Hyundai i20 Range Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Hyundai i20 range
Prices: £9,520-£13,035 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 3-4
Emissions: 110-129g/km
Performance: [1.2 petrol] 0-60mph 12.9s / Max Speed 106mph
Fuel Consumption: [1.4 D 75] (combined) 67mpg
Safety: Twin front, side and curtain airbags / ABS with EBD/ ESP
Dimensions: Length/Width/Height 3940/1710/1490mm

Watch Out World!

Our Rating: No Rating Available

Oh my automakers across the world must be shaking in their boots. Why you ask? Hyundai is finally competing with them on the style and likability level. For years Hyundai always pitched itself as the car that you could afford and that would last a long time. Hyundai was the first company to offer unlimited mileage warranties to back that point up. Now Hyundai has brought out the big guns. A car that is inexpensive, fun to drive, looks good and gets great fuel mileage. That car is the i20 and Hyundai is offering the i20 with an array of choices. There are engine choices in petrol and diesel power, three trim levels and two sizes.

The base model engine is a 1.2-litre petrol that has 76bhp of power that will get the driver from 0-60 in 12.9 seconds up to a top speed of 106mph. These are excellent numbers for a little car with an engine that gives an estimated 54.3mpg combined fuel consumption. Also available is a 1.4-litre diesel engine with 88bhp of power. The diesel engine gets an estimated 64mpg combined urban and motorway driving. Both engines emit less that 124g/km of CO2 which is a good amount for a car that actually still has some power.

The exterior of the i20 isn't the most fetching supermini on the block, but it also isn't the most unattractive either. The body has a nice shape to it with a short nose that allows for a good turning radius and a squarish back that allows for maximum interior space. The 3-door and the 5-door share the same chassis which means that the 3-door has elongated doors that allow for easy access to the back seats. The boot gives a decent 295-litre of cargo space.

On the inside of the i20 Hyundai has not exactly kept up with the Jones. While other car companies are trotting out superminis with confusing super computers melded into complicated design schemes, Hyundai has kept the interior simple and easy to understand. All the knobs and dials are in the right place and you don't need a degree in computers to figure out how to use them.

The i20 is offered the Classic, Comfort and Style trim levels. The entry level Classic comes with air-conditioning, and iPod connector, electric windows in the front, power door mirrors and a trip computer. The i20 also comes standard with stability control on the suspension that allows the car to sense when the driver is about to lose control and adjusts the drive train accordingly to help control the car.

When it comes to safety Hyundai gives the i20 a full load of items. All trim levels of the i20 come standard with six airbags, active head restraints and anti-lock brakes with EBD. These features have helped the i20 achieve 5-star status for occupant safety from the Euro NCAP. Hyundai is including a 5-year unlimited mileage warranty on each and every model of the i20.

For the first time in their history is seems as though that Hyundai is a trend setter. The release of the i20 will make other car companies realize that they can make affordable superminis that driver nice and look good.