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Hyundai i10 vs rivals

All-new Hyundai i10 aims to get back to the top of city car class

Until a couple of years ago, the Hyundai i10 ruled the city car roost. Yet after a lengthy reign at the top it was ousted by the VW up! and then the Skoda Citigo. However, there’s now an all-new i10, and it’s out to reclaim its place at the top of the class.

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Hyundai i10 review

Skoda Citigo review

Fiat Panda review

Boasting sharper looks, a bigger, more upmarket interior and more grown-up driving dynamics, the newcomer promises to be the most desirable small car that money can buy. Yet Hyundai hasn’t lost sight of the car’s core appeal, so it offers great-value pricing, low running costs and the brand’s trademark five-year warranty.

Has the i10 done enough to take the spoils? To find out, we’ve pitched the new model against our current city car champ: the Skoda Citigo. This is practical and great to drive, and still sets the standard for refinement and comfort.

Better still, it’s currently available with enticing finance deals from as little as £69 a month. We’ve also brought along the Fiat Panda. It’s not as accomplished as the Skoda, but it’s full of Latin charm, looks great, is cleverly packaged and is bursting with character.

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Adding to the Panda’s appeal are numerous personalisation options and an eager driving experience. So, which of our small cars can deliver the biggest blow in what promises to be one of the most closely fought tests of the year?

Head-to-head

In-car tech ALL three of our cars are available with the sort of hi-tech kit you’d expect only on much bigger models. The Hyundai gets a USB port as standard, while the £175 Connectivity Pack adds Bluetooth and voice recognition. You’ll pay £265 for this on the Panda, plus £50 for a dock for a portable TomTom sat-nav. Best of all is the Skoda’s £275 Portable Information Device (below), which includes sat-nav, Bluetooth and an in-depth trip computer.

Running costs

Of our three city cars, the Skoda and Hyundai are easiest on your wallet. They cost £20 a year in road tax and claim fuel returns of nearly 50mpg. Plus, the Citigo will retain 46.6 per cent of its value over three years.

Practicality

Given their dinky dimensions, all three of our contenders are surprisingly practical. Yet it’s the Hyundai that steals a march in the space race. Rear passengers get a little more legroom than those in the Skoda, plus there are three seatbelts in the back – the Citigo and Panda have to make do with two. The i10 also has the biggest boot, at 252 litres – 37 litres more than the Panda’s. All three cars get a folding rear bench, but you’ll pay £50 for a split-fold function on the Fiat.

1st place - Skoda

The competition is getting closer, but the Skoda is still the top city car choice. While it’s not quite as spacious as the Hyundai, it’s just as well equipped and cheaper to run. Overall, the brilliant driving experience gives the Citigo the edge, and the current £69 per month finance deal makes it even more appealing.

2nd place - Hyundai

It's second place for the Hyundai, as it misses out on victory by the narrowest of margins. It looks good, is practical, has a classy interior and comes with plenty of kit. Plus, it’s backed by a great warranty and won’t cost very much to run. We just wish the driving experience had a little more sparkle.

3rd place - Fiat

Resisting the Fiat’s cheeky character is difficult – and in isolation the Panda impresses. Not only does it look great, it also features a comfortable ride and stylishly appointed cabin. But it costs more to buy and run than rivals, while its 1.2-litre engine is off the pace in both performance and efficiency.

   Skoda Citigo Hyundai  Fiat Panda  
   1.0 SE i10 1.0 SE 1.2 Easy 
         
On-the-road price/total as tested£9,230/£9,230£9,295/£9,925£9,745/£11,345
Residual value (after 3yrs/30,000)£4,301/46.6%£4,146/44.6%£4,161/42.7%
Depreciation £4,929 £5,149 £5,584 
Annual tax liability std/higher rate£239/£477 £240/£480 £310/£621 
Annual fuel cost (12k/20k miles)£1,486/£2,476£1,782/£2,970£1,796/£2,993
Ins. group/quote/road tax band/cost1/£251/B/£201/£309/B/£204/£261/C/£30
Cost of 1st/2nd/3rd service£529 (3yrs) £349 (3yrs) £209/£303/£209
         
Length/wheelbase 3,563/2,420mm3,665/2,385mm3,653/2,300mm
Height/width 1,478/1,645mm1,500/1,660mm1,551/1,643mm
Engine  3cyl in-line /999cc3cyl in-line/998cc4cyl in-line/1,242cc
Peak power   59/5,000 bhp/rpm66/5,500 bhp/rpm68/5,500 bhp/rpm
Peak torque  95/3,000 Nm/rpm95/3,500 Nm/rpm102/3,000 Nm/rpm
Transmission  5-spd man/fwd5-spd man/fwd5-spd man/fwd
Fuel tank capacity/spare wheel35 litres/sealant40 litres/sealant37 litres/sealant
Boot capacity (seats up/down) 251/959 litres252/1,046 litres225/870 litres
Kerbweight/payload/towing weight854/436kg/N/A933/487kg/N/A1,015/440/800kg
Turning circle/drag coefficient9.8 metres/0.33Cd9.6 metres/0.31Cd9.3 metres/0.32Cd
Basic warranty (miles)/recovery3yrs (60,000)/3yrs 5yrs (unlimited)/5yrs3yrs (100,000)/1yr
Service intervals/UK dealers10,000 miles (1yr)/13610,000 miles (1yr)/16218,000 miles (2yr)/160
Driver Power manufacturer/dealer pos.2nd/7th 14th/20th 30th/28th 
Euro NCAP: Adult/child/ped./stars89/80/46/5 N/A 82/63/49/4 
         
0-60/30-70mph 12.7/13.4 secs14.1/15.6 secs13.4/14.2 secs
30-50mph in 3rd/4th  7.2/11.7 secs7.1/12.0 secs7.3/10.6 secs
50-70mph in 5th  18.8 secs 19.4 secs 20.7 secs 
Top speed/rpm at 70mph 99mph/3,200rpm96mph/3,250rpm102mph/3,100rpm
Braking 70-0/60-0/30-0mph 48.3/35.2/8.7m52.7/38.8/9.6m51.8/38.6/9.4m
Noise levels outside/idle/30/70mph65/52/60/68dB70/40/64/73dB61/43/64/73dB
Auto Express econ (mpg/mpl)/range48.1/10.6/370 miles40.1/8.8/353 miles39.8/8.8/324 miles
Govt urban/extra-urban/combined 50.4/72.4/62.8mpg47.1/70.6/60.1mpg42.2/65.7/54.3mpg
Govt urban/extra-urban/combined 11.1/15.9/13.8mpl10.4/15.5/13.2mpl9.3/14.5/11.9mpl
Actual/claimed CO2/tax bracket136/105g/km/13%163/108g/km/13%164/120g/km/16%
         
Airbags/Isofix/rear parking sensorsFour/yes/£310^Six/yes/£195Four/yes/£250
Air-con/leather st wheel/heated seatsYes/£180/£300Yes/no/no Yes/£105/£250
Automatic box/stability/cruise control£665/yes/£310^No/yes/£50 £750/£315/no
Metallic paint/xenon lights/keyless go£490/no/no £455/no/no £460/no/no 
Sat-nav/USB connection/Bluetooth£275^/no/£275^No/yes/£175DFO/£450^/£265^
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