New Hyundai i20 review

As with Marvel movies, small cars aren’t quite as immensely popular as they once were but there’s still a big audience for them. That’s where this Hyundai i20 comes in. 

You see, since the latest generation launched in 2020, it’s received several updates, with the latest offering a new range of trim levels. What’s more, in what could be considered a rather odd move in today’s increasingly electrified world, Hyundai has rid the i20’s 1.0-litre petrol engine of its mild hybrid technology.

Hyundai i20 video review

So is the latest – non-mild hybrid – Hyundai i20 a worthy competitor to the best small cars out there, including the Renault Clio, Skoda Fabia and VW Polo?

What’s new
- June 2026: Engine revised with 89bhp
- December 2025: Revised line-up: now Element, Black Line, Tech Line
- February 2024: i20 N Line updated. New wheels, grille, extra paint colours, revised interior
- August 2023: Facelift brings more colour choices, revised trim levels, more standard equipment including extra driver assistance systems
- June 2021: i20 N debuts with 201bhp 1.6 T-GDi engine and six-speed manual gearbox
- March 2021: i20 N Line has i20 N styling cues, 119bhp 1.0-litre engine
- December 2020: i20 Mk3 arrives with 99bhp turbocharged 1.0-litre mild hybrid petrol engine. Six-speed automated manual or seven-speed dual-clutch auto gearboxes

If you want a broad choice of engines, you’ll want to look elsewhere. With the Hyundai i20, it’s a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine or nothing. And no, the 89bhp it musters doesn’t sound very exciting. In practice, though, it’s a game, plucky little engine, and you’re unlikely to find it wanting for grunt in everyday driving.

Its official 0-62mph time of 11.5sec is nothing special for the class, but much of the engine’s power is low down, serving the portion of the acceleration spectrum that accounts for urban traffic, and this means the inner-city melee is no problem. If you push it really hard on the open road, you’ll encounter a flat spot around 4000 rpm, but having six gears at your disposal helps you to work around it.

That gearbox, incidentally, shifts smoothly, if not as slickly as the Seat Ibiza’s. Sixth gear is unusually high, too; 70mph (at which the i20 is happy to cruise) is achieved at a low 2400rpm, and that should be good news for fuel economy. You will need to change down a gear or two when you encounter an incline, though – especially if you have passengers on board. A seven speed automatic gearbox is optional, but it bumps the price up and slows the acceleration down (0-62mph takes 12.8sec).

The i20’s ride is firmer and less forgiving than that of some rivals – including the Peugeot 208, Skoda Fabia and VW Polo. Road surface imperfections have it fidgeting, but only the most severe urban craters will make you wince. Unfortunately, you’ll often do the same on the motorway; the i20 slams over bigger bumps in the concrete, even though scruffy surfaces are less troublesome at speed than they are at lower speeds.

On the other hand, its firm set-up means the i20 feels well planted and well controlled on an undulating stretch of country road, and it’s less bouncy than the softer Citroën C3.

The i20 surpasses a fair few rivals in the handling department (including the Fabia and Polo), with its firm suspension helping to create good agility and minimal body lean. The steering is mostly sharp and precise but there's a noticeable vague spot around the centre point.

There’s plenty of grip to lean on, so fast and twisty roads can be tackled with confidence. The i20 can actually be quite fun through the corners, although the amazing poise and expert balance that makes the Ibiza so remarkable to drive isn’t quite replicated here.

Like pretty much every three-cylinder engine we’ve tested, the i20’s unit thrums a little at tickover and vibrates a bit when pulling away. But as the revs increase, this one actually begins to feel and sound a lot smoother. In fact, it never sounds pained or breathless even if you rev it out. 

As your speed increases, the engine becomes masked by noise from the tyres, suspension and wind as it passes the mirrors and windscreen. The i20 is noticeably noisier to travel in than a Renault Clio or Polo, but not so bad that you can’t have a conversation without raising your voice. The accelerator and clutch pedals, meanwhile, are light and predictable in their action and effect, and the brake pedal is easy to modulate, making smooth progress simple. 

“The i20 didn't blow me away but I found it to be a good midpoint between the sharper-handling Seat Ibiza and the cushier-riding Skoda Fabia.” – Steve Huntingford, Editor

There’s very little wrong with the essentials in the Hyundai i20. The seat, pedals and steering wheel line up nicely, and there’s plenty of space for your left foot next to the clutch in manual gearbox versions. The steering wheel also has enough reach and height extension to cater for most people, and the driver’s seat bolsters stop you spilling over your passenger in tight bends.

There are a couple of issues: there's no lumbar adjustment, even as an option (although, to be fair, the lower back support is pretty good anyway). The backrest angle is adjusted using a lever that has a set number of positions, which offers less adjustment than a wheel.

Entry-level Element trim gives you a very basic digital dashboard with a minimum of functionality. Black Line and Tech Line versions swap this for a bigger 10.25in digital driver's display, which is clear, but – unlike in the Seat Ibiza and VW Polo – it isn’t very customisable and cannot display things such as a navigation map. 

On the other hand, you do get physical controls for the air conditioning or climate control, making it easier to adjust on the move than using the touch-sensitive controls you get in some Polos.

Thanks to relatively slim front window pillars, forward visibility is great and you won’t find yourself struggling to see out at junctions.

The rising window line and relatively shallow rear window makes visibility to the rear a little less stellar, but fortunately the decently sized quarter windows make life a bit easier.

Every i20 comes with rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera, while Premium trim and up also add front parking sensors. You’ll see plenty at night too, thanks to standard-fit bright LED headlights with automatic high beam.

No matter which trim you go for, every i20 comes with a 10.3in infotainment touchscreen. There’s plenty of standard features, too, including DAB radio, Bluetooth, built-in sat-nav and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay functionality. 

The infotainment system is good, with sharp graphics, a quick response to your prods and menus that are easy to navigate. Unlike previous versions, however, you no longer get physical shortcut buttons surrounding the screen, instead they’ve been replaced by touch-sensitive ones that are a little more fiddly. 

The standard stereo has six speakers and is decent, but top-spec Ultimate and N Line S trim add a Bose system with a subwoofer and deeper sound. Those trims also add a wireless phone charger.

The i20 feels generally solidly made but isn’t as plush as the Audi A1 and Peugeot 208, both of which have more soft-touch materials dotted around their interiors. 

Some appealingly textured plastics, the slatted design (on the dashboard and doors) and softly damped switches go some way to making the interior inviting. However, that's not enough to bring it up to the standards set by small car rivals (also including the Seat Ibiza and Skoda Fabia).

“I like the design of the i20's interior, which looks sharp and modern, but it’s a real shame there are so few soft-touch materials.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

The interior of the Hyundai i20 is reasonably wide for a small car so you’ll have some elbow room to spare, and there’s no issue with leg or head room if you’re over 6ft tall. In fact, you’ll find you have about the same space as in a Seat Ibiza or VW Polo.

The front door bins aren’t huge, taking a large bottle of water and little else, but there are a few spaces elsewhere, including a large glovebox, cubbies by the gearlever and under the front centre armrest (with Premium trim and above), as well as a couple of cup holders.

The i20 isn’t quite at the level of the Honda Jazz for roominess in the rear, but it’s still super spacious next to most of its rivals. You can easily get two six-footers in the back seats, and adding a third person is doable (although shoulder room won’t be great).

The middle passenger gets more foot space than in many small cars because there's only a low hump on the floor in front of them. There’s very little in the way of storage space in the rear – just small rear door bins. They’ll fit a 500ml bottle but that’s all.

Again, the Jazz is the king in this regard, with flexible rear seats that offer many more options than any of its key rivals to help you fit things on board. The i20’s 60/40 split-folding rear seats are merely par for the course, and you don't get a ski hatch.

The front passenger’s seat doesn’t get height or lumbar adjustment on any version.

This is an area where removing mild hybrid engine tech has actually improved the i20's performance – because it frees up some boot space.

You now get 352 litres on all versions, which is a close match for the Seat Ibiza (355) and VW Polo (351) but less than in the Skoda Fabia (380). We haven't done our carry-on suitcase test on an i20, but as a guide the Ibiza managed to take five cases.

The i20's standard height-adjustable boot floor adds an extra layer of usability, not just enabling you to create a separate storage area but also levelling out the boot floor when the rear seats are dropped and reducing the height of the internal loading lip.

“Upon sitting in the back of the i20, I was surprised by the abundance of space. It almost feels like a car from a class size up.” – Doug Revolta, Head of Video

Cash buyers will discover that the Hyundai i20 costs slightly less than the Toyota Yaris and VW Polo, and significantly undercuts the Audi A1 and Honda Jazz. The Renault Clio, Skoda Fabia and Suzuki Swift are all closer matches in price.

The i20 is predicted to hold on to a bigger chunk of its list price (after three years) than an Ibiza or Fabia, while the A1 is expected to depreciate at the same rate. That’s good news because it means PCP finance prices should remain competitive. 

If you take it easy you should see around 50mpg from the i20’s 1.0-litre petrol engine, which aligns well with rival small cars. However, hybrid cars such as the Jazz and Yaris use even less fuel. In fact the Yaris averaged nearly 60mpg in our Real MPG tests.

The i20 line-up is pretty straightforward, with just three trim levels. Element gets things started, but its kit list is more comprehensive than elementary. As well as the infotainment mentioned earlier, and the digital driver’s display, there’s manual air conditioning, electric front and rear windows, 16in alloy wheels, cruise control, automatic headlights, two USB ports, rear parking sensors and a rear view camera. It’s enough kit to make it our recommended version.

The next model up, Black Line, is a hefty chunk pricier, but the extra cash gives you the larger 10.25in digital driver’s display mentioned earlier,  heated seats, a heated steering wheel, privacy glass, electric folding mirrors and LED headlights. It also upgrades the manual air-con to climate control. Tech Line, meanwhile, adds multicoloured ambient lighting, a wireless charging pad, rear USB connectors and keyless go, as well as front parking sensors.

The i20 placed well in the small car category of our 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey, sitting within the top 10, just below the Polo and above the rest of its included rivals. 

Hyundai as a brand, meanwhile, claimed 14th place out of the 30 included manufacturers. That’s way below Suzuki and Toyota (3rd and 4th respectively) but above Audi, Ford, Renault, Seat, Skoda and Volkswagen. 

You have the added peace of mind that all Hyundai car models come with a five-year, unlimited mileage warranty and five years of UK roadside assistance. That’s better than you’ll get with most rivals but it can’t match Kia’s seven-year cover or Toyota’s 10-year service-activated warranty.

When safety experts Euro NCAP tested the i20 in 2021, it was awarded four stars out of five. Looking deeper into the results, the i20 did well at keeping child occupants safe but didn’t score particularly well when it came to adults in the front.

The Fabia scored the full five stars, beating the i20 in every area, while the Polo also scored five stars but a year later in more stringent testing. Still, it could be worse – the Dacia Sandero has a two-star rating.

Regardless, the i20 comes with plenty of standard safety equipment, including the all-important automatic emergency braking (AEB) with car, bicycle and pedestrian monitoring, driver attention alert, eCall emergency assistance and lane-departure assistance. Ultimate trim adds blind-spot monitoring into the mix, too.

“The i20 is good on fuel, but some rivals are better. That pretty much sums up the i20 for me – it’s good but not quite the best.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

Buy it if...

- You regularly carry tall passengers in the back
- You want a small car that's entertaining to drive
- A lengthy warranty is important to you

Don't buy it if...

- A top safety rating is a priority
- You want the most refined small car on the market
- You value a bright, vibrant interior

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