Hyundai i20 (2026) Review

Introduction

Hyundai has been around since the late 1960s - though it wasn’t until 1982 that it finally decided to take the plunge here in the UK. Remember the Pony? Yep, that was ushered into the UK the same year Spain hosted the FIFA World Cup.

Anyhow, it took time to gather momentum on these shores, but Hyundai’s patience began to pay off just after the turn of the millennium.

In 2002, it became the first manufacturer to break ranks with the industry default ‘three-year, 60,000-mile warranty’ – backing up a transforming reputation for poor build quality with one of reliability, offering a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty. That turned heads and, ever since, Hyundais have been famed for their dependability.

Investment in UK dealerships and customer service further transformed the company’s fortunes - and reputation. The i20 hatchback was one of the company's earliest models to benefit from its turnaround, launched in 2008 at the Paris Motor Show. It is now on its third generation, although the Covid pandemic hampered the launch in early 2020.

Hyundai took an unusual step by discontinuing mild-hybrid models when it facelifted the i20 in 2023. This was partly to make the car more affordable and to simplify its range, trying to regain ground as more people switched to SUVs.

But the i20 has a decent reputation - and we’ve taken the latest version for a test drive to find out why.

What are the Pros & Cons of the latest Hyundai i20?

Pros:

• Decent pulling power for a tiny engine
• Enjoyable handling
• Roomy enough for rear-seat adults

Cons:

• Rivals have better safety ratings
• Interior is very monotonal
• Hard cabin plastic 

What are the first impressions of the Hyundai i20?

If you looked at the pre-face lifted model with a squint, you could just make out the front of an Audi A3, albeit one whose nose seemed to have drooped after being squashed. That is still the case, though perhaps not to the same extent, thanks to some styling tweaks at the front that have better integrated the headlights into the grille, added a light bar across its width, and given the bodywork more pointed, aggressive angles.

There are more assertive creases at the sides, too, with a back-to-front ‘Z’-like indentation zipping through the doors, creating a more prominent side sill. The more athletic stance extends to the rear, as well. Hyundai has introduced some new wheel designs, too. It certainly looks far more appealing than the last-generation model.

What are the newest Hyundai i20’s key features?

The Hyundai i20 is available in four grades.

The entry-level Element gets 16-inch alloy wheels, a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, satellite navigation, plus a small 4.25-inch digital screen in between the analogue dials. Parking sensors at the back and a rear-view camera are also included.

Next up is Black Line, which replaces the dials with a full-size 10.25-inch monitor, adds heated front chairs and a heated steering wheel, LED headlights and taillights, and rear privacy glass.

The Tech Line gets 17-inch wheels, climate control, automatic windscreen wipers, power-folding door mirrors, front parking sensors, multi-colour ambient lighting, keyless entry/go, automatic windscreen defogging, and a wireless phone charger. You also get a USB charging port in the rear.

Hyundai’s top-of-the-range N Line S gets a Bose premium sound system, front fog lights, an N Line rear bumper, side skirts, twin chrome exhausts, and acoustic film on the windscreen.

Poke comes from a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol mill on all models, producing 90PS, and is available with front-wheel drive and a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox - both offered on all three lower trims. The exception is if you choose the N Line S model, which adds an extra 10PS from the same engine and a six-speed manual gearbox – it’s no longer offered as an automatic.

What’s the performance and drive like with the current Hyundai i20?

We are testing the Tech Line model with the manual gearbox in a very catchy Dragon Red Pearl paint scheme, which costs extra. With just 90PS on tap, you perhaps wouldn’t be surprised if the 0-62mph time was well into the teens, but you’d be wrong.

It is still a fairly respectable 11.5 seconds with the manual gearbox, though it rises to 12.8 seconds with the automatic. Stepping up to the N Line S 100PS version, it’ll bring the time down to 10.4 seconds with its manual transmission, which, impressively, isn’t much slower than some hatchbacks with double the power.

Given we’re in an era where even a small electric car can weigh north of two tonnes, the i20's apparent sprightliness is down to its kerb weight of not much over a tonne. The real issue with the lacklustre power, though, is that you really need to be in the right revs and gear to get any real performance out of it. It shows in the i20, which feels lethargic when the engine isn't being worked hard.

The manual gearbox is reasonably well refined, though, offering smooth gear changes, helped by an easy-to-press clutch pedal. Getting up to motorway speeds isn’t much of an issue, although the i20 can feel like it's out of puff once you’re nearly there, so you won’t have quite the same level of flexibility in terms of overtaking.

At lower speeds, it feels on the firm side compared with plenty of its competitors, though it’s not uncomfortable. And, on the plus side, it feels assured, well-planted and deals with potholes and bumpier rural tarmac better than many of its competitors.

The stiffer ride results in a more engaging driving experience, too, as it controls body roll very well around bends, making it feel nimble and agile. The steering wheel weights up reasonably well as you push on, too, and the tyres grip the road confidently. Hyundai may have discontinued the hot-hatch version of the i20, but its influence is still evident here.

While this isn’t a car purely focused on the driving experience, it still scores well as a driver’s car, and there are lots of family hatchbacks that are far more mundane to drive about in than this, even if it isn’t a handling class leader. The i20 can, at least, put a smile on your face. Wind and tyre noise are moderate as you go faster, but most foes don’t fare much better in that department.

What are the running costs and emissions for the Hyundai i20?

As we said earlier, all i20s come with a 1.0-litre petrol unit – and our Tech Line-trimmed test car comes with 90PS. The Tech Line returns up to 47mpg and emits 136g/km of CO2 with the manual gearbox. Slightly more CO2 is emitted with the automatic, though Hyundai says fuel consumption remains the same.

However, on lower trims with smaller wheels, the MPG figures rise to 49.6mpg, emitting as low as 129g/km of CO2. Counterintuitively, the more powerful 100PS variant performs even better, returning 52.3mpg with the manual gearbox, emitting 123g/km of CO2.

That means the first year's road tax will be £440 or £540 (130g/km or below will pay the lower amount), and thereafter £195 a year (subject to annual increases). If you're after a company car, you're better off looking at plug-in hybrids and, where possible, all-electric cars, whose low or zero emissions attract the lowest Benefit In Kind tax rates.

The i20 has also historically performed well in reliability. However, Hyundai as a brand has slipped down the pecking order in recent years, which may well be due to other manufacturers finally catching up.

As we stated at the start, Hyundai offers a five-year, unlimited mileage warranty. However, Kia and MG both give seven years, while Toyota and Suzuki offer up to ten years, provided you get them serviced at a main dealer. Yes, we know - you won't care about the warranties because you're leasing - but we mention them because they're an indicator of how much confidence a manufacturer has in its cars.

What’s the interior and technology like with the newest Hyundai i20?

The interior of the i20 is okay, though it could easily be nicer.

Everything is laid out logically, but everything is black. There is not a hint of silver trim anywhere, apart from two tiny rings on the gear lever, which makes it look rather bland and unexciting. The coloured stitching in higher models is about as dramatic as it gets, and this feels like a missed opportunity.

Still, the steering wheel looks bold, with four spokes and sizable thumb indentations, while the 10.25-inch infotainment screen perched on the dashboard steals the show. The infotainment system is nice to use, with sharp resolution, an intuitive menu layout, and a touchscreen that’s responsive to your inputs. It can also find useful information, such as local fuel prices, and navigate to the cheapest petrol station.

There are shortcut buttons; they're touch-sensitive, but at least they're there, making life a bit easier. Next to it, in all but the entry-level version, is the digital instrument display, which is decluttered and informative but offers little in the way of customisability. Furthermore, it doesn't display a navigation map in front of you like some rivals do, which is disappointing given the screen's size.

Even more conveniently, you get physical controls for the air conditioning, making it simple to adjust the temperature on the move. Overall, the build quality seems high, with buttons and switches that feel well-damped. However, there are more hard plastics in the cabin than on many adversaries, even though some are covered in attractive patterns to make them look good.

It is an interior that’s got potential, but other manufacturers have upped their game considerably over the last five years, and this is one area where the i20, though not terrible, still has some catching up to do.

Is the Hyundai i20 practical, and how big is the boot?

Finding a comfortable driving position is easy, even though there’s no electric adjustment offered in the seats. Forward visibility is good for a car that's not an SUV, thanks to thin windscreen pillars which barely obstruct your view. However, the rear windscreen is quite sharply angled, so the view through it is shallow.

Happily, you get rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera on all i20 models, though only the top two trims – our Tech Line test car and the range-topping N Line S – get front parking sensors. In the front of the i20, there's plenty of legroom and headroom to accommodate even the tallest of drivers. And, for a car of its size, it's reasonably wide, so unless you've got two adults with very broad shoulders sitting next to one another, you should be fine.

It is impressive in the back, too - with lots of head - and legroom, even though the roof slopes slightly. Sure, three adults in the back will still be a squeeze, although the i20 would be near the top of the list if needs must, when compared with most of its rivals. Since Hyundai discontinued the car’s mild-hybrid versions, it has allowed for a significant increase in boot space, now up by over a third from 262 litres to 352 litres.

This improved volume means the i20 is roughly in the same ballpark as most competitors. If you fold the rear seats down in a 60:40 split, the cargo capacity expands to 1,165 litres, an increase of 90 litres over the old mild hybrid. When you collapse the seats, a ridge forms, but thankfully, the boot floor offers height adjustment to remove it, as well as reducing the loading lip, making it easier to load heavy or bulky items.

As for cabin storage, there are various places inside to put things, including a generously sized glove compartment and door bins. You will find a couple of cubbies in the front, too, along with two cupholders.

How safe is the Hyundai i20?

The Hyundai i20 was crash-tested in 2021 and earned a four-star rating. It is quite common for smaller cars to fail to earn five stars, although some foes have earned five-star ratings, while Hyundai's smaller Ioniq got four stars in 2025.

The i20 recorded 76% for adult occupants, 82% for children and 67% for safety assists. The latter category includes a suite of safety equipment, including automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, lane following assist, forward collision avoidance assist, intelligent speed limit assist, high beam assist and drive attention alert.

You also get leading vehicle departure alert, cruise control, a speed limiter, a rear-view camera, and rear parking sensors. Our Tech Trim test car and the N Line S also get front parking sensors.

Can I choose optional extras with the Hyundai i20?

Various paint jobs are offered as extras on all trim levels. The grey-ish green pearl shade is supplied as standard, while solid white, metallic lime, and alternative pearl hues of dark grey, blue, dark blue, black, light grey, and our 'Dragon' red are also offered if you’re happy to pay extra.

That said, the range-topping N Line S model is only offered in the very yellowy metallic lime colour. The Tech Pack, which includes a glass tilting-and-sliding sunroof, an acoustic-filmed windscreen, and a Bose premium sound system with extra speakers, is offered on the Tech Line grade but not on other trims. Mind you, you get all but the sunroof as standard on the N Line S.

There are loads of other accessories, too, including inlays, trim liners, footwell lights, exterior decals (including racing stripes), and coloured door mirror caps. You can also change the wheel size to 15, 16, or 17 inches, with a choice of alloys.

What are the rival cars to the Hyundai i20?

The i20 goes up against a host of other cars, including the Dacia Sandero, Honda Jazz, Seat Ibiza, and Toyota Yaris. The Peugeot 208 and Vauxhall Corsa, which share the same platform, are also worth a look. Alternatively, there’s the Renault Clio, Skoda Fabia, Suzuki Swift and the Volkswagen Polo. If you’re up for leasing at the premium end of the market, consider the Audi A1.

What’s the final verdict on the Hyundai i20?

The latest Hyundai i20 is a worthy contender, offering respectable standard equipment levels, impressive practicality and handling that’s good enough to put a grin on your face. In a straight line, it's acceptable, if not exceptional. At the same time, the ride certainly suits those who want to enjoy the driving experience, even if the power output would suggest otherwise.

It doesn’t excel in any area, though, and many of its challengers can beat it in terms of interior quality, drivability or boot space. So, if only one of those is important, there are better options out there. Nevertheless, if you’re looking to lease a cheap, family hatchback, and you’re regularly transporting a couple of adults in the rear seats, you’ll find fewer small cars that fit your needs better than the Hyundai i20.

Where to next?

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**Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the UK’s top leading independent car website reviews of the Hyundai i20.

**Correct as of 05/03/2026. Based on 12 months initial payment, 5,000 miles annually, over a 36 month lease. Initial payment equivalent to 12 monthly payments, or £2,763.12 (Plus admin fee) Ts and Cs apply. Credit is subject to status.

Every lease deal is a fixed monthly cost for the whole of your contract, apart from changes to government costs, e.g. VAT changes or road fund license cost changes and in certain specific cases where the funder changes the price. Electric range quoted is WLTP.

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