The passenger compartment remained stable in the frontal offset test.  Dummy readings indicated good protection of the knees and femurs of the driver and passenger.  Kia showed that a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and to those sat in different positions.  Protection of the driver's chest was rated as marginal, based on readings of rib compression.  In the full-width rigid barrier test, high decelerations indicated weak protection of the rear passenger's head and marginal protection of the chest.  Protection of the driver was good or adequate.  In both the side barrier test and the more severe side pole impact, the Picanto scored maximum points with good protection of all critical body areas.  Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated marginal protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision.  A geometric assessment of the rear seats also indicated marginal whiplash protection.  An autonomous emergency braking system is available as part of the optional safety pack.  Tests of its performance at the low speeds at which many whiplash injuries are caused showed good performance, with collisions avoided at all test speeds.  However, the car did not score points for its low-speed AEB system as the whiplash protection of the front seats was only marginal.

In the frontal offset test, dummy readings of neck tension indicated weak protection of this part of the body for the 10 year dummy.  Chest protection for the 6 year dummy was rated as marginal.  In the side barrier test, protection of the 6 year dummy was good.  However, protection of the chest was poor for the 10 year dummy, sat on the struck side of the car and the head made contact with the vehicle interior.  The front passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position.  Clear information is provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag and the system was rewarded.  The rear centre seat cannot accommodate universal child restraints which make use of the seatbelt.  Otherwise, restraints could be properly installed and accommodated by the car.

Protection of the head of a struck was predominantly marginal or weak over the bonnet surface, with poor results recorded on the stiff windscreen pillars.  The bumper provided good protection to pedestrians' legs but protection of the pelvis was mixed, with good and poor test results.

As standard, the Picanto has a seatbelt reminder for the front and rear seats.  The autonomous emergency braking system is part of the optional safety pack.  Tests of its performance at highway speeds indicated good performance, with collisions avoided or mitigated in most test scenarios.