Test winner also practical winner?
After its introduction in 2013, the Hyundai i10 turned the compact A-segment upside down. The Korean won test after test and put the competition behind in one fell swoop with his mature finish and ditto driving characteristics. It makes curious. What do real owners think of their i10 now, ten years after its introduction?
The Hyundai i10 we describe here was delivered from 2013 to 2020 and was succeeded by the third generation. In terms of looks, this elaborated on the model described here, but has been completely redeveloped. With the exception of the 1.0-liter three-cylinder, which remained largely the same and is allowed to go for another round. In the Netherlands, consumers had no choice when it came to motorcycles: it was this three-cylinder or nothing. A 1.2-liter four-cylinder was also delivered abroad.
I10: really so mature?
The mature character of the i10 is particularly apparent from the sound comfort. No review passes if the silence on board is described. “The car is so quiet and runs so smoothly that if you drive on the highway and talk a bit you will speed up, so be careful! There is no problem with wind or noise, only a little more tire noise on poor road surfaces.” Another includes it in the overall purchase consideration. “For us, the i10 was head and shoulders above the rest. Quiet, comfortable, good handling, nice finish and very complete. And then there’s the 5-year warranty.”
There are also compliments for the one liter under the hood. “The sound of a three-cylinder is different, as I discovered with other brands. Like the Toyota Aygo. Then you just hear that there is no four-cylinder in the front. But this machine, Hyundai’s three-cylinder, is very civilized.”
Relaxed like a Lexus
An owner who previously drove a Lexus LS 400 makes perhaps the biggest compliment. “With 66 hp you can just as easily reach 130 km/h and the Hyundaitje also drives just as relaxed as the Lexus.” With this he describes the road behavior on the highway, because he has the following to criticize about the chassis. “The springs are too stiff for the low vehicle weight and the rebound damping is too low. If you drive up a threshold, the i10 jumps up from its springs after compressing.”
Most other owners are very pleased with the chassis of their Hyundai, although there is one comment that many owners make: the car is sensitive to crosswinds. This owner of a 2014 i10 i-Motion describes it as follows. “The car is stable in a straight line – except in strong crosswinds – and cornering is also remarkably good. You can place it perfectly and it never surprises you.”
Interior and space Hyundai i10
In many cars in the compact segment, users complain about the seating furniture. This is different with Hyundai. “Seats are fine and give a lot of support,” writes the owner of a 2014 i10 Comfort Plus after some 7,000 km of experience. “I don’t hear any complaints in the back either. Still very practical, a five-door car with lots of luxury on board.” The finish is also luxurious, even if you ask the former Lexus driver. “The interior is practical and high-quality, if you drive in the dark, you have more illuminated buttons and meters than in an old LS 400. That gives a rich feeling.”
It does become clear that Hyundai has put the comfort of rear passengers before luggage. “In terms of seating and comfort, the car was very good from the start. Much more spacious than expected, especially behind the wheel,” writes an owner who has owned the car for over seven years now. He continues: “with the exception of the miniscule ‘cargo hold’, which is still very disappointing. Groceries regularly have to be in the backseat.”
Maintenance, repairs and irritations
Based on the experiences of owners, the Hyundai i10 is a technically successful product. Many reviews therefore contain sentences such as ‘the annual turn did not yield any unexpected things. All checks were carried out for 175 euros, oil, oil filter and cabin filter replaced. It does not mean that the quality impression also gets the full hundred points. Various owners report rattles and creaks. A complaint that we read more often is the misting of windows and windscreen washers that spray too low and cannot be adjusted.
The former Lexus LS 400-driving owner is a car tech-savvy, largely carries out maintenance himself and delights readers of his review with a whole list of comments and comments. “The non-adjustable windscreen washers that spray too low on the window, the rattle in the rear seat backrest lock, the noisy timing chain and the driver’s seat belt buckle that is very stiff. But the latter may also have to do with the intensive use of my car at his previous boss. I would also like to have an interval on the rear wiper and an adjustable interval on the front wipers.”
He nuances the above findings with a clear conclusion: “the build quality is perfectly fine. No rust, no falling parts and the interior still looks like new. The seats are still fine, there is a lot of space (relatively), the gearbox shifts like new and the engine runs perfectly. I have no oil consumption and fuel consumption is very low. The distinctive sound of the timing chain guides is a product feature, but my i10 has it for 100,000 miles. He’s getting old with it.” Although, getting old? His car was built in 2016 and now has 223,000 km on the clock.
Still a great choice
Even ten years after its introduction, the i10 proves to be a convincing A-segmenter. It offers enough space and comfort and still convinces its drivers with a low noise level on board. Crosswind sensitivity and rattles in the interior are the main points for improvement. The trunk space is also not over, although that is no exception in this segment. We are now curious: would the owner with now 223,000 km drive his i10 to ‘Klokje Rond’?
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl