Styling
The third-generation i20 has always been a striking-looking little thing, so Hyundai sensibly deemed that drastic changes were unnecessary for the facelift. The shape and pattern of both the front bumper and the radiator grille have been modified, while there's a redesigned rear bumper too plus a choice of new 16- and 17-inch alloy wheels. The most significant difference, then, comes with those Z-shaped rear LED light signatures. Hyundai has decided not to go with the now-commonplace full-width strip of illumination at the back of the i20, even though it looks like its clusters are connected by such a thing, and we personally think the hatchback is all the better for that decision. The overall look of the i20 is certainly at least an eye-catching match for either the 208 or
Renault's sharp-suited Clio Mk5, but we think you could make a good argument to say the Korean car is more handsome even than either of those two.
Interior
It's a bit of a sea of charcoal grey in the i20, what with the finishing of the dashboard and door cards teaming up with Hyundai's upholstery material of choice, although if you opt for the new Lucid Lime interior package, you do at least get a few splashes of colour here and there to lift things (and contrast seat stitching, too). But while a non-Lucid, luxury-oriented Ultimate like our test car might not have the most visually daring cabin, it's all put together very well - and, crucially, it works intuitively. Physical climate controls, plenty of proper switchgear and a couple of nice, crisp digital screens are about the sweet spot of the human-machine interface these days, those twin 10.25-inch displays performing quite brilliantly. The interior now also has LED ambient lighting rather than old-fashioned bulbs, which is easier on the old peepers at night; a welcome update.
Practicality
Room for passengers in the back is above average for this class of car, so with some careful shuffling of seats a quartet of taller adults ought to be able to travel in the Hyundai i20 in reasonable comfort. There's a good level of in-cabin stowage to be found throughout the passenger compartment as well, while the boot is a whopper for this class at 352 litres with all seats in use. Short of making the wheelbase half-a-foot longer or developing an estate version of the car, we're not sure how Hyundai could make the i20 much more practical than it already is.
Performance
There is but the one choice in the revised i20's powertrain book, which is the three-cylinder, turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol known as the T-GDI, delivering 100hp and 172Nm. Driving the front wheels only, about your only choice to make here is whether you want it as a standard six-speed manual or with the £1,250 optional dual-clutch (DCT) automatic. We tested it with the former, and we have to say that if you've got a licence to drive a car with three pedals, save yourself the money and stick with the H-gate.
Thus equipped, the i20 is a delight. Clocking in at 1.1 tonnes, 100hp is more than enough oomph for the car's mass, so while the on-paper 0-62mph time beyond ten seconds might suggest sluggish performance, the reality is anything but. The Hyundai feels far livelier than that stat hints at, with the lovely three-pot trill evident if you decide to rev it out for a bit of fun. But the 172Nm means you don't need to do that, as the i20 T-GDI has more than enough muscle to keep up with traffic flow on that. Lovely gearbox, too, with a beautiful, slick throw and nice spacing of its ratios, while the brakes are strong and consistent, and the sweet engine exhibits little in the way of turbo lag or coarseness. It's a strong showing in this first dynamic department from the Hyundai, then.
Ride & Handling
While not quite as scintillating to drive as the regular Fiesta ever was, the i20 shows clear signs that Hyundai's recent transformation into a maker of some seriously talented cars for enthusiast drivers - like
this one or, indeed,
this one - is filtering into the chassis set-ups of its standard vehicles. Some bad news; it would seem the
scintillating i20 N hot hatch is not making a return in the facelifted family, but the clean, grippy and yet surprisingly fluid way the T-GDI covers ground is some recompense for that fact. The steering is positive and well weighted in its responses, while the body control is adept, understandably without being as rigidly tied-down as a proper sports car would be.
Better yet is the i20's refinement. The drivetrain is near-silent at lower revs and on a trailing throttle, and then the Hyundai's slightly soft-edged suspension translates into excellent ride comfort, on all roads and at all speeds too. You don't even hear a lot in the way of tyre or wind noise when travelling at 50mph and more, and once you've got it thrumming along in sixth on the motorway - where it feels stable and secure, like a car far grander than the i20 actually is, rather than all skittish and lightweight - you'll see well in excess of 50mpg from the 1.0-litre unit. We got 46.8mpg overall from 500 miles and more of testing, so while the i20 might have a 'big-car feel' in the assured and capable way it drives, it certainly doesn't have big-car running costs to go with it.
Value
While non-performance superminis that cost more than 20 grand still seem exorbitant to us, that's just our old-fashioned conditioning - the reality is that, what with inflation and rising build costs and all, £20,000-£25,000 is the going rate for the B-segment these days. That makes the i20 Ultimate T-GDI reasonable value at £24,530, especially considering Hyundai's industry-leading five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty and the extensive amount of kit you get for your cash. The bigger touchscreen for the infotainment is equipped at Ultimate level (the Advance and Premium cars have an eight-inch display rather than 10.25 inches), and while the lower two levels are well-enough equipped as it is, the Premium comes with everything you could realistically want on a car of this size, as standard - including keyless entry and go, wireless smartphone charging and a powerful Bose Premium Sound System.
Verdict
A brilliant little supermini, in that it's fuss-free yet charming, and affordable yet suitably upmarket in feel, the updated Hyundai i20 has to be in with a shout of class honours. So if you're still missing the Fiesta, go and check out this classy little Korean, and fill the void in your life with an i20 Ultimate. You won't be disappointed with it in the slightest.
