FIRST DRIVE HYUNDAI ix20:Hyundais new ix20 has close links to the Kia Venga but if the price and specification is right it might just make a better buy. PADDY COMYNtests the Korean marque's latest offering
IT’S PRETTY hard to ignore Hyundai of late. Alongside sister-brand Kia, their assault on the world car market has probably gone under most people’s radar. But it will have certainly been noticed by the so-called better-established brands such as Ford, Toyota and Nissan. Hyundai/Kia is now, officially, one of the big boys and with the possible exception of Mazda, probably is the most Europeanflavoured of the Asian brands.
There has been a total transformation of the Hyundai range over the past five years and aside from a large family saloon, there are no gaps in the range, but this is set to be put right with the arrival of the i40 early next year.
By way of explanation, the “I” range of cars is the nameplate for mainstream cars, while the “ix” range refers to versatile cars from the firm’s SUV and MPV range. We’ve already had the ix35 this year, a compact SUV, and on the 28th of this month we get the ix20, a compact MPV that will take on the likes of the Opel Meriva and its close cousin, the Kia Venga.
You wouldn’t need a DNA test to figure out that the ix20 and Kia’s Venga are closely related. They are, under the skin, essentially the same car although Hyundai are saying that the car gets better suspension and running gear compared to the Kia. We think the ix20 is a better- looking car, Hyundai’s designers doing more with the basic easel of the car than Kia have done. It looks better proportioned and slightly more upmarket than the quite cartoon-like Venga.
So, we are already quite familiar with the basic formula, in that this is a high-roofed, spacious small family car. There is plenty of leg- and head-room up front and the rear space can be traded against luggage space by sliding the rear bench seat. The quality of the plastics are good, at least on the cars we drove but with the promise of a leather steering- wheel and gear knob, air conditioning and Bluetooth in all ix20s then we’d assume that none will feel low-rent.
Under the bonnet, the choice is simple, you’ve no choice. Ireland gets a 1.4-litre 90hp diesel engine, which is ideal for our market. Emissions are 119g/km. They’d be less, at 114g/km if we had the version with Stop/Start, but there is no economic benefit to this in Ireland, so we aren’t having it. Instead, Ireland will initially get a one-spec, one-engine car which is likely to cost less than €19,000, with the aim being €18,500.
There is the potential for an higher-grade model with a full-length glass roof and larger alloy wheels at a later stage. At this price it would be better value than the Kia Venga in terms of overall spec, but Kia has the upper hand in terms of warranty, offering seven years against Hyundai’s five. Hyundai’s warranty has unlimited mileage, five years roadside assistance and five years free health-check on the car. The latter two parts of this are unique to Hyundai.
We really liked the way the ix20 drives, with surprisingly good steering and a lack of body lean and it felt a little more agile than the Venga and on a par with the Meriva. The diesel isn’t a rocket – 0-100km/h takes a yawn-inducing 14.5 seconds and the top speed of 167km/h is just about enough to lose you your licence, but few ix20’s will be bought as getaway cars.
While it might not have the party-trick doors of the Meriva, you will be paying thousands less than the Opel for an equivalent model. Hyundai are catching on to the idea that this is a car that will not only suit their marketing brochure ideal of a young trendy family, but that an older customer base will like this car and with a silent if small group of Matrix customers out there, this spiritual replacement will suit them.
Sure enough, this isn’t an amazingly exciting car to any degree, but it is a nice overall package and it drives really well. If you want a car that will offer decent space and versatility, that will be cheap to run and comes with a very good warranty package, then this is a worthy choice.