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.

This is the third-generation i20, following up the 2015-2020 Hyundai i20 (and the 2009-2015 Hyundai i20 before that) and freshening up the model's image. You can decide whether it's a looker, but this latest i20 is certainly a much sharper a more modern-looking machine than its predecessors.

Engines & Performance: The i20 has a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, with either 99bhp or 118bhp. Both are available with mild-hybrid tech, meaning they receive light electrical assistance to improve performance and fuel economy. They're unable to run on electric power alone.

Acceleration is respectable rather than remarkable. 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.

Ride & Handling: The i20's ride leans on the firmer side, so it's generally comfortable but it can feel a tad busy at times. Driving over a rough road, the Skoda Fabia and VW Polo prove smoother and more forgiving machines.

The upside is that the i20 feels planted and sharper in the bends than those cars, with an agile front end and minimal body lean. Grip levels are good too. It falls short of Fiesta fun and engagement, though, because the i20 lacks that car's amazing balance and playful demeanor. Another point against the i20 is that the steering can feel overly light and a tad imprecise (mostly around the centre point) on a fast country road.

Interior & Practicality: Inside, 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 armrests, the i20's interior features zero soft-touch materials, which is 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 ends up feeling pleasant enough by small car standards.

Front seat passengers have plenty of head and leg room. You can easily get two six-footers in the back seats, with space bettering that of most direct rivals (the tardis-like Honda Jazz being the exception) and bordering on family car roomy. Adding a third person is doable, but shoulder room is tight.

The i20’s 326-litre boot is bigger than the Fiesta's and similarly roomy to the Polo's. The Renault Clio's boot is bigger still, mind you. The i20 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.

Trims & Equipment: 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 lots of N-Line specific styling, both inside and out, and the 118bhp engine (which isn't available with any of the lesser trims). A late 2023 facelift saw the demise of this engine. What's more, the mild-hybrid tech was removed from the entire engine range, strangely enough.

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

Interested in buying a used Hyundai i20? Visit our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at great prices.

Used Hyundai i20s cost from around £9500. It'll likely be a 2020 or 2021 SE Connect model with around 50,000 miles on its clock.

Examples in Premium trim start at around £11,000. You'll need around £14,000 if you fancy an i20 N Line.

For a 2022 car, up your budget by roughly a grand across the trim board – another grand if you fancy a 2023 car. For a nearly new 2024 model, have upwards of £15,000.

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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 £190 fee per year in road tax.

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.

Reliability

As part of our 2023 Reliability Survey, What Car? readers said that Hyundai i20 models from 2020-present are generally reliable, with a few exceptions. Most owners reported smooth and trouble-free ownership, particularly praising the engine's longevity and performance. Some minor issues, such as occasional infotainment glitches and sensor malfunctions, were typically resolved quickly with a system reset or minor repairs.

However, a few readers highlighted more significant problems, including intermittent stalling and unexpected warning lights. These issues often required dealership visits, where service experiences varied. Some customers reported efficient and friendly service, with problems addressed promptly under warranty. Others faced longer wait times and higher-than-expected repair costs.

Discover more about used Hyundai i20 reliability and common problems on our dedicated reliability page.

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 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 at least £11,000 to spend and would like a higher level of practicality, as well as hybrid power, the Honda Jazz is an excellent choice.

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Interested in buying a used Hyundai i20? Visit our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at great prices.