Hyundai i20 Hatchback (09 on) - Review

The first thing you notice once inside the i20 is how firm the seats are. They're certainly supportive, especially for the lower back, but on longer journeys the lack of softer padding can be uncomfortable. Still there's plenty of space - both in the front and back. Even with a six-foot driver, an equally tall passenger in the back has enough space, although rear headroom is a little limited and it would be a real squeeze with three in the back. It's a very quiet car and even at higher speeds, road and wind noise are impressively low, making it a surprisingly good motorway car.

All models come with a 60:40 split rear bench that folds down flat and boot space is good - there's 295-litres which is on par with the Ford Fiesta. Access is good thanks to a wide tailgate, although the boot lip is quite high which makes unloading heavier items tricky. There's plenty of stowage in the front with twin cupholders between the front seats, a cooled glovebox and a cubbyhole with a flip down front below the air conditioning controls. However there are no door pockets for rear passengers.

It's simple to find a good driving position in the i20 and the steering column adjusts for both height and reach. The instrument dials are clear and easy to read while a central display built into the top of the dash shows trip and stereo information. The stereo itself and air conditioning controls are placed high up, making them easy to use on the move; top models get a metal effect trim on the central console. Build quality is impressive but some of the plastics used don't have the high quality look and feel that's found in some other cars of this size. The lower-spec models get a rather cheap-looking gear lever.