This Car has NO Temperature Gauge

[Vit4wd]

That's the Kia Picanto I'm referring to.

 

It makes me wonder how one will know that the engine temp is boiling or hitting the red line. I was told that this is is a basic model, hence no temp guage, but I felt that a temp gauge is the basic of most basic necessities. If there's no tacometer (rpm meter), it's still acceptable.

 

Anyway, I had a test drive of the Picanto 1.1 manual this afternoon, and it was surprisingly spacious.

 

Pick up was fairly good and steady. Overall ride was more refined compared to the Perodua Kelisa 1.0. The engine was surprisingly refined (for a 1.1l) when I revved it to redline on first gear. It hit 40km/h.

 

The salesman said that this launch price will be raised to S$54,999 soon. But I think this is a C.O.C.K. and bull story. With the Kia Rio 1.3 manual selling for only S$54,000, the Picanto will die an overnight death if the price is raised by S$5,000.

 

Surprisingly, I even saw old maried couples in their 50s booking this car.

 

The Picanto's closest competitors are the Perodua Kelisa 1.0 (S$52,900) & Proton Wira 1.3 (S$52,800). For the young & trendy, the Picanto may be the car, but if you want a Japanese engine with that mini look, then the Kelisa may fit the bill.

 

For the ultimate in space in passenger compartment & boot, with the UUMPH when you need it & the trustworthy Mitsubishi engine, the Wira got to be the one. Not an easy decision.

 

For me, my heart & the child in me says "Get the Picanto", but my mind says "Nothing but the Wira."

 

KIA PICANTO manual

 

PROS

1. Spacious

2. Pretty refined engine

3. Rear seats fold down completely

4. High sitting position (similar to G9 Corolla or Matrix)

5. Big and comfortable seats

6. Spacious headroom

7. Economical (as claimed by the salesman - 16km/l)

8. Front power windows

9. Single disk Kenwood sound system

10. Nice Body colour interior door handles (but may be scratched easily if you wear a ring)

11. 3 year, 100,000km warranty

12. Low annual depreciation of S$4,600 per annum (straight line depreciation)

 

CONS

1. Cramped rear leg space if driver is tall

2. No temperature gauge

3. No mudguard

4. Air-con so so... and robs this mini of pick up power

5. Seat fabric material may not last

6. Skinny 155/70R13 tyres. No upgrades available.

7. Poor resale value (as for all Kia cars)

8. Low OMV of S$7,000 (Scrap value 55% of OMV - S$3,850)

Edited May 22, 2004 by Vit4wd

[Vivioman]

Neither the new Honda City nor the Vios also have water temp gauges...looks like that is a cost saving portion for the manufacturers....

[Vit4wd]

Are you sure? I sat in a Vios before. Confirmed got temp gauge. Can any Vios owner clarify?

[Yeobh]

Most of the cars now have a thermometer like display which will be in blue colour when you start the engine. - indicating the coolant is cold. The blue therometer will disappear when the water temp reached the pre-set operating temp.

[Vit4wd]

But how then can we know that the car engine is overheating?

[Cashiertan]

But how then can we know that the car engine is overheating?

 

when your picanto break down and say bye bye to you loh or when it caught fire and burn you to death like what a hyundai matrix did to its owner recently. thus my advice is buy a hyundai and kia are your risk. I never see a jap car even it is make in thailand kana engine fire nor i see any car owner burned to death by his car. only hyundai has the honour of doing so for now. maybe kia wants to join hyundai?

[Yeobh]

when the indicator appears in red

[Vit4wd]

Yes, and that's why I thought a car temperature gauge is the most basic of all safety features.

 

No tacometer, no ABS, no air bag still OK.

[Yeobh]

It can happen to any make and model. When it happens most of the time the driver or passengers are serious injured, trapped by the crashed portion or locked-in by the safety belt. Children sitting in the front can be knock-out or kill by the air bag.

In developed countries many of those traveling long distance always carry near the driver side a hammer-like cw cutter to be use in such emergency - it's used to break the wind-up glass window and cut the lock-in safety belts.

[Genie47]

Steam coming out of the bonnet?

[AngelEye]

i remember the hyundai Atos also got no RPM gauge.

[Genie47]

It is common for small budget cars not to have tachos. My Starlet when I bought it didn't come with one. Got to buy a JDM meter with tacho to wire it on. When hit above 125kmh, goes "DING DONG DING DONG!"

[DarkLord]

Water burst out from the radiator and erupting from the bonnet! I ever saw one car kena before!! I was in a friend's car going on a crabbing trip in Perth! They had to leave the car by the roadside and come back for it the next day... Next day, they went and went as somebody looted the car and left it on bricks! Most expensive crabs ever eaten by the owner sia!!

[AngelEye]

It is common for small budget cars not to have tachos. My Starlet when I bought it didn't come with one. Got to buy a JDM meter with tacho to wire it on. When hit above 125kmh, goes "DING DONG DING DONG!"

 

just like the taxi... hehe... good becos i know they r going at a resonable speed.. if i dun hear ding dong.. ding. dong when i'm dozing in the cab i'll wake up n see wat's going on.

[Gadgeter]

"....6. Skinny 155/70R13 tyres. No upgrades available...."

 

Wow...serious? so 'thin' !!!

Edited May 23, 2004 by Gadgeter

[Ah_veo]

next budget car we see got no handbrakes. they only give u 1 brick.

juz another cost saving measure.

[DarkLord]

next budget car we see got no handbrakes. they only give u 1 brick.

juz another cost saving measure.

Probably ask you to get the brick yourself!

[Ah_veo]

wha zhan ehhh...this is tooo much liao!!! how can like dat do biz one??? hor....???!!