Hyundai Sonata vs Kia Picanto

What's the difference?

The updated Sonata N Line looks beautifully modern from its new face to the refreshed cockpit, while remaining a ‘driver’s car’ with good dynamics, and a sporty engine. 

The Sonata isn’t an ideal family car, however. This is down to a lack of practicality. Although the cabin is fairly roomy, if that roofline wasn’t so coupe-like and cabin storage was better, and the boot had a large hatch opening, and the ride height was more elevated then it would be a great family car. Oh, I’ve just described an SUV.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

Australians are moving into ever-larger vehicles when really we should be embracing the small car now more than ever. It's great Kia is still here, with its Picanto showing what can be offered in such a compact form-factor.

While it's not as affordable as it once was, it looks like it won't be long before Kia is the last torchbearer of sub-$20k starter cars. Even so, this is a great choice for buyers on strict budgets.

So, we’ve established that the Sonata N Line is a sedan and that means if you’re still reading this you are, a) A Sonata owner looking to trade the old one in for this new one, b) Driving another type of sedan such as a Toyota Camry or Volkswagen Passat and looking to update your trusty steed with one from Hyundai or c) Not in the market for an SUV.

Whatever the reason, sedans lend themselves to being sleek and sophisticated in their styling just by being lower to the ground than SUVs and generally longer than sports cars.

The Sonata N Line is long at 4.91m end-to-end. That’s only 8.0cm shorter than the gigantic Hyundai Palisade which has eight seats. I know… it bends the mind.

This new Sonata N Line looks even wider than the previous version, too, with that broad flat bonnet meeting the Seamless Horizon LED strip.

Fact is the Sonata N Line is 1.86m across - exactly the same as the previous version. Remind me never to wear a 'seamless horizon' T-shirt on days I’m feeling rotund. 

If you look closely at the photos you can see the hidden LED headlights flanking the large, dark and low-set grille.

The rear of the new Sonata looks so different from the previous version, too, with its boot lid spoiler and LED tail-lights. 

The menacing body kit comes with the N Line grade and accentuates the sporty nature of this car. It’s a good thing it has an engine to back up the looks, but more on that later.

Inside, the Sonata has been given the new 12.3-inch curved screens and a digital climate control display, while the steering wheel is new and adorned with the Hyundai 'Morse Code' badge (the letter H is four dots in Morse Code). It’s a premium and modern looking cockpit topped off with suede and leather leather N Line sports seats.

You wouldn't know it in Australia, where our collective tastes are orienting toward larger and larger vehicles, but city cars are experiencing something of a golden age overseas.

Cars like the Nissan Sakura, Honda N One, and Hyundai Casper join a long list of others which are design leaders in the city-car segment, and this is why the Picanto needs to look sharper than ever to compete.

Particularly in the GT-Line form we tested for this review, the 2024 car has adopted a dramatic facelift which complies to Kia's incoming and much more science-fiction look, complete with an extremely angular design and frowny LED light fittings.

Around the rear, there's a reworked set of tail-lights with a contemporary strip which almost reaches the whole way across the boot lid, and the new alloy wheels round out the whole aesthetic.

Given this, it's a little disappointing to see how few elements have changed on the interior. From the inside, this Picanto feels basically the same as the pre-update version.

I like the D-shaped steering wheel the GT now gets, and the multimedia screen is great for such a small and affordable car, but all the other switchgear, including the steering wheel is from previous-generation Kia products, and not the shiny new design-led stuff which appears in cars like the Sportage, Sorento, or Niro.

Also, while it's feature-laden all things considered, the interior plastics are mainly the harsh, hollow, scratchy kind. The new digital instrument cluster isn't one big screen, instead it's constructed of a few basic sectors which aren't customisable outside of the background colour. At least the central portion shows some useful information.

Sedans might be sleek and sophisticated but practicality is not typically their strength because their low height means passenger access isn’t as easy as it is with an SUV, but mainly because the cargo carrying ability is limited by the relatively small boot opening.

Still, the Sonata N Line does have a big 480-litre boot and cabin storage has been improved thanks to the gear shifter being relocated to the steering column and freeing up space in the centre console for stowing items and a wireless phone charger.

Rear legroom is also good. I’m 189cm tall and I can sit behind my driving position with space to spare. Headroom back there is also good thanks to contoured heading which has a ‘carved out’ section for extra space.

Along with the wireless phone charger there are two Type-C USB ports up front and another two for the second row.

There are four cupholders (two up front and two in the second row) and decent sized bottle holders in the doors.

This lack of practicality compared to an SUV or even a station wagon means the Sonata N Line really isn’t the perfect family car.

Feeling a little old or not, the Picanto has a clever interior which makes the most of its limited dimensions.

There are huge bottle holders in the front doors, a further two with little flip-out sectors which sit below the air-con controls. These holders can be folded away to turn this space into a tray for the storage of large objects. There's even a centre armrest console box, but it's tiny.

On the topic of air-conditioning controls, these are, refreshingly, physical dials, which are increasingly going missing as manufacturers move such functions to touchscreens. The Picanto keeps things manual though, even including a volume and tuning knob for the touchscreen, with physical shortcut buttons adorning the bottom section of the frame.

Physical controls is something Hyundai Group has committed to, and it's not until you use a vehicle without them you realise how essential they can be.

Despite its tiny footprint, there's also plenty of room in the cabin for an adult my size (I'm 182cm tall). I felt as though there was massive airspace between my head and the roof, as the Picanto's seats let you sit nice and low to the ground, and while it's limited in its width, it feels like I had enough room and adjustability for my legs.

Only one area brought me discomfort and it was the elbow-rest in the door. Sounds silly, but while the GT-Line has a little synthetic leather strip here, for some reason it has no padding, so it's seemingly for aesthetic purposes only and is still an uncomfortable place to rest your elbow on longer journeys.

It sounds unlikely, but I fit behind my own driving position in the back seat, with my knees almost up against the back of the front seat. Thankfully, the seat backings are softly-clad so even if you were slightly taller than me it might be ok.

Again, headroom is sufficient, and the seats are reasonably comfortable in the outer two positions. There are no amenities in the back seat. Rear passengers don't get air vents, door pockets, or a drop-down armrest in the centre position. There is only a small pocket on the back of the passenger seat. Can't say it would be the best space for longer journeys, but it fits adults for short city trips.

The boot measures 255 litres. It's small enough it may rule the Picanto out for some family buyers who need to wrestle with a pram or some such. The boot is large enough to fit either the largest CarsGuide luggage case on its own, or the two smaller ones, but absolutely not all three. It may surprise you to learn there is enough room under the floor for a space-saver spare wheel.

Every dollar counts here, which is why it is disappointing to see the Picanto continue to claw up the price-scale for this update, but it's not in a major way, and it's still one of few options left in this price-bracket at all.

In fact, it is the only option aside from the MG3 Core, which can be had in automatic form at $19,990 drive-away and even then this car is set to be replaced later this year with a bigger and more expensive new-generation, so the Picanto may well be the last bastion of sub-$20k affordability in Australia.

Now keep in mind, these are before-on-road costs, so it's likely if you can have any Picanto under $20k by the time you get it on the road, it's probably going to be the base model Sport Manual, which starts from $17,890.

From there, you can add an automatic gearbox, pushing it to $19,490, or you can upgrade to the GT-Line which is the car we have for this review, which costs from $19,690 for the manual as-tested, or $21,290 for the automatic.

A small spread of relatively affordable prices in this market then, but what's in the box? As it happens, more than you might expect.

Standard stuff in 2024 has increased on the base Sport grade to include 14-inch alloy wheels (in place of the previous steel wheels with hubcaps), as well as a leatherbound steering wheel and shifter (up from the previous plastic-clad ones), and a 4.2-inch digital instrument cluster replaces the analogue dials.

Meanwhile, the GT-Line scores a D-shaped steering wheel and new 16-inch alloy wheel designs, and the updated and more aggressive face is highlighted by LED light clusters. In addition, the GT-Line scores USB-C outlets on the inside, synthetic leather seat trim, and both grades maintain the 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity.

Feels like a lot more car than it appears from the inside, especially since it comes with most of today's expected active safety tech, too, which its main rivals, the MG3 and Suzuki Ignis, have never been able to claim.

The Sonata N Line comes with a 2.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine making 213kW and 422Nm, which is plenty of oomph, and it all goes to the front wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

So no, there’s not a diesel version nor an all-wheel drive version, but this sporty engine suits the Sonata N Line perfectly.

That said a hybrid variant would be good seeing it’s 2023.

This is another area where the Picanto is feeling in need of a little innovation. It has the same very dated 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine as the previous car, producing a sufficient but not exciting 62kW/122Nm.

It drives the front wheels via an equally old four-speed automatic transmission, or as tested, a five-speed manual transmission.

It's better with the manual if you can drive one, and a bit of a win for first time or young buyers who will still have the option to learn to drive one, so points there.

As we were saying above there’s no hybrid variant of the Sonata N Line and there should be. Actually there is, but Hyundai says it isn't available for the Australian market.

So, this turbo-petrol four-cylinder is all we have and according to Hyundai it uses 8.1L/100km on the combined cycle.

When we tested it at the launch our trip computer was reporting exactly 8.1L/100km, but the roads were clear, the traffic was nowhere to be seen, so you can expect that consumption to climb higher if you’re commuting around the city.

An older engine and transmission combination makes for a less than impressive fuel consumption figure in today's market, but then the Picanto is a very light car, so it has lower fuel consumption than most of its contemporaries regardless.

The official fuel consumption on the combined-cycle test of the five-speed manual we tested is 5.4L/100km, and in our week of what I would consider fairly combined usage our GT-Line drank 6.0L/100km. Not great when you consider a much larger hybrid Corolla can use less fuel, but pretty close to the claim nonetheless.

The Picanto has a 35-litre fuel tank – enabling a theoretical driving range of 648km – and happily drinks base-grade 91RON unleaded fuel.

The Sonata N Line’s performance matches its sporty looks. That turbo-petrol engine is responsive and provides great acceleration, the transmission shifts fast and the steering is nicely weighted and accurate. 

Add to this better rigidity in the car’s structure in this updated model and a feeling of stability thanks to this being a sedan with a low centre of mass and you have a dynamic and enjoyable vehicle in your hands.

Sure it doesn't have the sky-high visibility that comes from the pilot’s seat of an SUV, but the Sonata N Line is for those who like to drive but still want the practicality of four doors, back seats and a boot.

You've got low power, a pretty low-tech engine and transmission, but this little Kia is still great fun to drive.

For a start, you can have it as a manual that lets you wring the best out of the little engine, which is easygoing but lacklustre with the four-speed auto.

To be clear, it's not a great manual - usually when you get a brand new manual in 2024 it's one of those fancy performance ones with nice damping and notchy gates, but as simple as it is, it also gives the car a raw mechanical nature which keeps it engaging to drive. There are real consequences for choosing the wrong gear and it takes a touch of skill to get used to, a lost art of the all-encompassing drive which is a welcome change of pace compared to a lot of cars today.

The Picanto also has keen steering helping the organic feel, and it has a firm ride, too, which makes it surprisingly sporty in the corners, but it's lightweight nature and firm suspension gave it a crashy and bouncy feel on some of the inconsistent Sydney streets I exposed it to.

It's also a bit noisy in the cabin, both in terms of engine noise (you have to rev the thing to get it going) and tyre roar on anything but the finest tarmac. This issue increases with your speed, and reminds you of its city-car intention when you're on the freeway.

Still, the city is where it's best suited to, and it's a joy to easily dart down alleyways which take a degree of caution in the usual mid-size SUVs you see around the place, and the fact you can park it anywhere can be a real blessing.

The visibility is great, too, which means multi-lane situations aren't a nightmare, and the full suite of manual adjustment for the stereo and air conditioning are super easy to use when you're on the go (who has time to adjust a touchscreen when you have a manual transmission to worry about?)

In conclusion then, the Picanto isn't to be underestimated. This is a spritely fun little thing which makes the most of its limited hardware, but it truly is best suited for the confines of a city, and gets less impressive as you get it out on the open road.

The other great thing about this Picanto is its surprisingly thorough suite of active safety items. It gets auto emergency braking, lane-keep assist and lane departure warning, as well as blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

Again, its limited array of rivals like the MG3 and Suzuki Ignis can't compare.

The Picanto has an array of six airbags (dual front, side, and curtain), although it is not currently rated by ANCAP.

The Sonata N Line is covered by Hyundai’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. 

Servicing is recommended annually or every 10,000km. There’s no capped price serving but you can buy a 'Lifetime' or a five-year plan that work out to be between $350-$400 on average a year. 

Kia's stand-out seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty isn't as stand-out as it once was, but is still the standard to beat for this segment, and is especially impressive considering the up-front cost of the Picanto.

You also get seven years of roadside assist included and a seven-year capped-price servicing program.

Over those seven years the price averages out to $438 annually, which is not as cheap as it could be, especially considering many Toyotas cost about $250 a year to keep on the road for their (shorter) warranty period.

The Picanto needs to visit a workshop once every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.