A peace of mind performer
THIS is a car with real peace of mind, because every Hyundai comes with a transferable five-year, unlimited mileage warranty that few car makers have yet bothered to match.
And it’s a lovely car to drive into the bargain, with an excellent ride over all surfaces and a really safe and sure feel on the road.
Even some rough surfaces taken at speed did not upset it unduly and it was also very stable in crosswinds.
It even takes the corners like a sporting car, with little roll, very good agility and excellent grip when pushed through a series of bends.
The steering is direct and positive, with plenty of feel mid-corner and the whole works together brilliantly. This is a cracking family car in every way.
I drove the latest, very smooth and quiet 1.0-litre GDi petrol turbo and it’s a gem of an engine, with no less than 120bhp on tap and a yellow line of 6,500 revs.
That’s good enough to give 60-plus miles an hour in second gear for decently quick acceleration, and there’s plenty of urge in the mid-range and lower for overtaking or pressing on.
Yet it will pull smoothly and quietly from just above tickover in all five lower gears of the six-speed gearbox.
The Premium Nav model I drove comes with alloys, DAB stereo with aux, USB and 1GB of music storage, Bluetooth, voice activation and cruise control.
It also has lane departure warning, leather covered multi-function steering wheel, parking sensors, a space saver spare wheel, air con, stability control, height-adjustable driver’s seat, stop-start and reach and rake adjustable steering.
The Hyundai i20 is a hugely impressive car. It’s quick, economical, well-equipped and great fun. I would be delighted to have one.
The Hyundai i20 Premium Nav I drove costs £16,800.