Kia Picanto ticks all the boxes and then some

Time was when the micro-mini segment was populated with cars which between them were equipped with little more technology as could be seen on, say, a wheelbarrow. Dodgy plastics, terrible seats, appalling designs, poor chassis, and absolutely no kit was the order of the day.

They were designed as an afterthought largely for family people who needed a second car, not just to teach their 14-year-old brigands how to spin wheels. Or there were singles who barely needed a car at all, but had to get from A to B and still didn’t really mind that it only just came as standard with a steering wheel.

Most micro-minis were crude in the extreme, but they were cheap and also came with terrific engines. These were largely of the petrol variety — and usually came in the 800cc to 1200cc range. Is Examiner Motoring on a recurring theme here?