Hyundai has updated the small i10, and the new version will go on sale in Ireland in July. It will be one of the very few small 'city' cars on sale now that most car makers have abandoned the segment in the face of tightening profit margins.
Sleeker styling
Hyundai has, thankfully, kept the i10 going, though and will give it a host of upgrades for the 2023 model year. At the front, there's a tweaked design, which keeps the full-width grille (that kinda references the big Santa Fe on Hyundai's smallest vehicle) but gives it reprofiled bumpers and lights for a sleeker, slightly less upright look.
The grille gets a new honeycomb mesh, while there are new LED lights front and rear. You also get new 15-inch alloy wheels (remember when 15-inch wheels were normal, even on bigger cars?) and new colour choices. Those include Lumen Grey, a bright and light grey colour with a pearl finish, and Meta Blue with its bluish-violet colour reflections with a pearl finish - and a black two-tone roof.
Tartan seats
Inside are new blue mood lights for the front seats and a new purple trim colour option with tartan seats (!) and stitching for the air vents.
You'll also find a new 4.2-inch colour screen in the instrument cluster, USB-C sockets for charging smartphones front and rear, and an updated emergency phone call system which uses a built-in 4G connection and automatically rings the emergency services if it detects you've had an accident.
The eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system carries over, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and an updated Bluelink system which monitors the health of your car remotely.
Safety upgrades
The Hyundai Smart Sense safety pack has also been updated. It now includes a forward collision avoidance system that recognises cyclists and pedestrians and lane-following assistance that uses active steering inputs. A rear occupant alert reminds you to check the back seats for children or dogs you might have forgotten about.
As before, the i10 is surprisingly practical for a small machine, with a decent 252-litre boot and niceties such as folding door mirrors and a rearview camera. If you need to expand that boot, the rear seats fold easily forward with just one hand, and that opens up 1,050 litres of space.