Northerlies rising to gale force, showers turning to heavy rain: Rubbish weather for a drive in any vehicle, all the worse when it’s became a six-hour highway run in one of the smallest cars on the market.

Hammering into the teeth of a howling storm and then, because the storm front unexpectedly turned 180 degrees during the period we spent at our destination, a fresh battle against head and crosswinds on the return trip, was asking a lot of the Kia Picanto.

That it did all that was required and perhaps even performed beyond expectation could, I guess, be perceived as something of a win for the little guy.

For all their growing popularity, really small cars tend to get a bad rap in regard to their capabilities, or at least the perception about their limitations.

Outside of Auckland at least, the prospect of an owner of what I’d call a true baby model to have to undertake at least an occasional inter-city run will be unavoidable. So for the Kia to largely shine on this day is a positive reinforcement that it’s wrong to imagine city cars are only good for threading though an urban environment at relatively modest pace.

At the same token though, the reality of the situation –reinforced on this day of truly dismal conditions – was that this was definitely a hard-fought victory and an experience, too, that I would not like to entertain on a daily basis.

The reason for the drive, in this instance, was to pick up three piggies for the freezer; a mission which entailed filling the entire rear end of the car with chillibins. Seats down, it proved remarkably commodious, a primary reason why it got the ‘go’ over our Subaru Forester.

The additional weight of the meat, roughly equivalent to having two more adults aboard, worked both ways. The enhanced kilo count contributed immensely to the car keeping its feet planted when the wind snatched at the high-sided body, a relief given that this is obviously a very light car. The route we took is heavily trafficked by large trucks; the potential for being blown across the centreline by a maverick gust seemed very real on occasion.

On the other hand, doubling the load weight was hardly a positive for forward progress; there’s only so much you can expect from a small engine, especially when it’s in harness to an economy-tuned four stage auto, and while it was working mightily, just holding the legal limit was, at times, a screaming challenge.

Kia claims 64kW and 123Nm out of this 1248cc four-pot, which translates to 0-100kmh in 13-plus seconds. It’s one of those units that requires revs and lots of ‘em to shine, and even with the pedal mashed into the carpet it’s sometimes not enough to hold a perky pace.

I wasn’t surprised that the burn rate was proving somewhat thirstier than 4.3 litres per 100km thrift the maker asserts is possible in best conditions. Mind you, I’d been resorting to hand-shift the transmission, having discovered that the gearing is so wide-spaced that, if left to its own slow-witted devices, the engine would too easily slip off the boil.

That’s just how it goes with wee cars, and is unavoidable as the jaunty ride, limited shoulder room and the level of mechanical noise that tends to resonate when the car is running at brisk pace. Which, in real terms, is not really that fast at all.

But fair dues, the Picanto did leave a positive impression and certainly reflects the effort Kia is putting into its effort to make a big impact on the small car category, which in New Zealand at least has traditionally been dominated by the Japanese.

Indeed, Suzuki is still the big name in this field, so it is perhaps a indictment of how far Kia has progressed that the Picanto, in hindsight, was clearly a better effort than Suzuki’s closest equivalent, the new Splash.

While the Korean, at $10 under $21,000, is pricier than the Suzuki - $17,990 in manual as tested, rising to $19,000 in auto (also four-speed) – it also feels like a more expensive bracket of car ownership.

The Hungarian-built Splash delivers its thrift message beyond the drivetrain; the cabin designs are similar, but the Japanese trim materials are of lower quality and whereas the Kia has all-electric function for window and mirror adjust, the Suzuki has wind-ups in the back and hand toggles.

Plastic wheel trims versus alloys is sobering, but where the Splash really lacks in on the electronic side – the absence of electronic stability control requires remedy - and Kia’s Bluetooth connectivity, an MP3-compatible stereo and its trip computer don’t feature in Suzuki’s gameplan.

Even if they were on par equipment-wise, the Kia would still get ahead of styling and finish. The Splash is hardly deserving of a paper bag – you’d almost mistake it for a slightly smaller kind of Swift, with a cute curvy exterior and the sporty touch of flared wheelarches and a wee rear spoiler – but the Kia straightaway seems just that little bit smarter still.

The classy, chunky new look neatly integrates all the latest Kia cues and is genuinely street smart, while the interior is quite funky. Build quality is also exceptional. Though these are not exactly quiet cars on the move, the Picanto is more resolved in regard to noise suppression.

Despite being fractionally smaller, the Korean also genuinely felt more spacious. I found there was room for a six-footer to sit in the back behind someone equally tall. Not a trick I’d try with the old car. And, as I say, the boot also enlarges, expanding to a useful 200 litres, a 43 litre increase (in part this seems due it resorting to a space-saver, which seems vaguely ludicrous on such a tiny car).

Splash might prove a popular choice for a four-up run to bowls by virtue of having a more elevated seating position. Indeed, being noticeably more upright in its stance, and adding in stadium seating, is the key to how it manages to cram so much into its modest form. The price, and it’s a steep one, is a boot that mediocre in capacity and awkward in shape.

So far, the Suzuki hardly seems to be offering much reward, but it does deliver a few well-aimed punches on the dynamic side, a benefit from it more or less adopting the platform and drivetrain from the well-received Swift.

Suzuki’s engines are generally fantastic and this one, actually a doctored version of the Swift’s 1.4 and featuring variable valve timing, should be zesty for a 1.2, with 5kW more and 5Nm less than the Kia unit. The five-speed manual seems like a bonus, because again this is an engine that requires exploitation.

Yet, curiously, it struggles to fulfill expectations, and is not much better than the Kia as an overtaking tool. The issue is a curious lack of bite: It sings like the Swift mill, but lacks the larger car’s zing. Better to accept the large of immediate urge and adopt a relaxed, economical driving style.

The curious lack of fire also affects the dynamics. The ride even around town is choppy, which suggests sportiness, though that impression is quickly proven wrong by the open road experience. Out in the 100kmh zone, it simply seems half the car the Swift is. Though body roll and understeer are kept under fairly tight control, it’s not in any shape to follow the Swift into motorsport.

The steering lacks bite, the ride is choppier, turn-in isn’t as sharp and, basically, it lacks the assurance of Suzuki’s sales winner. As much as I like manual boxes, this one failed to win me over, with an abrupt clutch and sticky, snicky gear engagement.

So the call is …? The Picanto could do with the six-speed auto it takes overseas; the four-stager simply doesn’t do it full justice. Overall, though, the package as a whole is very impressive. As for the Splash? Well, the biggest threat to this model is from within: the entry Swift costs little more, and is a lot better. The local salesman says his older customer prefer the smaller car for its high seats, which allow easier egress. That’s be the only advantage, I’d say.