The Hyundai i10, the first generation, found lots of loving inner-city homes, in Europe, where its key car-like dimensions meant owners could create gaps and parking spots where before there were none, and also use not that much fuel in the process. Plus, it had surprisingly good handling and was one of the more fun city cars you could get, competing in my mind with the Citroen C1/Peugeot 107/Toyota Aygo trio for the that title.
So, with this all-new model, Hyundai has a lot to live up to, and they only have themselves to blame for having done it right the first time round. Still, the all-new model, which is designed, engineered and built in (and for) Europe is a different kind of car, and this becomes apparent the moment you first see it.
Gone is the slightly awkward and misleadingly top-heavy shape (which had no effect on the handling), being replaced by a distinctly Ford-esque and much more planted stance. It looks like they really tried to make it look mean and sporty, even though its cuter predecessor sold quite well as it was.
It’s also bigger too, and from what Hyundai is saying, it’s better than the old one in every single way, except for when it comes to ease of parking and the slight possibility of lane-splitting – it was something you could almost do before. They are promising higher levels of comfort, handling and refinement, or “from the segment above,” as they preferred to put it.
Finally, if you’re still unsure what to think of it, perhaps the fact it has the largest boot in its class may sway your opinion in its favor, though at 252 liters it’s not really adequate for anything more than a couple of days’ shopping.
By Andrei Nedelea
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