Used Hyundai i20 2020-present review

The Hyundai i20 belongs to a class intrinsic to the UK: honest, nippy, affordable small cars. After all, a Brit came up with the Mini and the Ford Fiesta is the most common car on our roads.

You'll find this latest i20 is powered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, with either 99bhp or 118bhp. Both have mild-hybrid tech, meaning they have a very small electric motor and battery to improve performance and fuel economy.

If you opt for a manual gearbox with either engine, 0-60mph happens in a smidge more than 10sec; automatic cars are around one second slower. For a considerable boost in performance, as well as handling prowess, there's the Hyundai i20N – a hot hatch deserving of its own review.

• Looking for an older car? Read our 2015-2020 Hyundai i20 and 2009-2015 Hyundai i20 used buying guides

Entry-level SE Connect trim isn't short of equipment. It has most of what you might want, including air-con, a leather steering wheel and gearlever, automatic lights and wipers, cruise control, electric windows and mirrors, and 16in alloy wheels.

Premium trim adds some nice extras, mind you. You'll have 17in alloy wheels, heated front seats, privacy glass, power-folding door mirrors, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror and climate control.

Ultimate trim gets more niceties including keyless entry, while the N-Line adds a sportier edge, coming with a 118bhp engine (which isn't available with any of the lesser trims) and lots of N-Line specific styling both inside and out.

Every trim gets rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera. If you want LED headlights, you'll need Premium trim at least.

On the road, the i20's ride is on the firmer side, and compared to some other small cars, makes you more aware of the lumps and bumps you drive over. That's not to say the i20 is uncomfortable, but those looking for comfort are more likely to prefer the VW Polo.

The upside of the i20’s firmer suspension is that it handles better than some rivals, including the Polo. That's because it doesn’t lean as far when cornering quickly, plus the lack of bounce makes it feel very stable over mid-corner bumps. The i20’s steering is delightfully sharp, but it's let down slightly by a vagueness around the centre point.

Nonetheless, the i20 has plenty of grip and gives you sufficient confidence on a twisty road. It’s actually quite fun through corners, although it can't quite match what the Fiesta – the best car in its class for handling – can do.

Inside the i20, the SE Connect trim features an 8.0in touchscreen, a DAB radio and Bluetooth, as well as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay functionality. If you go for Premium trim or above, that screen size increases to 10.3in and the system gains built-in sat-nav.

Other than what's on the seats and door armrests, the i20's interior doesn't feature many soft-touch materials, which is a tad disappointing. Fortunately, thanks to some nicely textured plastics, the slatted design on the dashboard and doors, plus the softly damped switches and two-tone interior on the upper trims, the interior feels inviting enough.

Front seat passengers have plenty of head and leg room. You can get two six-footers in the back seats relatively easily. Adding a third person is doable, but shoulder room won’t be great.

The i20’s 326-litre boot is bigger than the Fiesta's and similarly roomy to the Polo's. It certainly has space for a sensible amount of shopping or luggage.

Its height-adjustable boot floor adds an extra layer of usability. Not only does it enable you to create a separate storage area, but it also levels out the boot floor when the rear seats are raised and reduces the height of the internal loading lip.

If you're interested in finding a used Hyundai i20 or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at a great price.

You'll need at least £14,000 to net a spick and span example of the i20. It'll likely be a 2020 or 2021 SE Connect model with around 20,000 miles on its clock.

Examples in Premium trim start at around £16,000. You'll need around £17,000 if you fancy an i20 N Line.

For a 2022 car, up your budget by roughly a grand across the trim board. At the time of writing, you'll struggle to find a 2023 model that's going for less than a new one, unfortunately.

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MPG

The 99bhp petrol engine officially averages 55.4mpg (in SE Connect trim), while its 118bhp counterpart officially averages 53.3mpg.

Road tax

Currently, all i20s of this generation will cost their owner a £180 fee per year.

Insurance and servicing

Excluding the i20 N hot hatch, insurance groups range from a modest 12 to 16. For a third-year service of a 2021 model, we were quoted £160 by Hyundai. Service plans are available.

We see little reason to rise above SE Connect with the 99bhp engine, badged 1.0 T-GDi 100PS. With its added luxuries, Premium almost justifies its two grand price jump on the used market, but not entirely in our view. It's a similar story with N Line and its 118bhp unit, badged 1.0 T-GDi 120PS, although that demands an even larger leap from you.

Our favourite Hyundai i20: 1.0 T-GDi 100PS SE Connect

As we've touched upon, the Ford Fiesta and VW Polo are two popular Hyundai i20 rivals. The Seat Ibiza is another good alternative, and is available with similar performance to the i20, yet is slightly more fun to drive and often cheaper.

If you have a budget of at least £17,000 and would like a higher level of practicality, as well as hybrid power, the Honda Jazz is an excellent choice.

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If you're interested in finding a used Hyundai i20 or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to the Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at a great price.