Hyundai's new i20 undercuts the Ford Fiesta on price, but can it outshine the reigning Semperit Irish Small Car of the Year?
Designed at Hyundai's European HQ in Germany, the i20 gives off a strong hint of the Opel Corsa and a few other European superminis, which is no bad thing as the class is getting more and more design conscious. Prices start at an impressive €14,995.
Superminis were once very conservative and offered little in the way of design, but that has changed in the last few years with great looking cars like the Fiesta, Mazda2 and Opel Corsa. While the Hyundai i20 will ultimately replace the boxier 'Getz', the Korean firm has played it safe.
The exterior features a nice bonnet with a couple of creases in it, but overall the car is quite unremarkable to look at. If I had to describe it to someone I'd say it looked - average. Just look at the pictures for a few seconds and look away. Can you describe the car? The five-door will be joined by a three-door version that will add a little more style to the model range.
Inside the cabin is large for its class. The seating can take five and there is ample rear headroom - unlike some of the car's more stylish rivals. A lot of grey and black plastic has been used; overall the dash layout is logical. The Delux model I had on test (€15,995) gets front fogs, leather steering wheel and iPod/USB connectivity. Air conditioning is standard on the two-car range. Generally, the i20's interior is more conservative than the Fiesta's. The boot holds a respectable 295 litres. The car is safe, too, with a host of airbags as standard. With the i20 you get a lot of kit for your money.
On the road the new 78bhp 1.2 litre petrol engine (1248cc) falls in to band 'B' for emissions and does the job of moving the car about well. The i20 can reach 100k/h in less than 13 seconds, which is quicker than its rivals and it is also thrifty on fuel. The five-speed manual gearbox is a little lumpy, but the clutch is light and the steering is light also. The i20 does not offer much in the way of feedback through the steering and overall you will find yourself happiest driving the car at a modest pace. Corning at speed can be described as 'interesting' for enthusiastic drivers but less than reassuring for most end users. This may be due in part to the tyre choice for Ireland.
We all know how every sector is price sensitive and this is the reason why car importers deliver as few extras as possible to keep the retail price low. Hyundai Ireland has missed the chance to take a lead in the supermini sector and fit ESP to the i20. In the UK ESP is available for £250, plus the UK car gets a five-year warranty whereas here it gets just three.
So is the i20 better in my opinion than the Fiesta? No, but it is a close call.
Michael Sheridan
