---- CONTENTS ----
Jaggy Cars - April 2009
Hyundai i20 1.2 Comfort
Small Car – Big Enough To Change Opinions!
I was dreading the arrival of the Hyundai i20. Generally I don’t like small cars. And I also have a rule of thumb. The further east you travel, the worse the cars get. So you can imagine what I was expecting from Korea. It’s awfy far away. Mind you I am constantly having to revise that opinion, because everyone’s cars just keep getting better these days.
Anyway, fast forward a hundred miles - fast being a relative term in this 1.2 litre i20 – and I was having to re-think my opinions yet again. Yes, it handled like a plastic duck in a bath, and yes, it was as slow as a tortoise with bunions, but that’s not what this car is about. It’s a town-tootler. Ideal for tootling about town picking up kids and groceries, and parking in gaps that would require 4x4s to be parked on their nose. And yet despite its compact dimensions, I fitted. More to the point, I could get another big-ish bloke along side and two more in the back. It even had room for their legs. And no I’m not going to use the old joke about it being like Tardis, but maybe that guy Tennant would have felt almost at home in it.
Acceleration is not a strong point, but what would you expect with a 77 bhp motor? Even though it got noisier the more revs you generated it didn’t seem to move any quicker. Still, it gave you time to watch the daffodils growing and reach full bloom. Noise is an issue. The harder you rev it, the more strained it sounds. On the other hand it is willing to rev even if it doesn’t translate into higher speeds, but that only becomes noticeable on motorway and cross country work. Given Hyundai’s engineering background, it’s no surprise that the gearbox works a treat with absolutely no slop in the gearchange and the steering has more feel than previous generation cars. Brakes are good and the suspension copes well with most rough stuff.
As a runabout and urban shopping trolley it is ideal. It’s not quick enough to be classed as nippy, but you won’t be embarrassed by bus and taxi drivers either. It’s also surprisingly roomy inside for its footprint and it’s got a decent sized boot for a wee car. The interior trim is a bit dark and plasticky, but the two tone red and black seats ensured it wasn’t a gloomy interior. The seats are a bit flat and firm, but that means they are easy to slide in and out of, and dare I say it, more suitable for the elderly and infirm – that’s me sorted then!
It’s the sort of car that would appeal to those car-hating councillors who run Edinburgh these days. It doesn’t take up a lot of room on the road, doesn’t drink much and doesn’t emit huge clouds of noxious fumes. And if you were going any distance at all you’d probably take the bus or the train.
Funny thing though, the more I drove it, the more I liked it. And I actually got quite carried away on one of the twisty sections up past Strathaven. It might roll a bit on the corners when pushing hard and going from lock to lock, but it wouldn’t let go. I think that had more to do with the fact that it wouldn’t get up to a high enough speed between the corners to be dangerous when it got there, but honestly, it had me chuckling at times.
Even more persuasive is the price. At £9,445 for the Comfort model with iPod and USB ports, alloy wheels, trip computer and two tone upholstery it undercuts the Ford Fiesta Style by over a thousand quid!
The final question, as ever, would I buy one?
If I wanted a small car that was going to do a lot of miles, probably not, but if I was in the market for a small car just for dotting about locally with the occasional longer trip then I would seriously consider it. Throw in the fact that you get a 5 year Warranty with a new one and that would probably clinch it.
Yup, I would probably buy one on that basis.
Now that’s quite an admission for me given my introductory remarks, but see, I’m not set in my ways. I’m open minded and receptive to new ideas and technology. So I’m not a grumpy old git after all.
In Short:
Price: £9,445
Engine: 1248 cc, 4 cylinder petrol with 77 bhp
Performance: 0-62 mph in 12.9 seconds, flat out at 103 mph
( mnfr figs - my watch must be running fast!)
Economy: 62.8 mpg extra urban, 54.3 mpg combined
CO2 emissions: 124 g/km
Insurance Group: 3E
*****