Measuring 18.5 inches shorter than the new 2018 Kia Rio hatchback, the all-new Picanto is Kia’s answer to the Chevrolet Spark and the Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback. Unlike Chevy and Mitsubishi, though, Kia has no plans to bring its latest-generation Picanto to our shores. 
For Kia, this may be a wise move, as the little Picanto offers a choice of respectable power or an automatic transmission, but not both: only the middle-child engine, an 83-hp 1.3-liter four-cylinder, can be optioned with a behind-the-times four-speed automatic transmission. A five-speed manual comes standard and is the sole transmission offered with the bottom-of-the-barrel 66-hp 1.0-liter three-cylinder and the top 99-hp turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder engines. The latter unit is also able to produce a healthy 127 lb-ft of torque from as little as 1500 rpm and can take the little Picanto to 62 mph in just over 10 seconds?a reasonable, if slow, jaunt. For comparison, the last Chevy Spark and Mitsubishi Mirage we tested required 10.8 and 10.9 seconds to reach 60 mph.
The Picanto’s interior carries on the design theme first shown in the 2018 Kia Rio. This includes a sporty three-spoke steering wheel, simple gauges and HVAC controls, and a protruding infotainment system with an available 7.0-inch touchscreen interface. Rear-seat accommodations are similar to those of the Spark, with the Picanto’s 32.2 inches of legroom falling to the little Chevy by 0.8 inch. Nevertheless, the Pic...