Hyundai eyes tough market with i20

Hyundai's i20 is aimed at premium small-car buyers. Photo / Supplied

Hyundai's ambitious plan to topple Toyota from its top spot on New Zealand sales charts is unlikely to be met by its initial 2013 target. However, the arrival of the i20 fires another salvo at the decreasing array of brands between the Korean manufacturer and its goal.

What's new
Although the i20 launched in India in 2008, this is its debut here. The smart little body clads an equally tidy cabin and a 1.4-litre petrol engine, with 73.5kW and 136Nm transmitted via a four-speed auto or five-speed manual transmission. The auto sips at a claimed 6.4l/100km.

Six airbags, ABS brakes and stability control are all standard, and the car boasts a five-star NCAP crash test rating, plus stuff like steering wheel controls and a chilled glovebox.

The company line
Hyundai's star is rising worldwide with steel and construction arms supplying both raw materials and factories for its vehicle manufacturing. It's building its eighth production facility and has its sights on an ambitiously steep climb from 11th to fourth on the global charts.

It cites a truly impressive 380 per cent improvement on its JD Power quality ranking over the first three years of ownership in just a decade - an independent endorsement that shows just how far it's come.

Here in NZ, sales are looking good, thanks to a strong presence in a broad spread of segments, the i20 arriving as the aged Getz begins its final cruise into the sunset.

Hyundai says i20 delivers i30 frugality, i45 style, ix35 safety and Santa Fe engineering with a tag line: "The best of Hyundai, distilled." Its stereotypical buyer will be a 52-year-old female empty-nester who wants a premium small car.

What we say
Hyundai's target market wants a Mini or Audi A1, not a $25,990 Hyundai, however smart it is. Especially given the materials used don't match the car's clean lines and spacious feel. Cabin plastics are over-hard even in areas you frequently touch, imparting a cheap feel.

On the road
The engine feels perky enough that you rarely wish for a five-speed auto but the ride is choppy, transmitting every little jiggle through your spine.

Still, the i20 seems frugal enough, a car returning 7.3l/100km over our city-focused launch drive despite our vigorous approach to the throttle.

Why you'll buy one?
You're safety-conscious, like Hyundai's solid quality rep and this car's style.

Why you won't?
Suzuki's Swift is better for less.