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EXPERT RATING
7.0

Likes

  • Competent A-B transport
  • Comfortable

Dislikes

  • Auto transmission not suited to the small engine
  • Can struggle on long road trips
Graham Smith
Contributing Journalist
22 Apr 2016
5 min read

Competent rather than thrilling, the i20 is a popular town commuter car.

New

With our cities becoming more and more clogged with traffic it's not surprising that smaller cars, such as the Hyundai i20, are gaining favour with buyers

Hyundai launched the i20 in 2010, following in the small car tracks of the Excel and Getz, and its primary role was in the city as an A-to-B car for commuters.

The range kicked off with the Active, which could be had in three and five-door hatch versions, the mid-ranger was the Elite five-door and the top model was the five-door Premium.

For a small car the i20 could accommodate four adults in reasonable comfort, though the front passenger might cede some legroom.

It also had decent boot space for the size of car and split-folding rear seats increased the space for carrying bigger items.

The standard engine was a 1.4-litre four-cylinder and the Premium had a 1.6-litre job, which could also be optioned into the mid-range Elite.

The i20 handled well and the ride was comfortable.

Most buyers opted for the 1.4, which performed manfully against most models in the class but was pushing into the wind against the leaders in the segment.

Transmission choices were a five-speed manual gearbox and four-speed automatic, the latter being the more popular.

The manual was replaced by a more user-friendly six-speeder in 2012 but buyers in general stuck with the auto, even though its wide gear spacing wasn't terribly well suited to the small engine.

On the road, the i20 handled well and the ride was comfortable. It was competent rather than thrilling.

All models had electronic stability control but the first i20 Actives were rated at four stars by ANCAP as they lacked the side and curtain airbags of the five-star Elite and Premium. That changed in October 2010 when the Active matched the safety features of the other models and was upgraded to five stars.

Now

Few owners have anything but praise for their i20s. There are some complaints but those suggest build issues rather than abiding flaws that should put potential buyers off.

The i20, clearly built as a town commuter car, can be found wanting a little on the open road. Driven with that limitation in mind, it can still do the job on a long-distance jaunt.

It's worth checking the history of any second-hand i20 as plenty of them were used as renters. That shouldn't rule them out completely but you need to check these examples more carefully than one from a private seller.

Checking the car's service history is also very important. At the cheap end of the market, some buyers are inclined to push the envelope when it comes to service in the hope of saving a few bucks along the way.

It's not a good strategy as skipping services is risking damage that could end up being more expensive than the missed services. Walk away if you suspect a car has been neglected — there are plenty more out there that have been lovingly maintained by caring owners. Recommended service intervals are 12 months/15,000km.

Hyundai I20 2010: Active

Engine Type Inline 4, 1.4L
Fuel Type Unleaded Petrol
Fuel Efficiency 6.4L/100km (combined)
Seating 5
Price From $4,840 - $7,150
Safety Rating

Verdict

Smithy says

Reliable little car ideal for the daily commute.

Owners say

Dale Armitage My Active manual drives OK, has a tiny turning circle, the steering is great and it accelerates quite quickly. My only problem has been with the front windows coming out of their tracks.

Tom Aldred I've been driving my i20 for over a year and it is a great little car. I'm tall and have no trouble in the cabin.

Karen Campbell My husband bought me an i20 Active three-door in 2010. It's a great little car, it goes well and has good fuel economy. With one child, the three-door is fine for me.

Neville Oban I am disappointed with my i20 Active. The radio volume changes up or down on its own, the clutch is noisy when depressed and the airconditioning is terrible.

Lyn Evans We love our i20. It's attractive, comfortable and economical with the six-speed gearbox. It's a little noisy on the highway but perfect around town.

At a glance

Price new: $16,990-$23,490
Price now:
Active $6000-$13,500
Elite $7500-$14,000
Premium $9000-$12,000

Safety: 5 stars (from Oct 2010)
Engines: 1.4-litre 4-cyl, 74kW/136Nm; 1.6-litre 4-cyl, 91kW/156Nm
Transmissions: 4-speed auto, 5-speed man; FWD
Thirst: 6.0L-6.5L/100km

Also consider

Ford Fiesta 2010-14 - 3 stars - A good drive but DSG auto transmission can be troublesome. Pay between $6000-$21,000.

Mazda2 2010-14 - 4 stars - Good to drive, well built. Hard to beat in the class. Pay between $7000-$19,000.

Volkswagen Polo 2010-14 - 4 stars - Prestige small car feels solid, the cabin is pleasant, and it drives well. Pay between $6000-$17,000.

Coming up

Do you own or have you owned a Nissan Pathfinder? Share your experience with CarsGuide readers by sending your comments to Graham Smith at grah.smith@bigpond.com or write to CarsGuide, PO Box 4245, Sydney, NSW 2010.

Click here to see more Hyundai i20 pricing and spec info.

Pricing Guides

$10,881
Based on 129 cars listed for sale in the last 6 months.
LOWEST PRICE
$4,950
HIGHEST PRICE
$16,999
Graham Smith
Contributing Journalist
With a passion for cars dating back to his childhood and having a qualification in mechanical engineering, Graham couldn’t believe his good fortune when he was offered a job in the Engineering Department at General Motors-Holden’s in the late-1960s when the Kingswood was king and Toyota was an upstart newcomer. It was a dream come true. Over the next 20 years Graham worked in a range of test and development roles within GMH’s Experimental Engineering Department, at the Lang Lang Proving Ground, and the Engine Development Group where he predominantly worked on the six-cylinder and V8 engines. If working for Holden wasn’t exciting enough he also spent two years studying General Motors Institute in America, with work stints with the Chassis Engineering section at Pontiac, and later took up the post of Holden’s liaison engineer at Opel in Germany. But the lure of working in the media saw him become a fulltime motorsport reporter and photographer in the late-1980s following the Grand Prix trail around the world and covering major world motor racing events from bases first in Germany and then London. After returning home to Australia in the late-1980s Graham worked on numerous motoring magazines and newspapers writing about new and used cars, and issues concerning car owners. These days, Graham is CarsGuide's longest standing contributor.
About Author
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