Hyundai i20 review

Finding a good driving position isn’t hard in the i20. The steering wheel adjusts for height and reach, while a few tweaks of the levers on the side of the seat should be all most drivers need to get comfortable. It’s a shame that adjustable lumbar support isn’t available and you have to go for pricey Premium Nav trim or higher to get a front centre armrest. The pedals are a little offset to the right, too, although this does leave room for a raised left-foot rest.

The touchscreen infotainment system and dashboard controls are logically laid out and within easy reach, while the air conditioning dials are easy to adjust and click nicely.

Visibility is very good in the i20; its front pillars are fairly slim and so not overly obtrusive at junctions. Rear parking sensors are standard on SE trim, while you also get front parking sensors on models above that.

Automatic headlights are standard, but SE and upwards also get front foglights, LED daytime running lights and, impressively, high-beam assistance. The latter allows drivers to turn on full beam at night, with the car automatically reverting to dipped headlights if it detects oncoming vehicles or traffic going the same direction further ahead.

A 7.0in touchscreen comes as standard. It has a fairly logical menu layout and is flanked by a helpful selection of physical shortcut buttons, but it’s a bit laggy, especially when you’re using the sat-nav ((which is standard on more expensive trims), and generally not as impressive nor as slick as the touchscreen systems in the Seat Ibiza and Ford Fiesta. What is brilliant, though, is that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come as standard.

The i20 feels well put together and gets some soft-touch plastics across the top of its dashboard, along with some splashes of colours to keep the interior from feeling overly bland. However, it’s still fairly drab compared with its rivals.

The dials and buttons in the i20 don’t feel as nicely damped, though, and the car generally doesn’t have the same robust feeling inside as its rivals; the Ibiza, Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo all offer a higher-quality ambience, with nicer materials that are nicer to look at.