Hyundai i10 Hatchback (2019 - ) review

Hyundai is commonly considered a value brand so you may be surprised to see the i10 costs a little more than a Volkswagen Up or Toyota Aygo. Hyundai doesn’t play the game of offering a bare bones spec just to hit a nominal price point, though – indeed it’s actually ditched the most basic trim level and the i10 packs a lot of kit in as standard where others charge extra for the same. Of the two engines available at launch fuel economy is slightly better in the smaller one based on experience of driving both, though the bigger engine will likely be more efficient if you do more motorway driving. Emissions are slightly worse than the Up and Aygo but the i10 will still be cheap to tax, insure and run.

The five-year warranty offers great peace of mind for i10 buyers and beats Toyota’s similar offer on the basis it isn’t limited by mileage. Only the seven-year warranty on the Kia Picanto is more generous. Not that you’ll likely be needing it, given the i10 should prove to be reliable in the first place. There are three Hyundais in Warranty Direct’s reliability index for superminis, including the original i10 and older models like the Getz. The top 10 is rounded out by the closely related Kia Picanto and Hyundai is in the top quarter of the overall manufacturer table. This is backed up by the most recent JD Power Vehicle Dependability Survey, where Hyundai is third overall.

The upfront price of the i10 may look a tad high but includes safety kit most rivals make you pay extra for. This includes radar to scan the road ahead for potential hazards (including pedestrians) and, if necessary, warn you and even automatically brake the car to a halt. There’s also a system to monitor your alertness levels and active lane keeping to steer you back on track if you drift out towards the white lines. It can be a little over-cautious and intrusive in the way it constantly nudges the steering but it’s easy to switch off if you find it annoying.

Hyundai has stretched the wheelbase of the new i10 and made it wider too, meaning it feels much bigger on the inside than it looks on the outside. This big car feel is complemented by excellent refinement, meaning the i10 can comfortably rack up big motorway miles as well as it nips around town. Ride comfort is decent, even on the biggest wheels available. Only the soft seats spoil it, the lack of lumbar support noticeable on a longer run. The driving position is good, though there’s no reach adjustment for the steering wheel and the tall dashboard and thick pillars may make visibility tricky for smaller drivers, especially at junctions. On the plus side – and unlike many rivals - it’s a genuine five-seater, though it’ll be a squeeze in the back for three adults.

Standard equipment is decent for the i10, with the entry-level model including all the safety kit mentioned above as well as DAB, Bluetooth connectivity for media streaming and hands-free phone calls, air conditioning and cruise control. The likely best-seller will be the next model up, which includes a full touch-screen and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. You need to go up another trim level to get built-in navigation, and even then only as a further cost option so you may be better off saving the cash and running it through your phone instead. A funkier N Line model will follow, with sporty trimmings inside and out and a distinct look from other i10s.

At launch the simple choice is between a 1.0-litre three-cylinder and a slightly more powerful 1.2-litre four-cylinder, both petrol-powered. The smaller engine is a little gruff but it revs enthusiastically and this model feels eager, if not particularly fast. It can cope with motorways but you might need to shift down to keep pace on the hills. The bigger engine doesn’t feel dramatically more powerful but it is significantly quieter and more refined when cruising. In both cases we’d take the standard five-speed manual over the optional automatic, which is rather slow to respond. Paired with the smaller engine it makes the i10 embarrassingly slow, too. We haven’t driven it yet but the 100 horsepower turbo engine in the N Line will put some welcome pep into the i10 for those who want it.