Hyundai Getz (02-09) - Review

The roomy cabin and soft ride make long journeys relative comfortable, but road noise is apparent at high speeds. Thankfully the engines – particularly the newer diesel - rarely sound strained and all cars come with air conditioning. There's plenty of room inside and rear passenger space is impressive for such a small car with plenty of leg and headroom. The large glass area and high roofline mean it feels light and airy too. Top of the range models come with a leather steering wheel and gear knob trim plus a metallic effect centre console, while air conditioning is standard across the range.

The Getz officially carries five, but it can be a squeeze with three adults in the back as it isn't particularly wide. For kids it's fine though and there's a pocket on the back of the front seats to store magazines and maps, keeping the cabin tidy. All rear passengers get three-point seatbelts and there’s a trio of cupholders, with one located between the front seats for rear use, and two in the front (one of which holds a removable ashtray). The boot is a good size for a little car, holding up to 288 litres – which is big enough to swallow the weekly shopping. For increased luggage capacity, the rear seats split, fold and tumble forwards.

The Getz isn't particularly exciting to look at from the outside and that's reflected in the dull cabin. There's a practical workmanlike feel to the layout with a low-rent and harsh feel to the materials - features like the cheap aftermarket stereo don't help. It's fairly robust but the finish is poor and the seats lack support while the driving position isn't great with the seat set too high. Rearward visibility could be better too, as the narrow back window and thick rear pillars can obscure the driver’s view.