Item: Used Hyundai i20 2015-2020
Rating: 4
Author: What Car? Team

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta/hatchback/used-review/n952">Ford Fiesta</a> has been the pick of the small car class for many years, even though&nbsp;newer rivals have come along to challenge it for its crown. On the used market, though, it’s still a solid and reliable buy, and it’s a car that’s both good to drive and comfortable to be in.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/fabia/hatchback/used-review/n808">Skoda Fabia</a> has plenty of space inside, handles well and has a top-notch infotainment system. The interior and boot are spacious, especially for something so small of dimension. On the used market it appears even better value than when new.

<h3><a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/hyundai/i20?nearlynew=true&amp;used=true&amp;yearFrom=2015">Find a used Hyundai i20 in the What Car? Classifieds here</a></h3>

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

Fortunately, there has been little to blight the record book of the i20, and only the oldest examples are reaching the end of the manufacturer's warranty, so most still have cover left to take care of any major issues, should they arise. There is, however, one recall and it's worth a mention.

<h3>VIN information may not be registered correctly&nbsp;within the eCall unit</h3>

This relates to&nbsp;your VIN information being sent in the event of an eCall trigger. Buyers can contact their local Hyundai dealer to resolve this issue at no cost to owners. The information will be logged correctly by resetting the E-call unit and updating it. A total of 1879 cars are said to have been affected.&nbsp;

The little Hyundai i20 has proved to be a pretty dependable small car as far as our latest What Car? Reliability survey is concerned, sharing&nbsp;fourth place with the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/suzuki/swift/hatchback/used-review/n959">Suzuki Swift</a> out of the class of 21 value and small cars. Hyundai as a brand also did well, posting&nbsp;a sixth&nbsp;place finish out of 31 car manufacturers in the same survey.

If you would like to see the full reliability list, head to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2020-what-car-reliability-survey/n20042">What Car? Reliability Survey</a> pages for more information. 

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Hatchback

Hyundai has transformed itself from a maker of oddball hatchbacks that sold in small numbers in the UK, to a major rival to the likes of Ford, Vauxhall and Volkswagen.

The Korean firm’s Ioniq Hybrid is particularly impressive, having beaten the trend-setting Toyota Prius when we tested the cars back to back.

Meanwhile, at the extremes of the Hyundai range you find the tiny i10 city car – a four-time What Car? award winner – and the stylish yet family-friendly Santa Fe SUV.

As a bonus, all of these cars come with the reassurance of a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, whereas most of Hyundai’s rivals offer only three years and 60,000 miles of cover.

HYUNDAI

The Hyundai i20 is roomy, well-equipped and has a long warranty, but it's let down by an unsettled ride

Used Hyundai i20 2015-2020

<h3>MPG</h3>

Fuel economy is fair to middling compared with some rivals. The 1.1 diesel is credited with&nbsp;70.6mpg, according to the older NEDC tests, while the more popular 1.4 gets 68.8mpg.

The 74bhp 1.2 petrol returns more than the 84bhp version at 60.1mpg and 55.4mpg&nbsp;respectively.&nbsp;The 99bhp 1.0 turbo manages 62.8mpg, while the&nbsp;118bhp car does 58.9mpg. The worst offender is the 99bhp 1.4 petrol with 51.4mpg.

<h3>CO2 emissions</h3>

The two diesels post low CO2 emissions of 103 g/km for the 1.1 and 106g/km for the 1.4.&nbsp;

Of the petrols, the turbocharged 1.0 manages 104g/km in 99bhp form or 112g/km in its most powerful 118bhp guise. The 1.2 puts out 109g/km in 74bhp form or 119g/km as a 83bhp engine. The 99bhp 1.4 is the worst at 127g/km.

<h3>Road tax (VED)</h3>

Road tax for cars registered before April 2017 is pleasingly low for all models, but those registered after that date will all pay the current £155 per year for petrol and diesel cars.&nbsp;To find out more about the current <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/car-tax-changes-in-2021-what-do-i-need-to-know/n1153">road tax costs, click here</a> for further information.

<h3>Servicing and insurance costs</h3>

Insurance costs are low, with groups ranging from just 4 up to 11 for the higher powered cars. Servicing costs are reasonable, but you'll need to wait until the car is over five years old and outside the manufacturer's warranty period to take advantage of cheaper servicing costs. These are split into three tiers: basic (£99), interim (£169) and full (£229). All come with a two year parts warranty and 12 months of roadside assistance included in the cost.

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The Hyundai i20 is roomy, well-equipped and has a long warranty, but it's let down by an unsettled ride.


You can buy a&nbsp;Hyundai i20 of this generation for as little as £3500, but we'd advise you to increase your budget to around £5000 for something without galactic mileage. You'll need to spend £6500 or more for a 1.0-litre car, and about £8500 for one built from 2018 onwards when the design received a facelift. Diesel examples are rare, and you'll need at least £6000 for one with an average number of miles. Spend between £8000 and £10,000 on good 2017 and 2018 cars, £10,000 to £14,000 on 2019 and the last 2020 models.&nbsp;

Check the value of a used&nbsp;Hyundai i20 with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/car-valuation/">What Car? Valuations</a>

<h3>Engine</h3>

Because it offers a little more puff than the lower-powered variant, we’d try and seek out the 118bhp version of the 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine. It’s smooth and refined and offers good economy too.

<h3>Specification</h3>

The equipment level in SE trim is enough to persuade us to look for one of these&nbsp;as S is too basic and the higher trims are more expensive on the used car forecourt.

Our favourite Hyundai i20: 1.0T GDI 120 SE

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Spacious enough for four adults to sit comfortably</li> <li>Logically laid-out interior that doesn’t</li> <li>feel too cheap</li> <li>Mature driving manners </li> <li>Decent-sized boot</li> <li>Competitive buying and running costs</li></ul>

Small cars, or superminis as they’re also known, used to be bought by single people or couples with no children – but the likes of the Ford Fiesta, Seat Ibiza and Volkswagen&nbsp;Polo have grown to the point where they can be considered all-round family transport, albeit with the odd compromise.

The Fiesta remains a star of the class, thanks to its strong Ecoboost petrol engines and suspension settings that are beautifully judged for British roads. However, the latest Volkswagen offers even more practicality, decent performance and a classy interior that has the edge on the Ford’s for quality.

Any of these models will be a competent commuter car – especially if fitted with one of the increasingly popular small turbocharged petrol engines – but just remember that while you’ll be able to carry two adults and two children, it might still be a struggle to get all of their luggage into the boot.

Small

Check the car at the front and rear for scuff marks and dents, possibly picked up in tight supermarket car parks. It’s also worth looking at the alloy wheels for any kerb damage.&nbsp;

Inspect the interior for excessive scuff marks to the plastic trim, along with and stains or tears to seat upholstery or carpeting.&nbsp;

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

Buyers after a well-built and handsome small car could do a lot worse than cast&nbsp;a glance at the Hyundai i20.

This generation was very popular and well-received and ran from 2015 until 2020. It sat&nbsp;in a hotly contested class, of course, one that included&nbsp;the iconic <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta/hatchback/used-review/n952">Ford Fiesta</a> and the excellent <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/fabia/hatchback/used-review/n808">Skoda Fabia</a>, but it&nbsp;stood&nbsp;out against other used rivals due to the peace of mind of a long&nbsp;manufacturer's warranty. It was&nbsp;available in three&nbsp;and&nbsp;five-door forms, or&nbsp;as a rugged-looking SUV called the Active.

There's&nbsp;a wide range of engines to choose from, too, including four petrol and two diesel options. Petrols kick off with a 1.2-litre at&nbsp;either 74 or 83bhp, or you can select a turbocharged three-cylinder 1.0-litre unit with either 99 or 118bhp. An automatic gearbox was initially offered on a&nbsp;99bhp 1.4-litre, until this engine was replaced with a 1.0-litre of equivalent power from 2018 onwards. If you want to go diesel, there’s a choice of a 74bhp three-cylinder 1.1-litre or an 89bhp 1.4-litre four-cylinder.

Trims start with entry-level S, which is a little basic and lacks air-con and Bluetooth, and moves up through SE, which adds alloy wheels and rear parking sensors, and Premium SE, which throws in heated seats and a sunroof, to Turbo, which&nbsp;gets a 7.0in infotainment screen as standard. Confusingly, the three-door i20, which carries a coupé label, calls these last two trims Sport and Sport Nav, although they offer exactly the same equipment.

On the road, the 1.0-litre petrol engine is the best performer in the range, in either of its power outputs. Both feel good, even on motorways, although only the higher-powered 120 version gets a six-speed manual gearbox. The 1.2 and 1.4 petrols feel a little sluggish, even if they are quite refined, while the diesel options are both rather tardy in their responses&nbsp;and occasionally a bit&nbsp;noisy, too. The i20’s steering is slightly&nbsp;slow and heavy, although it's an easy and safe car to drive, with good grip levels and predictable handling. Its ride is generally comfortable, but&nbsp;it can be caught out by sharp road imperfections and feels a little choppy around town.

Inside, there's&nbsp;a good driving position with excellent visibility, and the dashboard is logically laid out and simple to use. The i20&nbsp;feels solidly built and fairly plush&nbsp;relative to&nbsp;its main rivals, with good use of soft-touch plastics, and the 7.0in touchscreen infotainment on higher spec cars is responsive.

Space in the front is truly excellent, while rear-seat passengers get plenty of leg room and a good amount of space across the car. Added to that, boot space is one of the biggest in the class, with easy access and a height-adjustable floor on higher trims.

If you're interested in finding a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/hyundai/i20?nearlynew=true&amp;used=true&amp;yearFrom=2015">used i20</a>, or any of the other small cars mentioned here, head over to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at great prices.

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Used Hyundai i20 2015-2020 review

Every 2021 Electric and Hybrid Car Awards winner

Advice for buyers

What should I look for in a used Hyundai i20 hatchback?