Hyundai i20 Review 2024

Rightly so, much has been made of Hyundai's climb from budget brand to mainstream carmaker that occasionally nibbles on the heels of premium models. But, in many ways, the Hyundai i20 feels like a car that's caught back in time – its generous equipment list and excellent warranty designed to make up for the fact that it's fundamentally off the pace. We'll find out in this full review if it's enough for the Hyundai i20 to convince.

And the Hyundai i20 comes loaded with kit, gets decent infotainment and has a high-tech engine that provides nippy performance and decent fuel economy. In an uncompetitive class that would be enough to rocket it to the top of your shopping list, but the small car class is far from uncompetitive and, up against its rivals, the i20 struggles to shine. It matches a Volkswagen Polo for space, but gets nowhere near its interior quality and can't compete with its finely tuned balance between being comfortable and enjoyable to drive. As such, the i20's generous equipment list seems like an attempt to hide its deficiencies, rather than enhance its qualities. 

If that sounds harsh it shouldn't do because the i20 is up against cars that are pound-for-pound some of the best currently on sale. When you're up against the MINI, Peugeot 208, Skoda Fabia, Toyota Aygo X, Vauxhall Corsa, Volkswagen Polo... You get the picture.

It gets off to a shaky start with its looks. They comprise piercing headlights, an angular grille and a variety of overlapping body creases that make for a fussy overall appearance, which the neat back end – complete with its wraparound rear lights – doesn't rectify. More striking than the vanilla old model? Sure. Genuinely good looking? That's for you to decide.

Things get worse on the inside where the interior really isn't good enough. You sense that a lot of new cars have to sacrifice overall quality to provide you with (what seems like) compulsory large infotainment screens – and the i20's displays are the some of the biggest you'll find at this price point.

Perhaps because of this, the rest of the cabin has vast swathes of cheap-feeling plastics that don't cut it when rivals like the Volkswagen Polo and Toyota Yaris all treat you to flashes of softer, more expensive feeling materials.

Where the i20 matches the Polo and has the measure of the other two is interior space. Upfront, the range of seat adjustment means whether you're tall, small, have long arms or short legs – you'll be able to get a comfortable driving position. Meanwhile, try out the back seat and you'll find your passengers get a surprising amount of knee room in what is, remember, Hyundai's second smallest car.

What you don't get is a wide range of engines because (ignoring the i20 N hot hatch) there's only one option – a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol that produces 100PS and is boosted by a small electric motor via a 48V electrical supply. It's a combination that delivers decent performance and fuel economy but isn't as characterful as similar units fitted to other small cars. However, there is the option of a seven-speed automatic gearbox.

The driving experience also wants for defining features. The Hyundai's composed and grippy in bends, just as previous i20s managed. However, it lacks the cheeky nimbleness of a Ford Fiesta or the well-behaved fluidity and comfort of a Volkswagen Polo, because of this the Hyundai's not very memorable.

And that sums up the i20. There's nothing glaringly wrong with it in isolation but what it fails to serve up is that little bit of magic that separates a good car from a great car. Unfortunately for the i20, more than one of its rivals hits on that winning formula.

Looking for a second opinion? Check out heycar's review of the Hyundai i20.

Taken by the scruff of its neck on a country road, the Hyundai i20 has a reassuring amount of grip and well-contained body roll that makes it a predictable car to push into bends. Trouble is, it's not a huge amount of fun. Compared to a Ford Fiesta its steering feels numb and inconsistently weighted and its suspension doesn't iron out bumps with the Ford's panache.

The i20 we tried (on 17-inch wheels) had a brittle, unsophisticated edge to it over surface changes and poor quality Tarmac that you'd barely notice in a Volkswagen Polo – the small car you should choose if you want the most cosseting ride possible.

Out on the motorway, the Hyundai loses out on the more sophisticated driving aids that are fitted to the Toyota Aygo X as standard and it isn't as quiet as the Toyota or the Volkswagen at the UK's legal limit.

Perhaps it feels at its best in town. There the steering sheds its fake weight and feels light and precise, visibility is excellent and all models come with a reversing camera and rear sensors so you won't have any heart-in-mouth moments backing into tight spaces.

Looking for a second opinon? Why not read heycar's Hyundai i20 review

One of the biggest talking points of the latest Hyundai i20 is its mild-hybrid, three-cylinder 1.0-litre petrol engine. Its 48V power supply means it can do clever things like give you a gentle electrical boost when accelerating and decouple the engine so the car can coast. It also allows the engine's stop-start to activate before you've come to a complete halt. They all bring marginal improvements to fuel economy and emissions and, like the best systems, most of the time you'll barely notice it doing its thing.

Most of the time it feels like any other 100PS three-cylinder. You get spritely performance for a car this size – 0-62mph takes 10.4 seconds and top speed is 117mph – along with the vibrations through the pedals and steering wheel that you come to expect from an imbalanced triple. Go for the auto 'box and 0-62mph takes 11.4 seconds, with a top speed of 115mph.

Torque sits at a relatively punchy 172Nm from just 1500rpm but it's masked by the Hyundai's land-speed-record-like gearing – it'll do 70mph in second – and you do sense a pause between pressing the accelerator pedal and said acceleration chiming in. It's also a shame that it doesn't sound as characterfully throbby as the engines in a Ford or Volkswagen.

We've only tried the car in six-speed manual form and the gearchange is the nicest single aspect of the car's character – snickety, tight and precise it seems like a good reason not to go for the optional seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.  

This version of the Hyundai i20 has yet to be tested for safety by Euro NCAP but the old model scored four stars in 2015. Testing the similar Bayon, Euro NCAP concluded the current i20 warrants a four-star rating.

All models come with Hyundai's SmartSense range of safety features so you get multiple airbags, intelligent speed warning, automatic emergency braking which detects cars, pedestrians, and cyclists, and an eCall system that can send the emergency services your location if you have an accident. Regular cruise control is also a standard fixture as is a basic lane assist system that'll stop you drifting out of lane but not actually steer the car - that's kept for the Ultimate trim alone.

For that added layer of sophistication you'll need that Ultimate model. They can steer themselves in lane and around corners (so long as you keep your hands on the wheel) and, courtesy of active cruise control, accelerate and brake, too. Ultimate models also add a blind-spot warning system that can warn you of approaching vehicles obscured from view. This trim comes with Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, too, in order to help when pulling out of junctions and spotting vehicles approaching from the side.

The Hyundai i20 can tow an unbraked trailer weighing 450kg and a braked trailer that tips the scales at up to 1100kg – both these figures are towards the higher end of what you'd expect of a small car like this.

The Hyundai is a very easy car to get comfortable behind the wheel in. Its driver's seat and steering wheel have loads of adjustment, your feet don't feel crushed in the pedal box and there's a rest to lay your hoof on when you're not pushing the clutch.

The seat also slides miles back on its runners. The only oddity is that you have to depress the clutch and brake pedal with the car in neutral to start the engine.

You can only have the i20 as a five-door so access to the back is excellent even if the rear doors are small – no surprise in a car this size - and once you're in you'll realise you have an impressive amount of legroom even if you're tall and sitting behind someone of a similar height.

Factor in generous headroom and loads of elbowroom and this is one of the most spacious back seats you'll find in a car this size.

The same goes for the 262-litre boot which is about average for this class of car. It comes complete with an adjustable boot floor which means there's no major load lip to lift luggage over and you can hide valuables underneath. Fold the 60-40 split rear seat and you free up as much as 1075 litres of cargo room.

All versions of the i20 come with a leather-trimmed steering wheel and gear knob, so the parts of the cabin you touch the most feel decent.

It's the parts you don't often touch that are the problem. There's a distinct lack of soft and squidgy plastics that make rivals like the Volkswagen Polo, Ford Fiesta and Toyota Yaris feel a cut above. Even competitors that lack spongy plastics (we're looking at you, Skoda Fabia) feel more robust than the Hyundai and there's a milk-carton like quality to some of the i20's materials that it's fancy ribbed trims don't shake off.

Unfortunately, the blue, 90s Hi-Fi-like glow to the infotainment screens don't do it any favours next to the more colourful screens you get in a Volkswagen Polo.

All in all, you might feel that the i20's high equipment levels (more on those later) offset the cheap interior, but if you're looking for the kind of 'suprise and delight' that gives you a warm fuzzy feeling inside, you won't find much of it here.  

Blue glow notwithstanding, there's plenty to like about how the i20's infotainment screens go about their business.

Basic models get a large eight-inch central touchscreen that's fitted with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so you can mirror the screen of your smartphone and use its apps for things like navigation and music playback on the car's big display. This infotainment is topped off with a 10.25-inch digital instrument binnacle that makes the i20 look very modern.

Premium versions of the i20 go a step further giving you 10.25-inch centre screen with built-in sat-nav. Like the basic system, its graphics are clear and it responds to iPhone-aping gestures like 'pinch' and 'swipe' very quickly.

This uprated system also includes a five-year subscription to Hyundai's connected services so you can 'talk' to your car using the Bluelink app to do things like set the navigation remotely or check the car's location and range.

Range-topping Ultimate models upgrade the stereo giving you a Bose system with eight speakers and subwoofer.

Your cheapest entry to Hyundai i20 ownership comes in the form of the £19,725 SE Connect, which is cheaper than an entry-level Volkswagen Polo which comes in at £20,070.

Layout the two cars' brochures in front of you and the Hyundai's advantage is plain to see. It comes with a 100PS engine compared to the Polo's 85PS unit, plus the i20 adds useful kit you don't get in the Volkswagen including a digital instrument binnacle, a reversing camera, auto-dipping headlights and 17-inch alloy wheels – an inch larger than the Polo's.

You also get a five-year unlimited-mileage warranty that compares favourably to the three-year/60,000-mile cover you get with the Polo.

If you want the Hyundai i20 with the seven-speed automatic gearbox, it comes with a £1250 premium.

To move up from the SE Connect to the Premium means you're looking at a list price from £21,670. A sporty looking N Line goes from £23,065, while the Luxury trim gets going at £22,970.

The Hyundai i20 is only available with one engine meaning all models cost £210 to tax in the first year and £180 for the second year onwards. This is thanks to carbon dioxide emissions that vary between 118- and 122g/km depending on the trim and gearbox you select.

Unsurprisingly, this small car won't break the bank when you come to insure it. We were quoted £344 for fully comprehensive cover, social and commuting, for a middle-aged male, with an eight-year no-claims bonus living in central London.

Fuel economy will also be hard to argue with, Hyundai says you'll get 55mpg in a mixture of driving and, while that will tail off in town, you can expect to get around 50mpg on a mixture of roads.

Even basic Hyundai i20 SE Connect versions of the i20 are not short of equipment.

They get 16-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights and fog lights that illuminate the nearside edges of corners. Their cabins, meanwhile, are decked out with kit including a large central touchscreen and a digital instrument binnacle, air conditioning, cruise control, reversing sensors and a camera.

Hyundai i20 Premium models up the ante with 17-inch alloy wheels, tinted windows, a smattering of chrome highlights and get full LED exterior lighting. They also have electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors. Inside, they get an even larger central touchscreen, heated seats, a heated steering wheel, and glowing mood lighting.

The Hyundai i20 N Line offers a different tack from the SE Connect and comes with rear privacy glass, keyless entry, and automatic wipers. It also features two-tone paint and 17-inch alloys. Inside, there's climate control and a front armrest, plus the larger infotainment screen.

Hyundai i20 Ultimate models have all the kit going, including keyless entry, wireless phone charging and an eight-speaker Bose stereo. An identifying exterior feature is the two-tone paint job with Phantom Black Pearl paint on the roof.