The Hyundai i10 is one of the best city cars available in the UK. If you’re thinking about buying a high-quality used small hatchback, we are here to help. What follows is a full breakdown of the current Hyundai i10 model range, which features you get with each trim level, and the engine and gearbox options.
Rivals for the Hyundai i10 include the classy Volkswagen Up, the spacious Fiat Panda, the interesting Suzuki Ignis, the simple and sturdy Toyota Aygo and the compact Kia Picanto. They’re a talented bunch, and the Hyundai ranks highly among them.
While the model range is quite small, the Hyundai i10’s popularity means there is a good selection of used examples available, too.
With its wide front grille and high-set headlights, the Hyundai i10 certainly looks distinctive. Inside, the dashboard has a clear and simple layout, so it’s really easy to control the various features.
More impressive within the interior, though, is how much space there is. The Hyundai i10 is quite tall, which helps free up more room: enough, in fact, for four adults to fit reasonably comfortably. The boot is pretty big for a city car, with 252 litres of space – sufficient for a couple to pack in their luggage for a week away. You won’t think twice about driving the Hyundai i10 on the motorway, either. It feels as solid as rock, and bowls along happily at 70mph.
There’s a relatively small range, but they cover a lot of bases – including the sporty N-Line and very generously equipped Hyundai i10 Premium.
There’s little to fault on the Hyundai i10. It’s spacious, well-equipped, comfortable and more capable on motorways than many other city cars. It also costs very little to run and Hyundai has a great reliability record, backed up by a five-year manufacturer’s warranty. Retained values are pretty strong, too.
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The standard Hyundai i10 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine will suit most owners and has good get up and go around town so would be our choice. It’s also the cheapest option in the i10 range.
However, if you’re going to be spending time on the motorway and want a bit more oomph, go for the 1.2-litre. In terms of gearbox choice, unless you must have an auto, stick with the manual, it’s a much better gearbox. The auto is slow and frustrating.
The Hyundai i10 SE Connect is the most popular model you’ll see around and the best trim to go for in terms of value for money. There are no ‘base’ models as such and even the i10 SE comes with air conditioning
The Hyundai i10 Premium is much rarer but definitely worth seeking out as it comes with heated seats and even a heated steering wheel, so you’ll have nice warm hands on a cold winter morning.
The Hyundai i10 is only available with petrol engines. Despite their small size and relatively low power outputs, they don’t have much weight to move in the Hyundai i10, so performance is perfectly adequate. They all have a five-speed manual gearbox as standard, which is nice and light to use, or you can have automatic with the 1.0- and 1.2-litre engines.
Hyundai i10 1.0 MPi petrol – The entry-level engine is a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol that produces 67PS – a modest figure but plenty for nipping around town. You can have a five-speed manual gearbox or an automatic. Zero to 62mph takes 14.8 seconds with the manual, or 17.8 seconds with the automatic. The manual also produces less CO2, at 114g/km to the automatic’s 126g/km.
Hyundai i10 1.2 MPi petrol – The 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine’s 84PS is a better bet if you want to tackle longer journeys in your Hyundai i10. Again, it’s available with a five-speed manual or an automatic gearbox. With the manual, getting from 0-62mph takes 12.6 seconds, while the automatic takes 15.8 seconds. The manual produces CO2 emissions of 124g/km and the automatic emits 129g/km.
Hyundai i10 1.0 T-GDi petrol – This turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine is only available in the sporty Hyundai i10 N Line. Its 100PS gets the car from 0-62mph in a sprightly 10.5 seconds, helped along by a light and slick five-speed manual gearbox. CO2 emissions are 123g/km.
The Hyundai i10 is available in a few trim levels, all of which are well equipped for a budget-friendly city car. The Premium model offers the most kit, but the range is actually topped by the sporty, 100PS N Line.
Hyundai i10 SE – The entry-level Hyundai i10 is still pretty well equipped for such an affordable car. Indeed, it feels like it should cost quite a bit more. It’s available with 1.0- or 1.2-litre engines, plus you have the choice of a manual or automatic gearbox.
Hyundai i10 SE Connect – The SE Connect has broadly the same equipment as the SE, but gains a media system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. You also get a reversing camera and more stylish alloy wheels. Choose from the same and engine gearbox combinations as the SE.
Hyundai i10 Premium – The best-equipped Hyundai i10 comes with features you’d normally expect to find on much more expensive cars, including climate control air-con, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. It looks suitably upmarket, too. Available with the 1.0- and 1.2-litre petrol engines, and with a manual or automatic gearbox.
Hyundai i10 N Line – The sportiest Hyundai i10 certainly looks the part, with its 16-inch alloy wheels and bodykit. It also has the go to match the show, with a turbocharged engine that produces 100PS. In a car this light, that’s more than enough power to have a lot of fun. It has the same standard features as the SE Connect.
The Hyundai i10’s exterior dimensions are:
Length: 3670mm
Width: 1680mm
Height: 1480mm
The Hyundai i10’s boot space is:
252 litres
1050 litres with rear seats folded
With this Hyundai i10 model launched in 2020, every version will cost you the standard rate of £180 per year for road tax. If that seems a little steep for a modest city car, it's the same for all of its rivals unless you opt for a zero emissions EV such as a Renault Zoe, which will be more expensive to buy.
Insuring a Hyundai i10 won’t cost much. Of all models, the 1.0 SE Connect is in the lowest insurance group – group 3 out of 50 – and even the 100PS N Line is only rated in group 10. Incidentally, the entry-level SE model isn’t in the lowest insurance group, as you might expect, because it has fewer security features than the mid-level SE Connect.
Read our full Hyundai i10 review