Kia Picanto
In the hotly contested budget-car segment, the Kia Picanto stands out as one of the more sophisticated and fun-to-drive offerings. Even though the Korean brand’s compact city car was launched with very basic specification and safety features in entry-level guise, Kia has implemented constant updates to the model, which features no fewer than 4 trim levels, with ABS and dual front airbags standard across the range. As such, the Picanto serves as a budget car in its most value-oriented guise (Start) and a highly-specced compact hatchback at the top of its lineup (X-Line). Interior build quality is good and although rear legroom is limited, the load bay is surprisingly spacious. Kia’s 5-year/unlimited km warranty provides peace of mind; the latest examples are also offered with 2-year/30 000 km service plans.