- Hyundai wins head-to-head comparison against leading European rivals
- Consistent praise from motoring media
- Small hatchback provides solid, competitive basis for Hyundai WRC rally contender
One of Germany’s most respected motoring magazines has judged the Hyundai i20 hatchback as the best car in its class, in a comparison with three of its top European rivals.
Auto Zeitung tested the Hyundai against four of its B-segment competitors – the Ford Fiesta, Opel Corsa, Seat Ibiza and VW Polo – all in 1,0-liter turbocharged variants. The magazine rated the i20 as the best of the four options, noting interior space, comfort and performance among areas where it was a clear winner. It was the only car in the test to reach 100 km/h in less than 10 seconds.
“It says a great deal to have one of Germany’s leading auto magazines judge the Hyundai i20 as the best of this group, when two of the alternatives are from German brands – VW and Opel – and local buyers also recognize the European Fords as essentially German,” says Mr Mike Song, Hyundai’s head of Operations for Africa and the Middle East. “These are some of the most popular European cars in an extremely competitive market segment.”
The current generation Hyundai i20 has drawn consistent praise from European motoring experts since its launch. The model is a road-test favorite and a consistent award winner, with Red Dot Design Award and iF Award for product design, and a Golden Steering Wheel Award from AutoBild magazine, in Germany alone.
The latest comparison in Auto Zeitung is one of several where the Hyundai i20 has been rated as the best in its class. Previous group tests also saw the i20 placed ahead of equivalent models from European brands Peugeot and Skoda.
The model has also provided the base for Hyundai’s successful effort in the World Rally Championship, with the Hyundai i20 WRC, and it has now been modified into a “customer” rally car, the Hyundai i20 R5.
Hyundai Motorsport is competing in the 2017 World Rally Championship (WRC) with a brand-new challenger, the Hyundai i20 Coupé WRC, as the team aims to build on its second-place finish in the 2016 season, and the championship introduces significant rule changes to add even more excitement to the sport.
With the new i20 Coupé WRC, Hyundai Motorsport hopes to build on its most successful season to date, in which it secured two victories and an additional ten podium finishes. Hyundai Motorsport also took second place overall in the Manufacturers Championship in the 2016 season.
“The i20 is an excellent example of Hyundai’s global outlook,” says Song. “The model was developed at the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center in Rüsselsheim, Germany, specifically to meet the expectations of European customers. We succeed as a global carmaker because we understand the needs of different markets, and work to meet those needs.”
