The i10 has grown over the years and this has brought about benefits in terms of cabin space, while Hyundai has improved interior quality too. Provided you’re not friends with basketball players and those from other stereotypically tall professions, the cabin’s capable of seating four adults (or has two sets of ISOFIX points in the rear for child seats), and a 252-litre boot isn’t bad for the class either. Even the entry-level Advance model boasts plenty of gadgets including air-conditioning, cruise control and an eight-inch touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
“The Hyundai i10 isn’t going to set any land speed records, but what’s more important to city car buyers or perhaps those on a tighter budget is its ability to deliver great efficiency, leading to low running costs.” – Ellis Hyde, news reporter, who tested the i10 in the UK.
Your first port of call is probably the Kia Picanto just above the i10 in our list, not least because it gets a longer warranty, seven years rather than five. But for the i10’s £16k-plus, the Dacia Sandero and now the basic petrol version of the MG3 both have to be on your shopping list, as does the £18k Citroen C3, and the sub-£19k Fiat Grande Panda when it arrives later in 2025.
Latest Hyundai i10 deals
How we choose the best small cars
Small cars should be affordable to buy and run, and good to drive. Increasingly we’re expecting big car levels of technology, equipment and build quality from smaller models too, and that’s a difficult circle for manufacturers to square when the price also needs to be low.
We’ve tested every small car on the UK market and always pay particular attention to that driving experience in an urban setting where light controls and good visibility are key for turning and parking. That’s not to say the best small cars shouldn’t be able to cope with longer motorway journeys though, and we always test them extensively on the open road.
No car makes this list without strong fuel economy and low insurance costs, either because keeping costs down is kind-of the point for many small car buyers. Rear seat and boot space is nice to have but many buyers in this market won’t use it so we don’t let that be a deal-breaker.
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