The small i10 was awarded four stars out of five in Euro NCAP crash tests along with four stars for child protection. Hyundai i10 safety then isn’t the best around but is still impressive nonetheless. All models have driver and front passenger airbags plus side airbags designed to protect the head and thorax. Three-point belts are fitted for all five seats and those at the front have a pretensioning mechanism to help reduce the risk of injury in an accident.

Unusually for a car of this size, disc brakes are fitted all round, complete with ABS and electronic brake force distribution. Electronic stability control is an optional extra on all 1.2-litre models.

The i10 is only available as a five-door and the wide-opening doors provide easy access to all seats while a high-rise tailgate makes light of loading. Normal luggage capacity of 258 litres is good for a small car and 60:40 split rear seats are standard on all models. Folding them down provides a flat load floor while the maximum volume rises to a useful 910 litres.

Particularly useful on Comfort and Style models is an underfloor box in the boot where valuables can be stowed out of sight.