Hyundai i10
Korean contender is solidly built and packed with standard equipment
While Hyundai doesn’t have the rich city car history of Suzuki, that hasn’t stopped the Korean firm from upsetting the form book.
Despite being late to the party, it wasted no time in challenging the class leaders with its i10. On its debut last year, the car beat the more expensive Fiat Panda in its first Auto Express road test (Issue 1,003).
Now the tables are turned, and the Hyundai is being challenged by a newer and cheaper contender. Can the i10’s broad talents help it overcome a price disadvantage this time around?
What’s immediately clear is that the Hyundai lacks the visual impact and cheeky looks of its rival. Lined up next to the Suzuki, the tall, slab-sided i10 is a little bland, particularly at the front, where a chrome grille and alloy wheels are the only design flourishes. Get inside, and the Hyundai’s low-key exterior is soon forgotten.
There’s plenty of head and legroom for four adults, and the split-fold rear bench gets a trio of three-point lap belts – the Suzuki has only two.
Swing open the tailgate, and you’re confronted by a useful 225-litre load area, while lifting the false boot floor reveals a number of neat storage compartments. Fold the rear seats completely flat, and you’ll have 910 litres to play with, which is 136 litres more than in the Suzuki.
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Cash £13,997Even more impressive is the high quality of the fixtures and fittings used throughout the solidly constructed interior. The dashboard is attractively styled and well laid out, the steering wheel is trimmed in leather and the dash-mounted gearlever is perfectly placed.
There’s lots of equipment, too, with air-conditioning, an electric sunroof and heated seats all fitted as standard in Style trim.
Adding to the i10’s appeal is its willing 1.2-litre petrol engine. It’s not quite as smooth as the Suzuki’s unit, but with 77bhp on tap it has a 10bhp advantage over its rival.
This showed at the test track, where the Korean sprinted from 0-60mph in 11.9 seconds – eight-tenths faster than the Alto.
The difference really tells in the middle of the rev range though. Thanks to a greater torque output of 118Nm – the Alto can muster only 90Nm – the Hyundai has much stronger in-gear acceleration.
This extra performance helps to make the i10 feel more grown-up on the open road. At motorway speeds, the refined Hyundai has little trouble keeping up with the flow of traffic, while its grippy chassis, direct steering and slick gearbox help to raise a smile through the corners. Sadly, the pay-off for the car’s keen responses is a slightly fidgety ride around town.
This is a shame, because the i10’s compact dimensions, high-set driving position and light controls make it ideal for threading through crowded city streets.
More spacious, faster and better equipped – is the Hyundai good enough to justify its £235 price premium?
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Chart position: 1
WHY: Our current class favourite now packs a more powerful 1.2-litre engine.
