As with many cars in the Hyundai/Kia family, the new ix20 shares much with the supermini MPV equivalent in the Kia line-up.
But the Hyundai, arriving in the UK 18 months after its Kia Venga sibling, has several major differences, and all of them are for the better. While the Kia struggled with the demands of the bumps and potholes of inner-city driving, Hyundai has worked hard on the ix20's ride and suspension setup, even going so far as to build a section of UK road at its Korean factory that mimics our shoddy tarmac conditions.
The benefits are clear. The ix20 that will be coming to the UK is firm, but has shed the crashing ride and vague feel of the Venga. Instead it copes well with the worst that our poorly-maintained roads can throw at it. There is no need for the suspension experts to make the ix20 too engaging though as its principle job is to be a compact but practical little car, and it does an admirable job in many senses.
The leg and head room is admirable in all four seats, especially in the rear when the seats are slid back as far as they will go. The rear seats are split in a 60/40 ratio and are on a set of runners which allow you to independently move them back and forward to increase the space in the boot or the rear foot well as required.
While it is beneficial to have the option of where you maximise your space, the gap that appears between the seats and the parcel shelf when the passengers are fully forward means that you can't keep luggage out of sight when the boot is at its largest. That said, the boot space is very impressive - certainly bigger than the larger i30 at a huge 1,486 litres with the seats folded flat.
Sadly the amount of storage around the cabin is not quite as voluminous, with not many covered compartments on offer, despite a generous glovebox.
Of the engines available at launch, the 1.4-litre petrol is the best bet for all round ability. All options come with Hyundai's Intelligent Stop Go technology and a gearshift indicator that keep the emissions rating low and the efficiency high. However, if tax bills are important, it is best to avoid the automatic 1.6-litre model, which heads above 150g/km of CO2.
Source: fwd.channel5.com
But the Hyundai, arriving in the UK 18 months after its Kia Venga sibling, has several major differences, and all of them are for the better. While the Kia struggled with the demands of the bumps and potholes of inner-city driving, Hyundai has worked hard on the ix20's ride and suspension setup, even going so far as to build a section of UK road at its Korean factory that mimics our shoddy tarmac conditions.
The benefits are clear. The ix20 that will be coming to the UK is firm, but has shed the crashing ride and vague feel of the Venga. Instead it copes well with the worst that our poorly-maintained roads can throw at it. There is no need for the suspension experts to make the ix20 too engaging though as its principle job is to be a compact but practical little car, and it does an admirable job in many senses.
The leg and head room is admirable in all four seats, especially in the rear when the seats are slid back as far as they will go. The rear seats are split in a 60/40 ratio and are on a set of runners which allow you to independently move them back and forward to increase the space in the boot or the rear foot well as required.
While it is beneficial to have the option of where you maximise your space, the gap that appears between the seats and the parcel shelf when the passengers are fully forward means that you can't keep luggage out of sight when the boot is at its largest. That said, the boot space is very impressive - certainly bigger than the larger i30 at a huge 1,486 litres with the seats folded flat.
Sadly the amount of storage around the cabin is not quite as voluminous, with not many covered compartments on offer, despite a generous glovebox.
Of the engines available at launch, the 1.4-litre petrol is the best bet for all round ability. All options come with Hyundai's Intelligent Stop Go technology and a gearshift indicator that keep the emissions rating low and the efficiency high. However, if tax bills are important, it is best to avoid the automatic 1.6-litre model, which heads above 150g/km of CO2.
Source: fwd.channel5.com
