The all-new Hyundai i10 is now on sale. With prices starting from £12,495, the firm has repositioned the car within the entry-level segment.
Hyundai is longer chasing bargain-basement sales, and elevating the i10 to a more upmarket and tech-packed specification should give the car a market USP. Or so it hopes.
The i10 has ‘segment leading connectivity and safety features’. All cars come with a forward collision warning system, autonomous emergency braking and lane-keep assist.
Air con, cruise control, Bluetooth and DAB radio are also standard across the range.
Every i10 variant apart from the cheapest SE has an eight-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, voice control and a built-in rear-view camera.
On the top-spec Premium, a £1,000 optional extra pack brings touchscreen navigation, Hyundai Bluelink remote telematics and wireless smartphone charging.
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Hyundai adds that, unlike some four-seat city car rivals, the new i10 is a genuine five-seater, with a trio of three-point rear seatbelts.
Buyers can choose from either a 67 hp 1.0-litre engine, or an 84 hp 1.2-litre. The smaller engine averages 56.5 mpg, while the bigger motor isn’t far behind on 55.4 mpg.
CO2 emissions are also low – 101 g/km and 105 g/km respectively.
The city car lives on
Several brands have withdrawn their smallest city car models in recent months. The Ford Ka+ is no more, Vauxhall has ditched the Adam and Viva, and Renault has withdrawn the Twingo.
Instead of pulling out of the sector, Hyundai Motor UK MD Ashley Andrew says the firm is repositioning the i10 from a pure value-for-money car into something that miniaturises technology and safety from the sectors above.
“We are confident that there is still a significant number of new car buyers looking for a vehicle with city car manoeuvrability and high equipment levels, a combination that the all-new i10 is perfectly positioned to offer.”
And although ditching the base S version does raise entry-level prices, Andrew says improved retained values will help with competitive PCP and contract hire rates – for a “bigger, smarter, safer and better-looking car”.
Hyundai even offers an automatic gearbox option for a meagre £500 – although don’t expect thrilling performance if you combine it with the base 1.0-litre engine: 0-62 mph takes a yawning 17.3 seconds…
2020 Hyundai i10 pricing
SE
1.0 MPi 67: £12,495
SE Connect
1.0 MPi 67: £13,495 (auto: £13,995)
1.2 MPi 84: £13,995 (auto: £14,495)
Premium
1.0 MPi 67: £14,495 (auto: £14,995)
1.2 MPi 84: £14,995 (auto: £15,495)
