Hyundai Amica (00-03) - Review

Review by Parkers on
Modelled closely on the Hyundai Atoz - the mini people carrier that it replaced - the Amica is cheap, cheerful and nippy around town. By no means a powerhouse, it is efficient at its job, only sips the fuel and it doesn’t have a bad equipment list either - especially on GSi versions. The Amica is very narrow, so bigger adults will feel cramped, but the tall body design does give plenty of headroom and there is easily enough room in the back for the kids.
3 out of 5

Other Hyundai reviews

2 out of 5

Performance

More than competent when zipping around town, the Amica has no trouble keeping up with town traffic, although motorway overtaking does need advanced planning, as it struggles to higher speeds on the open road and loses momentum very quickly. The Amica strongly dislikes steep inclines and will perform accordingly; after all, the 1.0-litre engine wasn’t built to muscle through mountainous terrains, so keep it on flat territory and the small unit will give just as good as it gets.

2.5 out of 5

Handling

Weighing in at a meagre 850kg, the Amica’s stability is understandably affected by strong crosswinds and there is noticeable body roll when cornering. The PAS system - available on all GSi and newer Si models – is a godsend and makes the steering light and effortless, though you may have to wrestle with the wheel on older Si models as the handling is a touch heavy.