Hyundai i20 Review

Brands that move from the value end of the spectrum to a more premium position can find it tough. However, Hyundai has been on the up for the past 10 years, the maker came in to its own when the scrappage scheme was introduced in the UK to help the car industry when it was struggling at the height of the global financial crisis. Hyundai made great gains in this period and now like emerging supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl, Hyundai is moving in to a more premium position. Hyundai should not be underestimated, the Korean make is here to stay, keep reading to see what we make of the new i20…

The Hyundai i20 has a good range of petrol and diesel engines to choose from, it includes two petrol units and two diesel power plants. The petrol line-up starts with a 1.0-litre T-GDI petrol engine producing 118bhp and 172Nm of torque, there’s a 1.2-litre petrol (only available with S or S Air models) with 74bhp and 122Nm of torque. This is probably best for pootling around town as it takes 13.6 seconds to complete the benchmark sprint and has a top speed of 99mph.

Want more power? Well you could opt for the 1.2-litre model producing 83bhp. It will complete the zero to 62mph sprint in 13.1 seconds – half a second quicker than the low-powered version of this engine.

The flagship petrol engine at present is the 1.4-litre with 98bhp and 139Nm of torque. This version of the i20 will reach the benchmark sprint from a standing start in a heady 11.6 seconds and has a top speed of 114mph. The engines are mated to either a five-speed or six-speed gearbox while an auto ‘box is also available.

If you are going to be putting in the miles then a diesel engine may be a more frugal choice. Two options are available and ranges from a 1.1-litre three-cylinder to a 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine. The 1.1-litre unit produces 74bhp and will not win too many land speed records as it will reach the benchmark sprint in 16 seconds – however, it’s relative when compared to rivals with similar power outputs. The larger 1.4-litre unit produces 88bhp and will complete the benchmark sprint in 12.1 seconds.

These engines may not set the heather on fire with their raw pace, however, they are more than apt for the A to B driving that most i20 will be used for. 

With the chassis based on the world rally car you’d be right to think that the Hyundai would be a well set-up car. In fact the chassis is one of the best that the Korean maker has ever produced. Unfortunately it is not quite there yet when you pitch it against the likes of the class-leading Ford Fiesta, Skoda’s Fabia or even the VW Polo, however, is better than the new Vauxhall’s Corsa. We drove the i20 in both guises, the coupe (three-door) model and the five-door model – the coupe is the better car if you are wanting a sportier drive, however, there’s not much in it – the practicality of the five-door will not impinge on the driving dynamics too much, so it may come down to looks.

As we said, the chassis is good but the steering weighting and the feedback lets the little Hyundai down. If the Hyundai engineers working on the steering then this latest i20 would be a very well sorted car. As it is, it is found wanting a little. With all that said though, there is minimal bodyroll while the i20 has got a good amount of front-end grip. The Hyundai challenger is getting closer and closer to the top of the class but just like Aldi and Lidl it is not quite there just yet. 

The little Hyundai is very impressive in terms of refinement, road roar, wind noise and engine clatter, all are really low making the cabin a very enjoyable place to sit. Up front, the seats are comfy and the ride is supple, however the cabin is a tad drab when compared to Britain’s best-selling car the Ford Fiesta. As you might expect there is a little clatter from the diesel engines on start-up but other than that the new i20 is well engineered. The Hyundai i20’s push in to the premium end of this sector is at full tilt and should make this sector an interesting place for customers.

Let’s go through the trim line-up, there really is something for everyone like a well-known supermarket chain used to say. The trims starts with the entry-level S, it moves up to the S Air and S Blue and then the most popular is likely to be the SE and then you can move up again to the Premium trim and the flagship Premium SE.

Opt for the entry-level S model and you may be surpised by the amount of kit. This grade comes with 15-inch steel wheels, body-coloured mirrors and door handles and you even get daytime running lights. On the interior, standard kit includes height-adjustable driver’s seat, reach and rake adjustable steering column, USB connectivity for the stereo and electric front and hill hold assist. Makes those nervous hill starts a thing of the past.

As you would expect, S Air adds aircon, while S Blue is aimed at fleets and those wanting to do their bit for the environment including Start/Stop and low–rolling resistance rubber fitted to the 15-inch steel wheels.

We mentioned that the SE is likely to be the best-seller and it comes with a ton of kit. Standard equipment includes16-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights, two-speaker stereo, a 1GB of music storage and Bluetooth Connectivity with voice activation. There’s also cruise control with a speed limiter, a boon when travelling through road works with speed restrictions and a Lane Departure Warning System.

Step up to Premium and this grade adds automatic headlights and wipers while two extra speakers are added to the stereo system. There’s also climate control, and a Smartphone docking station, rear tinted glass, LED daytime running lights (and LED rear lights) and Halogen projector headlights.

Go for the flagship Premium SE version and this will add heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, front and rear parking sensors and a panoramic glass sunroof. You will pay a ‘premium’ pardon the pun but by jove you get every bell and whistle imaginable.  

This latest generation of the i20 is 45mm longer and 24mm wider while the wheelbase has been extended by 45mm which means it handles better than the car it replaces. It also has shorter overhangs while the roofline is lower making it a much neater package to look at.

It’s not just on the design front that improvements have been made, the longer and wider dimensions mean that the i20 is more spacious on the inside and the boot offers more practicality – which is a boon for families.

Front seat passengers have more space than ever before, so there should be no elbow jostling between driver and front seat passenger.

Those in the rear will notice generous space too, with excellent legroom and masses of headroom – even for fully-grown adults. Rear-seat passenger will be happy too. Even six-footers will fit in the rear of this new car. The boot space has expended from 295 litres to 326 litres in the new car with the rear seat in place. Fold the rear bench flat and this expands the space to a heady 1,042 litres – ample room for most. The little Hyundai’s door pockets can accommodate 1.5-litre bottles while there is a decent level of space in the glovebox.

The cleanest car on the i20 range is the 1.1 CRDi Blue diesel as it emits 84g/km of CO2. That means you’ll save on car tax as this model is exempt and Hyundai claims it will average 88.3mpg fuel economy. In saying that, the 1.2-litre petrol producing 82bhp emits 119g/km of CO2 while this unit averages 55.4mpg. Fixed price servicing will also keep your costs down. Your i20 will need a service every 12 months or 10,000 miles and this will cost £249 for two years or 20,000 miles of coverage to a maximum £749 for five years and 50,000 miles. The i20 is inexpensive to run and maintain making it a very good alternative to Ford’s Fiesta or even VW’s Polo.

Hyundai has improved the quality of the interior drastically, this generation has upped the ante – it is a smart looking supermini. Hyundai is certain that every i20 is made with quality and the maker stands by this by giving each model a five year unlimited mileage warranty, so there should be no unseen maintenance costs for most owners.

Safety kit has been enhanced when comparing to the previous generation and there is plenty of kit to be talking about. There are countless driver systems to improve your experience, and ultimately protect you and there’s plenty to protect your passengers too. Every model is fitted with 6 airbags - front, front side and full length curtain bags, as well as ISOFIX child seat attachments. There’s good news if you aren’t fond of hill starts as the i20 comes with Hill Start Assist – a boon for new drivers or those with little experience. The i20 also offers a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), enabling you to keep your tyres correctly inflated at all times improving grip, safety and fuel economy. Other clever technology includes Lane Departure Warning System on SE, Premium and Premium SE models.