sudonano
1.25L Colourz Edition (2011)
Bought new, Owned for 3 Years
Fuel Economy: 9.0 km/litre (11.1 L/100 km), RON95, Mileage: 1,000 km/month
A very honest and decent car. It is shocking why some cars that cost double or even triple can't do it is as honestly as the i10.
Perfect on both the city and the highway, the 1.25 engine is actally very peppy and very very refined. In fact, it is so refined for the price, that is almost sounds more like a continental engine than a coffee grinder.
Well thought out cabin, no ergonomic issues at all. Plastics are expected to be hard at this price, but at least they have good texture. Audio system is not some kind of Bose or Bang and Olufsen system, but hey, for 50k, it is not bad!
Handling is really good for this car. The way it goes around corners, it rolls (no doubt) but the body roll is so controlled that it feels pretty European, not like the Viva or the Myvi which feels like it can tip over if you take a curve at 70kmh (not like you should). It absorbs bumps really well too, and is well suited on our potholed roads. Doesn't crash about like the local superminis. Highway ride is stable, however considering it is a city car, don't expect it to go above the speed limit (not like you should).
Transmission, while 4 speed, is very good. Never has it shifted with jerks, it shift relatively fast compared to the ones in the Viva/Myvi, and doesn't sound like a blender or washing machine, as it doesn't use a CVT like the Mirage/Attrage.
Seats are decent for comfort, however earlier models do not come with seat height adjustment. The aircon is surprisingly good for a Hyundai too, sometimes a bit too cold in fact, that's how strong it can cope in the Malaysian weather!
Simple, compact, fun and convenient, that is what the i10 is designed for, and it does it brilliantly.
Fuel consumption in city traffic can get a bit high, as it is a 4 cylinder engine, unlike the Viva, Attrage and Mirage's 3 cylinder engines.
Build quality it honestly average, one or two panels are misaligned, leaving gaps between panels, but the rest feel relatively well screwed. Surprisingly after nearly 25000km in 2 years, it has not had any vibrations or squeaks (which is common on some local makes at this price). Nothing has fallen off, but it would be nice if Inokom screwed the parts tighter.
Considering the price, it is a bit on the pricey side. Prior to the 2013 Picanto, it would have been the safest car around, but the new Picanto does come with ESP, and 6 airbags, which is a better choice IMO. It uses the same power train and suspension as the i10 so you should be in good hands.
Reliability was generally OK, however this had some manufacturing issues with the engines, like this one having a misfiring engine due to faulty ignition coils which took the dealers a long time to fix. However, after that, it has been quite trouble free, just needs petrol, tyres and service.
There is an annoying boot organiser which you can't take out on the 1.25 model, which eats into the already limited boot space. Rear seats do not fold flat. On pre 2013 units, there is no 3 point safety belt on the rear middle seat, ABS is only on the 1.25 model, however dual airbags are standard, but no ESP across the range.
There is a new i10 coming soon, so you might want to wait for that, as it promises to be larger, more premium and safer than this outgoing model.
To Improve
Hyundai Malaysia needs to improve the build quality, considering Naza Kia's Picanto feels much better put together than this. Also, the dealers need to be more competent, considering that they take a really long time to fix a problem. Servicing is a bit on the pricey side considering its a little city car, with the first service costing at least MYR200. Only 3 free labour services are given, once that is over, it can touch at least MYR300.
There have been dealers who push unnecessary items to unsuspecting customers like fuel cleaner, engine cleaners and auto transmission oil even though the car has very low mileage. Be very careful and ask each and every part that is being changed. Also, dealers tend to use semi synthetic oil, making you change it every 5000kms, however you can request for fully synthetic oil, and change it every 10000kms instead, making it cheaper to run. This won't affect the warranty.
Besides the aftersales support, I'd say it is a pretty OK car. Much better than the local makes, in terms of feel and refinement, but loses out in terms of value and safety to the Picanto.
Yes, I would recommend this car