country lanes it was quick enough. Hill dwellers may disagree or have to be patient.

Try to ignore also the expanses of scratchy brittle plastic trim and the rather firm ride on 16 inch alloys. The lower rung of Picantos are on 14 inch alloys which will give a more comfortable passage. Our affluent route gave 46 miles a gallon, six less than the claimed combined figure. Even so, the 7.7 gallon should do more that 300 miles before a refill.

For £16,475 this GT-Line has LED front and rear lights, a glossy black face and darker rear glass, black and grey synthetic leather for the seats and fake leather on the steering wheel, folding and heated side mirrors and various cosmetic detailing.

Driving help and safety stuff includes cruise control, collision avoidance, lane following and keeping, speed limiter and - a big help for some - lots of proper switches to augment the touch screen display. In short, the Picanto is the right size for everyday people at a right price.

The Sorento is for other people, wanting up to seven seats, all-wheel-drive with terrain selection, lots of room and the assurance of its physical presence. It is eight inches shorter than a Range Rover and just as wide inside, at 61 inches door to door - that is ten more than the PIcanto.

The dainty Picanto was a better physical fit in streets and lanes often so narrow that, in the Sorento, you clenched your buttocks, breathed in and squeezed by parked and oncoming vehicles.

It was visually hard to miss, with vertical headlights from the brand’s EV9 electric flagship and vertical tail lights. Inside the option of vegan leather is bang up to date as cow hides take a back seat, whether for ethical, cost or environmental reasons.

We were allocated the PHEV version in level 4 trim and a price of £55,995. It looked and felt solid. PHEV, for newcomers, means it is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. You plug in to the mains and this charges the battery and elevates the 1.6 litre petrol engine to 248bhp with 270 lb ft of torque and as long as the battery is kept charged (taking three to five hours) gives upwards of 170 miles a gallon and a pure electric range of 34 miles. Short runs and a full battery mean there is no need for petrol and gives very cheap miles. On a flat battery, PHEV economy droops alarmingly.

This Sorento weighs just over two imperial tons. Despite its heft the braked towing weight is just one ton. You’ll need the diesel’s grunt for heavy towing: rating 2.5 tons.

We got lost, as we had done on the same route in the Picanto. I had a train north to catch. The examination of the Sorento became subliminal. It was smooth and quiet, with low noise from the big tyres. The see-back side mirrors were assuring at turns to retract our mistakes. I got the train.

More: kia.co.uk