MANILA, Philippines — Buying an entry level car these days feels almost like shopping for a cellphone. The past couple of years have radically changed what used to be a price driven segment. These days, carmakers fight for the buyers’ attention with modern and aggressive designs, innovative instrument cluster designs and unique tech features for its young buyers.

One of the best examples of this changing trend is the new Kia Picanto. The first Picanto made a big splash in the country some years back. It’s no surprise this 2nd generation was so eagerly awaited.

For this new model, the Picanto bears more masculine design. Up front, eagle-eye headlights, sit on either side of the tiger-nose grille. The crash-compatible bumper features larger intakes in the center and sides. Tall fog lights make it easy to see around corners.

Inside the cabin, a brushed aluminium insert stretches across the dashboard. It gives the cabin a wider feeling. Brushed aluminium inlays are also placed in the unique two-spoke steering wheel and stick shift.

On the driver’s side, the steering wheel greets him with tiger-nose design element. The six-way adjustable seat allows the driver to find the perfect position. Ahead is the instrument cluster, made up of three dials, one for the tachometer, speed and fuel and temp displays. The center dial houses an LCD that displays trip information, warnings and fuel economy.

Towards the center of the dashboard is the center stack. The stereo sits in between the aircon vents and plays sound over four speakers. Just below it, slots for USB and power allow passengers to plug in their devices for music or recharging.

For those that can’t seem to leave anything behind, the car has several storage solutions. Large spaces in between the stereo and air con dials serve as great room to store bulky items like cellphones, change and other gadgets.

At the bottom of the center console are cupholders for soda cans and water bottles. A rotating dial even adjusts the cupholder to the size of your beverage. On the very right, the deceptively large glove box allows for additional storage. Up in the ceiling, a mood lamp makes it easy to see at night. Map pockets on the doors help store additional items. Finally, drawers under the seats allow storage for smaller, flatter items like books and maps.

Over in the back, the second row has space for three more passengers. This bench folds at a 60/40 split. The seats will stow nearly flat, allowing the car to carry even bulkier items like sporting equipment or boxes. Even with the seats up, there’s still room to store a week’s groceries in the rear hatch. A concealed anchor even allows you to secure child seats. For more storage space, the cover of the cargo area can be pulled up to reveal an organizer.

For safety, side-impact beams keep passengers safe in the event of a collision. Crash-compatible bumpers allow the car to collide with larger vehicles without compromising safety. Unfortunately, ABS and airbags are not equipped in this variant.

With everything packed and ready, simply press the unlock button on the key fob for keyless entry. Slot the key into the illuminated ignition keyhole and twist it to start the engine. Burbling under the hood is a 1.0 liter 3 cylinder engine. Despite its size and layout, it still has three valves per cylinder and features variable valve timing. It goes through a 5-speed manual that sends power to the front wheels. Independent Macpherson strut suspension in front and a coil sprung torsion beam in the rear soften any potholes and bumps. Disc brakes in front and drum brakes in the rear bring the car to a stop.

Despite only having the car for a short time, I managed to take it around the city as well as out of town. The light electronic power steering made it easy to squeeze through tight spots and was appropriately heavier and more stable at higher speeds. The ride was much more comfortable than the previous, but felt far more stable and adhesive to the road than any car in its class that I’ve driven so far.

This 5-speed manual version had a light but crisp shifter, allowing for quick but precise shifts to the highest gear for good fuel efficiency or speedy downshifts for overtaking. And thanks to the transmission, overtaking was fairly easy, even with such a diminutive engine. With two passengers and overnight bags, the car is capable of reaching speeds up 140 km/h. On the highway, the Picanto could easily keep up with larger and faster cars but squeeze into the spaces they couldn’t. Finally, driving the car just leisurely around town returned mileage as high as 11 km/L in the city and 15 km/L on the highway.

All told, the Kia Picanto makes for an excellent entry level car with performance and efficiency that is hardly entry level at all. It has thankfully sheds its cutesy image in favour of more masculine design. It’s rather appropriate considering the male buyers will likely find it quite a sporty hatch to set up. It’s just a bit bare on the safety side. But in every other aspect, it should far exceed the needs and demands of first time car buyers.

Engine: 1.0 liter 3 cylinder 

DOHC 12 valve

Drivetrain: Front-wheel drive

Max power: 69 hp / 69 lb-ft

Transmission: 5-speed M/T

Price: P545,000