Hyundai i10 (2013) at Frankfurt motor show

Updated: 26 January 2015

This is the new second-gen Hyundai i10. Aimed directly at the VW Up, Hyundai’s new city car will take the fight to Volkswagen armed with a roomier cabin and trickle-down luxury car gadgets, like automatic climate control, a heated leather steering wheel, and cruise control.

>> Click here for CAR’s A-Z guide to the 2013 Frankfurt motor show

Are you sure it’s not the new i20? Looks enormous for a city car…

The new i10 has undergone a generous growth spurt. It’s a sizeable 80mm longer than the old car, and 65mm wider. Hyundai claims the dimensions increase has blessed the i10 with best-in-class legroom and storage space – the boot is 10% bigger than before, at 252 litres. That’s one litre – yes, one – more than the VW Up musters. Like the outgoing model, there’s a solitary bodystyle on offer – a five-door hatchback.

How will the Hyundai i10 compare to its VW Up benchmark?

Hyundai is set to beat the VW Up (and its Skoda Citigo and Seat Mii sisters) in spaciousness, standard equipment, and overall value. Expect i10 prices to range from £8000 – £12,000; official numbers will be announced the car’s Frankfurt motor show debut in September.

What else has changed for the new Hyundai i10?

You’ll immediately spot the i10’s lower stance. Hyundai’s lopped 50mm off the height of the new i10 versus its boxy predecessor. With a 5mm wheelbase stretch and revised rear suspension, the lower i10 promises a more agile drive.

Hyundai’s new baby has been entirely designed and developed at the Korean brand’s Russelheim facility in Germany, to cater European tastes, which will form 90% of its overall market. All new Hyundai i10s will be built in Europe – Turkey, to be exact. Hyundai hopes to sell more than 23,000 annually in the UK.

What’s the expected engine range?

It’ll vary between markets, but UK buyers will (like the VW Group triplets) have a petrol-only line-up to choose from. Hyundai hinted the new i10 will be powered by updated versions of the existing model’s three-cylinder 1.0-litre and 1.2-litre four-pot, each boasting improved power, torque and CO2 outputs.

>> Like the look of the new Hyundai i10? Think it can beat the best city cars Europe has to offer? Add your thoughts in the comments section below

By Ollie Kew

Former road tester and staff writer of this parish

Comments