Hyundai i10 Review & Prices

The Hyundai i10 is a fairly stylish little car with good interior space that’s easy to thread about town. And alternatives are a bit thinner on the ground since the likes of the Volkswagen UP, Citroen C1, SEAT Mii and Peuegot 108 stopped being sold. The Kia Picanto and Dacia Sandero are the remaining alternatives on offer, both of which are compelling options.

Being sportier than those two though, the dinky i10 looks a lot like a remote control car that's had a rather impressive growth spurt over the summer holidays. It's also picked up the Best Small Car award in the 2021 carwow Car of the Year Awards.

Even the old i10 looked a bit edgier than other super-small hatchbacks, but this new version goes further with a set of pointed headlights and a pinched grille that look more like they belong on a dinky hot hatch than a cost-cutting city car. High-spec models even come with a sporty-looking (but entirely fake) rear diffuser, while the N Line version has various tweaks including N Line badging, chrome exhaust tips, red pinstripe highlights, and a more powerful engine than any other i10 trim.

The Hyundai i10’s cabin makes a good first impression, too. You get some textured trims on the doors and the air vents look like Hyundai’s engineers found them in a box marked ‘Mercedes’.

The infotainment system’s pretty easy-on-the-eye too, and it’s mostly pretty simple to use. The built-in sat nav system is a bit clunky, but you’ll probably just connect your phone and use its maps instead.

There isn’t much you can do about all the scratchy plastics on the Hyundai i10’s dashboard and doors, however, but then most small cars feel pretty hard inside and at least the i10’s textured trims give you something to file your nails on while you’re stuck at a set of traffic lights. Again, N Line models feature sporty tweaks, such as an N-branded steering wheel and gear lever, plus red stitching on the seats, rear privacy glass and a black headlining.

You might struggle to give your hair-do a once over if you’re very tall, but there’s enough space for six-footers in the front and just enough space behind for equally tall passengers to get comfy – on short trips at least. There’s room for a weekly shop in the boot, too, and it’s all fairly easy to load.

The 252-litre space is on par with the Kia Picanto, but is far off the mark set by the Dacia Sandero.

Speaking of shopping, the Hyundai i10 feels right at home pottering around town. Its dinky dimensions and light controls mean it’s easy to squeeze through tight gaps and into narrow parking spaces and the large windows give you a really clear view out. However, even small SUVs such as the Hyundai Kona will loom menacingly over the tiny i10.

The entry-level car with its 67hp engine feels especially swamped in traffic – you’ll be much better off going for a 1.2-litre four-cylinder or turbocharged 1.0-litre model instead.

These 84hp and 100hp models respectively let you take in the odd dual-carriageway or motorway trip without feeling like a Dachshund trying to keep up with a pack of greyhounds. Once up to speed, the Hyundai i10 is pretty quiet for such a small car and you get loads of clever safety tech to keep you safe, including lane-keeping assist and automatic emergency braking.

The N Line version features the 100hp 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine, which gives the i10 a pretty spirited turn of pace.

Sure, the suspension is a little on the firm side, but the i10 will soak up potholes and manhole covers fairly well and its slick gearshift and confidence-inspiring steering make it surprisingly fun to drive on a twisty road. The N Line has an even firmer suspension setting for quicker, more spirited driving.

That said, you won’t be having much fun in the entry-level 67hp model, but go for one of the i10’s perkier engines and you’ll have a great all-round city car that’s practical enough to live with, comes with a decent amount of equipment and is even pretty good fun to drive.

See how much you can save on a new Hyundai i10 through carwow, while you can also check out used Hyundai i10 deals. You can see used Hyundai deals as well, while you can get the best price for your car with the help of our trusted dealers and sell your car.

It costs £1,300 to go from the base Advance trim to Premium, and that’s money well spent in our book. If you want an automatic gearbox in the i10, that’s another £650, though the N Line only comes with the five-speed manual.

Compared to others in the same city car class, the Hyundai is one of the most expensive options available on the new market - although there a lot less choice these days. The Kia Picanto is cheaper than the i10, but the Hyundai is generally better equipped to justify the extra cost.

Fun in the city or on country roads, the Hyundai i10 is a very good small car, but the least powerful engine is underwhelming

In town

The Hyundai i10 is a car built very much with city driving in mind, and it shows. For starters, the i10 is small on the outside, so it’s easy to squeeze between width restrictions or into narrow parking spots, and all versions come with a reversing camera to make life even simpler when you’re backing into a bay.

Inside, the i10 doesn’t feel small thanks to the roomy driving position and you get a great view in all directions via the large glass area. It means judging the corners of the Hyundai is simple, and the large door mirrors also make it easy to spot anything coming up alongside the car.

Light steering makes, er, light work of driving around town, and the gear change in the five-speed manual gearbox is one of the best you’ll find in any car whatever the price you pay.

An automatic gearbox with five gears is an option and useful for city driving, but we’d stick with the manual unless you really must have an auto.

The same applies to the entry-level 67hp 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine. It’s easy on fuel, but it’s just too slow at anything above 30mph to feel fully rounded.

Go for the 84bhp 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol and life is much more relaxed, so it’s well worth spending the £800 extra to have this motor for its greater flexibility.

The N Line trim comes with its own 100hp 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine and it’s a peppy performer. A firmer ride in the N Line still mops up the splits and cracks in the road surface as well as the i10 versions.

On the motorway

If you only ever head on to the motorway once in a blue moon, the 67hp 1.0-litre engine could work for your needs, but it struggles on hills and you’ll need to drop from fifth to fourth gear to maintain momentum at the national speed limit.

Much better is the 84hp 1.2 engine that has a bit more in reserve and keeps itself quiet when you’re cruising along. There’s also not a great deal of wind or road noise at 70mph, so the i10 is a much more adept small car than some others you could choose.

The N Line’s 100hp engine is decidedly eager and has no trouble accelerating up to speed on slip roads, though it’s not quite as economical as the less potent motors. Still, all i10s feel stable and comfortable on the motorway.

On a twisty road

The firm suspension that you might feel in town as the i10 travels over bumps and potholes more than pays dividends on bendy roads. It prevents the Hyundai’s tall body sides from lolling over or making the car feel like it’s lurching into corners.

There’s good steering feel and more than enough grip, which makes the i10 fairly enjoyable to punt down a country lane regardless of which engine is under the bonnet.

However, if you do live in the sticks, the two more powerful engines are the ones to have for safely passing slow moving traffic.

All i10’s have strong brakes, plus you get automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, and forward collision warning in all models.

The i10 is one of the roomiest cars of its type and Hyundai even finds space for a decent boot, but there’s no reach movement for the steering wheel

Just about the only thing the Hyundai i10 comes up short on in its driving environment is that the steering wheel cannot be adjusted for how far or close it sits in relation to the driver.

In every other way, the i10 is really very good. All trims have height adjustment for the driver’s seat and the position puts you in line with the steering wheel and pedals, which is not always the case in small cars.

The seat has plenty of support and the padding is just the right mix of firm but fair, plus there’s plenty of leg, head and shoulder room for even taller drivers.

Hyundai has clearly put a lot of thought into the practical side of the i10 as the driver has plenty of storage choices dotted about the front cabin.

The door bins are big enough to hold a large water bottle, and there are two smaller cupholders in the console between the front seats.

In this space, you’ll also find a long, thin tray and a small triangular one that’s strangely ideal for holding the car’s key and fob.

In front of the gear lever is another tray that can be upgraded to a wireless phone charging pad as an option in the Premium and N Line trims. This space is also home to a 12-volt charger and USB port.

Ahead of the front passenger is a reasonable glovebox and above that a small tray with a lip so things don’t fall off as you pull away.

Space in the back seats

The i10 manages to fit a lot of space into the back seats for a small car, helped by Hyundai pushing the wheels of the car as far into the corners as it can.

Even adults who are six-feet tall will be able to sit back here without worrying about head, knee, foot or shoulder space, and that is impressive in a city car.

A third passenger will find themselves on a raised cushion on the bench, so this is definitely a spot for the kids, and the i10 comes with three triple-point seat belts in the back. You also get two ISOFIX child seat mounts in the two outer chairs.

Decent door bins take care of the storage, and the rear windows are electrically operated in all i10 trims.

Boot space

Pop open the i10’s tailgate and you’ll see Hyundai has made the aperture a clean rectangle to make loading bigger items easy.

An adjustable height load floor also helps when hefting in heavier cases when it’s in its upper position, though it doesn’t quite sit flush with the load sill.

However, at 252 litres, the i10’s boot is a smidgeon on the small side for anything above day-to-day shopping usage. The Kia Picanto's boot is on par (255 litres), while Dacia's Sandero is 328 litres and much more practical.

Drop the 60-40 split and fold back seats and you free up 1,050 litres of carrying space. Again, with the load floor in its higher position there’s a smooth floor, but with it set lower there’s a ridge where the back seats hinge forward.

The i10 comes with Hyundai’s usual high standards of build and most have a sharp 8.0-inch infotainment system. Only some hard plastics let things down

Let your hands go for a wander over the Hyundai i10’s interior and you’ll soon encounter some hard plastics.

In some cases, these plastics have a textured finish that makes them feel a bit better than just plain old blank trim. Hyundai also knows how to put cars together so they don’t rattle or creak, and that’s just as true inside the i10 as any other car from its line-up.

The steering wheel feels quite thick-rimmed and sporty, and all trim levels have leather covering its rim as well as the gear lever.

In front of this, the main dials have clear, simple clocks with a digital display in the centre to tell you important onboard information. It’s also worth noting the circular air vent to the side of the instrument pod and the matching one on the passenger side add a touch of class to the i10’s interior.

All versions come with an 8.0-inch colour touchscreen infotainment display. It has shortcut buttons for the important menus, plus physical buttons for the stereo.

Crisp graphics make the i10’s infotainment one of the best among city cars, and there’s Apple CarPlay or Android Auto to help it hook up to your phone and apps.

With the Premium and N Line models, you can go for optional sat nav, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on offer, it’s probably not worth the extra cash.

What you might want to add, though, is wireless charging though the pad just below the infotainment in the centre console.

Between that and the touchscreen lie the simple round dials for the heating and ventilation that are perfect for when you’re driving.

If you reckon the Hyundai i10 is going to be cheap to run, you’d be right. All of the models fall into the first-year road tax rate of £190, and insurance varies between groups 3 and 10 depending on which model you pick.

For fuel economy, the 67hp 1.0-litre engine with manual gearbox is the best, notching up an official 56.5mpg along with 114g/km of carbon dioxide emissions. Take this engine with the automatic gearbox and those numbers become 51.4mpg and 126g/km.

The 1.2-litre 84hp motor offers 52.3mpg with the manual, or 49.6mpg when bought with the automatic transmission. Emissions come to 124 and 129g/km, respectively.

The N Line’s 100hp returns a combined 52.3mpg and emits 123g/km.

Being a lower emitting vehicle, the i10 falls into a cheaper vehicle excise duty bracket - making it ideal for new drivers or those looking for a cheap run-around. If you want the i10 as your company car, the rates are affordable in that respect as well.

Tested by Euro NCAP, the i10 only achieved a three-star rating, performing the best for both adult and child occupancy. The safety assist and vulnerable road user scores weren't that great though.

Every Hyundai i10 comes with Hill Start Assist to stop the car rolling backwards as you try to pull away on an upward slope.

You also get cruise control with all trims, and six airbags, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, and forward collision warning. Hyundai also includes a driver attention warning, eCall, and leading vehicle departure alert.

Anyone picking the Premium or N Line trims has the option to add an Intelligent Speed Limit Warning at extra cost.

Hyundai supplies a five-year warranty as standard with the i10, which is better than most, though not as lengthy as Kia’s offerings, but it is also for an unlimited mileage period within that time frame. So kudos to Hyundai for that. The brand also tends to come out well in reliability surveys.