Hyundai i20 (2024) Review

THE motor show is over and it’s time to find the test car.

Now where did I leave it at the conference centre with its sprawling car parks stretching over many acres – and what did I drive down in?

Ah yes, it was a silver Japanese saloon of some description. Well there won’t be many of those at a motor show.

Forty minutes later, and only by holding  the plip/key above my head and waving it around erratically, do I spot a silver saloon blinking its indicators at me – that’ll be it then. Lessons learned? Remember what car you arrived in and make a note of where you left it.

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That was then and this is today and it’s as if the designers of the latest Hyundai i20 knew about the shortcomings of an ageing motoring hack as they have designed an app just for the job.

Leave this latest generation i20 anywhere you like, any strange city or remote spot, stick a bag on your head and wander off and the app will tell you exactly where it is. The other really clever thing is the satnav/app interface. So you plumb in where you want to go but when you get there you can’t find anywhere to park. No problem, you can then leave your car over a mile away and the app on your phone will guide you the remainder of the way on foot using augmented reality.

Wow, how cars have come on in the decades since I first began driving. I was lucky when I was 22 and bought my first car. My brother worked for big bucks abroad and lent me enough money to buy a brand spanking new model – a Fiat Uno 55S.

I thought I was the bee’s knees with my metallic paint and radio, even though that was just about the full extent of the luxuries, until I installed a banging four speaker cassette player of course.

Small cars have come a long way since then and the brilliant new Hyundai i20 is a prime example of what buyers can now expect.

Firstly, I love the new angular looks which give the i20 huge road presence, especially in such a striking greeny/yellow colour, called Lucid Lime. It looks super smart from all directions and the aesthetic is finished off by big attractive alloy wheels.

The interior is just as good; beautifully built, highly specified and very comfortable. Compared with my Uno it has every luxury going and the tech is off the scale. Split  touchscreen, virtual dash and full connectivity with your phone will please young  drivers. But leaving the main functions on easy to spot buttons will sate the more mature.

The sound system knocks my aftermarket special into a cocked hat and the infotainment is easy to navigate. If you do get lost then press a button on the steering wheel and ask the car to help you – it has voice recognition.

Equally splendid is the way the i20 drives. It has the plush ride and excellent handling of a much bigger car and loves the motorways and the cross country routes. The highways do eat into the petrol consumption and if you push on it will drop into the 30s. Mid-40s is possible with care but if you take the twisty way home you can expect to see 50+ to the gallon.

Hyundai has fitted the i20 with three driving modes – economy, normal and sport – easily found on a button near the automatic box gear lever. In economy you need to press the throttle down harder and in sport it uses the revs more so normal mode proved to be the best for my driving style, only using sport for quick overtakes.

Under the bonnet is a seemingly modest 1.0 three cylinder engine, but it’s also turbocharged so kicks out a healthy 100PS. Coupled to a quick-changing seven speed dual clutch auto, the i20 feels nice and nippy and strong on the road. It stays on the road thanks to a host of electronic gubbins under the skin.

What a cracking little car Hyundai has developed in the latest i20. It looks great, goes brilliantly well and is fab inside. No chance of losing this one in the crowd.

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