Auto Trader Ten Point Test rating: 81%

With prices starting from just £6,495, the Hyundai i10 city car is one of the cheapest new cars on the UK market. The Hyundai i10 is also impressively equipped and features a five-year warranty as standard.

Can the Hyundai i10 successfully take the fight to the more established car makers? We took one on loan for a week to find out.

Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling | Performance
Running Costs | Reliability | Safety | Equipment | X-Factor

1. Looks
Measuring just 3.5-metres, the Hyundai i10 is a seriously small motor and bears similarities with its bigger brother, the Hyundai i30. The rear features a long narrow light cluster while the front lights are elliptically shaped veering towards the Hyundai badge and sitting above the Peugeot-esque grille. Our entry-level model had steel wheels, but if you opt for the ‘Style’ trim you get a set of 15-inch alloys. It’s a more mature-looking city car compared to the cuter Citroen C1, Toyota Aygo and Peugeot 107 models.

7/10

2. Looks inside
The dial cluster behind the steering wheel is dominated by a centrally-positioned white speedo, which has the rev-counter to the left and fuel gauge and temperature gauge to the right. The centre console features a higher-than-normally positioned gearbox which sits below the heater dials which are surrounded by faux chrome. Above this is the in-built CD player which is functional and easy to use.

7/10

3. Practicality
For a car so small, the i10 is surprisingly spacious thanks to it having the longest wheelbase in the city car class. It will comfortably seat four, but while there is a middle seat belt it will be incredibly cramped for five. The boot’s 258 litres is adequate, but if two people are going away for the weekend you may need to use the back seats or fold them to accommodate luggage. A turning circle of 4.6 metres makes the i10 very manoeuvrable, while at just 3.5 metres long, parking is a doddle.

9/10 

4. Ride and Handling
The ride is fairly comfortable for a car with small wheels, but the 14-inch rims combined with the car’s height means there is a bit of roll on corners. When you hit motorway speeds there is surprisingly little road noise.

7/10

5. Performance

The only engine available in the Hyundai i10 is a 1.1-litre lump producing 65bhp and 73lb/ft of pulling power. The result is 0-62mph (100kph) in 15.6 seconds and a top speed 95mph. But inevitably you’ll need to drive on a dual carriageway or motorway at some stage and this where the i10 struggles. A car with a double digit top speed lacks the power to overtake at national speed limits and you have to plan in time before making a move. The i10 is also available with a four-speed automatic gearbox as opposed to the five-speed manual we had. In this guise, the i10 hits 62mph in 18.5 seconds and has a top speed of just 90mph. This certainly is a car for the city.

6/10

6. Running Costs
The Hyundai i10 is an absolute bargain with prices starting from just £6,495. After this initial outlay, the manual model will manage 46.3mpg in the city where it will be driven most and 56.5mpg as an average. Carbon dioxide emissions of 119g/km place it in road tax band B, meaning £35 a year and exemption from the congestion charge when the rules change in October. But opt for the top-spec 1.1 model which has 15-inch wheels and emissions are increased due to the energy required to move it to 124g/km which means a £120 tax bill. The automatic model averages 48.7mpg and also costs £120 a year to tax.  All models are in insurance group 2, meaning premiums will be kept to a minimum.

10/10

7. Reliability
Hyundai has absolute faith in its products and offer the i10 with a five-year, unlimited mileage warranty. On a car which costs £6,495, this is as close to hassle-free motoring as you can get. The engine – despite its minimal power – felt quite refined and the interior was solidly put together.

10/10

8. Safety
The i10 is fitted with four airbags as standard which is impressive for a £6,500 car. Other safety features include anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution and all-round disc brakes – something you often won’t find on a car twice the price. It is yet to undergo EuroNCAP crash testing.

8/10

9. Equipment
The Hyundai i10 is extremely well equipped given the price. On top of the aforementioned airbags, the i10 features 14-inch wheels, six-speaker CD player with MP3 connectivity, front electric windows and air-conditioning as standard. Opt for the comfort trim and you get rear electric windows, remote central locking and front fog lights. The top ‘Style’ trim adds 15-inch alloys, heated front seats, rear roof spoiler and an electric sunroof – for just £7,595.

10/10

10. X-Factor
The Hyundai i10 is a great little city car, which is practical, extremely well equipped and cheap-to-run. But the design lacks the cuteness of the Toyota Aygo, Citroen C1 and Peugeot 1007.
7/10