Hyundai claims the i10 is “small, but packed with luxury”. On the mid-spec Comfort model tested here you’ll get four airbags, remote central locking, air conditioning, a six-speaker stereo with CD player and iPod connectivity, a height-adjustable driver’s seat and front and rear electric windows.
To get the equivalent specification in a Peugeot 107, you would have to fork out £8454, almost £1500 more than an i10 Comfort.
Where the i10’s pretensions towards luxury fall down is in the design, feel and general ambience of the cabin. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the cabin’s layout or with the way it looks, but neither is there any real flair or spark to the design.
Space, however, isn’t a problem. You should be able to accommodate four average-sized adults in adequate comfort even over long distances. The 60/40 split rear seats are also useful for transporting longer items.
Running costs are generally commendably low, although fuel consumption isn’t brilliant, at 37.8mpg over the course of our test route. Even after repeated attempts at driving as frugally as possible, the best touring figure we returned was 43.1mpg. In a segment where fuel economy is often a primary consideration, the i10’s consumption during the road test was a disappointment, especially when you consider that the 1.1 engine is the only one available; there’s no diesel.
As is almost a prerequisite now for this class, a CO2 emissions figure of 119g/km not only places the i10 just inside the £30 annual road tax band, and also means the Hyundai will be exempt from the London congestion charge from October.
The only question mark surrounding the i10’s costs is its depreciation, although early indications suggest that the first models at least will hold their value reasonably well.