Published
on 21
Feb 2020
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All rights reserved.
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A
fresh new face in a dying breed.
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Motoring journalists say
A-segment small cars are dying. PSA and Fiat (now the same group) both
announced to withdraw from this segment. Renault is not renewing its
Twingo. Volkswagen stops developing its Up except electric version.
This means, in a couple of years’ time, buyers will lose the choice of
Peugeot 107, Citroen C1, Opel Karl/Vauxhall Viva, Fiat 500 (except
electric version), Fiat Panda, Lancia Ypsilon (and sadly that will be
the end of the marque as well), Renault Twingo and the petrol-engined
VW Up, Seat Mii and Skoda Citigo. Why is the collapse of A-segment?
Surging costs. European Parliament is aggressive on cutting greenhouse
gas emission from vehicles. Starting from this year, car groups shall
meet the fleet average emission target of 95 g/km of CO2,
otherwise will be fined proportionally to the amount of excess
emission. It could cost tens of billions of euro to an industry whose
profit margin is already slim. To meet the target, you may turn to
hybrid or full-electrification, but obviously both options are too
expensive for A-segment buyers. The second route is diesel, which
seemed to be the way to go until the breakout of Volkswagen Dieselgate.
The aftermath is blocking loophole and tightening testing procedures,
hence the introduction of WLTP. Consequently, you need to fit expensive
SCR system to clean up diesel emission. It is fine for BMW or Mercedes,
but a Fiat Panda 1.3 Multijet? Too costly. No wonder Fiat and other
makers are removing diesel options from their smallest cars. The
recently facelifted Fiat 500, for example, is forced to use a downsized
1-liter triple-cylinder with mild-hybrid system. Cost increased and
performance suffers, the prospect is dim. No wonder European car makers
refuse to invest into A-segment cars anymore.
However, if we shift our focus to the rest of the world, it is a very
different story. Most countries do not have a cap for CO2
emission. Developing countries have strong and increasing demand for
cheap small cars. That’s why Asian car makers like Toyota, Suzuki and
Hyundai group will continue to build A-segment cars, and they will
dominate the segment soon. (Japanese Kei-cars will continue to exist,
of course, but it is another ecosystem)
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Slow,
but chassis has a big-car feel.
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Hyundai i10 has long been one of the strongest contenders in the
A-segment. Built in India and Turkey, it is competitive on price.
Designed and engineered in Germany, it never lacks style or quality.
The 3rd generation i10 is even more stylish than the last one. A bold
front grille incorporating daytime running lights, sporty front apron,
shapely headlights and clamshell bonnet deliver a sporty yet
high-quality look up front, certainly better looking than Toyota Aygo
and other European designs. Two-tone roof looks not only more premium
but also makes the small car looking less bulky. The rear of the car is
equally well finished. Subtle curves on the tailgate and fenders show
real quality and good taste. It makes Volkswagen Up a little bland,
although the iconic status of Fiat 500 is left untouched.
Size-wise, the new car changes a little. While length is more or less
the same, the body gets 20 mm wider and 20 mm lower for a healthier
proportion. Wheelbase is stretched by 40 mm to 2425 mm, matching VW Up.
This translates into class-leading interior space. 6-footers will find
no problem to sit in both front and rear. The cabin also feels bright
and airy, with good rear-quarter visibility. The grey dashboard might
look a little dull, but it is solidly built. Soft-touch plastics are
absent in this class, of course, but the plastics used on the i10 is
perfectly decent. The steering wheel and gear shifter are
leather-wrapped. A high-mounted touchscreen is extended from the
instrument pod to imitate Mercedes. Although it uses hardware dials,
the touchscreen is unusually large at 8-inch, and its graphics are
crisped. Connectivity like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard
for easy integration with mobile phones, so you don’t need to pay for
sat nav. The big-car feel continues in safety equipment kits, which
include cruise control, parking camera, lane-keep assist and automatic
emergency braking. Admittedly, the new i10 is no longer as cheap as it
used to be.
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Solid quality
and lots of room.
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Packaging is undoubtedly the highlight of the car, whereas mechanicals
are slightly behind. Predictably, the technical layout is conventional
– a pair of MacPherson struts up front, a torsion-beam at the rear and
electric power steering. Disappointingly, both the 67 hp 1-liter 3-pot
and 84 hp 1.25-liter 4-pot motors are carried over from the old car.
They are a bit outdated, still naturally aspirated and port injected
for cost reasons. Both are underpowered and not quite as sweet-revving
as Volkswagen’s 3-cylinder. Gearshift of the 5-speed manual gearbox is
positive enough, but the automated manual version is hopelessly slow
and jerky. The only hope is the forthcoming 1.0T-GDi direct injection
turbo. We know it is a good motor on the larger i20, although it won’t
be available to the market until this summer, and it won't be cheap.
Compared with the aging powertrains, the chassis is better. It has all
the merits of city cars: light steering and a tight turning circle make
it very maneuverable in town. Its suspension rides well on broken
pavements, but not soft to the extent that hurts stability in corner.
The steering is not light to the extent that affects directional
stability on highway. The settings seemed well judged. Unlike some
Japanese minicars, it has road and wind noise well suppressed, so
highway driving is not as painful. In short, the i10 is more matured
than most other minicars.
Having said that, for driving pleasure, it fails to match Volkswagen
Up. If you drive it harder, you will find more body roll in the
Hyundai, the steering less reassuring and the ride less supple.
Coupling to the weaker engines, the i10 is nowhere as fun to drive as
the VW. While it offers more space and kits, the Volkswagen has an
interior feeling more tasteful, and it doesn’t cost any more.
Eventually, I am pretty sure Hyundai will win, but not until the
Volkswagen retires.
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Verdict:  |
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