Hyundai i20 – in with the In Crowd

IF it wasn’t firmly established there already the latest design and technology upgrades have projected the Hyundai i20 into the elite of the supermini scene.

A well-made, neat and thoroughly modern small car, the i20 has really upped the ante with its extra safety and connectivity features as well as some effective design touches.

There are some eye-catching new colour options too. For instance Lucid Lime Metallic – the colour of our tested variant – may not sound especially appealing, but the way it glistens between mid-summer yellows and greens certainly has the desired effect.

Looking the part may be important in the quest for sales but there’s another hugely significant reason why Hyundai have reason to be optimistic – the swing towards building SUVs that has seen some of the most popular superminis around being axed.

It means that owners of models like the Ford Fiesta, Kia Rio and Nissan Micra will soon have to look elsewhere for combustion engine superminis.

Backed by its time-honoured five-year unlimited mileage warranty, Hyundai is in pole position to take advantage.

So the new i20 looks even cooler than before, helped along the way by its fresh Cupra-style radiator grille, Z-shaped LED lights at the back and sporty-looking 16 or 17-inch alloy wheels.

And that racy theme is extended to the interior too courtesy, in this model at least, of seats finished with a bold vertical line, embossed horizontal dots and lime-coloured stitching.

It’s all part of a clean, uncluttered cabin boasting ample space up front with sufficient head and legroom for three in the back – though to be fair the centre rear position is perched.

Stowage space is pretty much everywhere, including deep door bins, various trays and slots, cup holders, central container plus a glovebox, while there’s 352 litres of boot space with the rear seats in place and 1,165 litres with them folded down.

With the exception of the three trim grades – Advance, Premium and Ultimate – choices are kept to a minimum because there’s only a single body type, five-door, and also just one engine option, a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol unit.

Transmission choices are six-speed manual or the seven-speed DCT dual clutch gearbox, of which we prefer the manual. That said we were still able to top the DCT’s official fuel return with an average of 53.9 miles per gallon over 350 miles of mixed urban, rural and motorway driving.

The i20 is an enjoyable car to manoeuvre as well – with an optimum driving position and adjustable steering wheel – feeling spirited and well balanced once up to speed, though acceleration is on the ponderous side and not ideal for overtaking.

Regards technology the i20 is loaded with the stuff, from the 10.25-inch touchscreen navigation and Android Auto/Apple CarPlay to USB type-C and Over-the-Air map updates plus the latest update to Bluelink telematics.

Plenty of the Korean brand’s Smart Sense safety features are standard like Forward Collision Avoidance and Lane Following Assist, along with optional systems like nav-based Smart Cruise Control, Rear Cross-traffic Collision Assist and Blind Spot Assist.

Prices start at £20,770 for Advance grade models (£22,020 for the DCT transmission), rising to £22,570 for Premium and topping out at £24,070 for Ultimate trim (£25,320 DCT).

Standard kit is comprehensive and positively lavish at the top end, with stuff like an eight-speaker Bose Premium sound system, keyless entry plus start/stop button and a wireless charging pad included.