Hyundai i10 Premium

The Hyundai i10 Premium is one of the higher-end trim levels in the nippy little hatchback's range. Premium trim is Hyundai's effort to add a little more glamour and luxury to their smallest car, so you get equipment like a leather-wrapped steering wheel, 14-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights and LED daytime running lights. There's also some smaller touches like an illuminated glovebox, a cover for the front storage bin and hill hold assistance.

The Premium version can be had with either a 65bhp 1.0-litre petrol engine, or a 1.2-litre petrol with 85bhp. The smaller engine will be enough for city dwellers or those who won't do many miles on the motorway, and has the lowest running costs of the two engines. The larger 1.2-litre petrol will suit drivers who sometimes need to do longer cruises and has the option to be connected to an automatic gearbox. We'd avoid it though, as it feels like it takes away some of the engine's power. In fact, the automatic version takes 1.5 seconds longer to reach 62mph than the manual version, so only choose it unless you think it's absolutely necessary.

In Premium trim, the i10 feels a little more grown up. With all those extra luxuries, it's beneficial to know that the i10 still remains competitively priced against its closest rivals. However, the Toyota Aygo in x-cite trim is equipped with a more modern touchscreen infotainment system for roughly the same price. The Volkswagen High up! is about £1,000 more expensive, but the engine has more power and you also get a removable satellite navigation system, which isn't even an option on any of the i10's trim levels.

The i10 won our 2015 Best City Car award, beating rivals like the Skoda Citigo, Renault Twingo and its sister car, the Kia Picanto. The i10 also won our coveted Car of the Year award in 2014.

Good points

In Premium trim, the i10 isn't that much more expensive than the SE version, but you are treated to a load of extra equipment. Neat little touches like hill hold assistance and a lidded storage bin in the front really do make the i10 feel a bit more... premium.Interior space is very good. The i10 can seat four with ease, the boot is the biggest one out of all the city cars on sale today and having five doors as standard means access into the rear is easy too.The i10 is still good value for money in Premium. Less so than the lower SE version, but it still has a good amount of kit compared to rivals of a similar price.

Bad points

Interior quality is pretty good but some cheaper, scratchy plastics can be found in places. It's not exactly surprising in a city car, but the Volkswagen up! does a better job of hiding them.Fitting five people in the i10 will be a challenge. The car's small dimensions, teamed with a very slim space for a third passenger on the rear bench means whoever has to sit in the middle is rather unlucky.The omission of a diesel engine means there's no ultra-efficient i10 model. Running costs may be very good already, but the addition of a diesel could be the icing on the cake.

What you get

• Alloy wheels
• Folding rear seats
• Tyre pressure sensors
• Passenger & Driver airbag
• Front side airbags
• Curtain airbags
• Front fog lights
• Manual air conditioning
• Leather steering wheel
• Height adjustable driver's seat
• Front electric windows
• Single CD player
• AUX stereo input
• Cruise control
• Rear electric windows
• Bluetooth

Our choice

Since the Premium trim is a more grown up choice, the 1.2-litre petrol engine will be the better option here. It means the i10 has more ability outside of tight urban streets. Running costs aren't that much extra too, as road tax is just £10 more than the smaller 1.0-litre and its only 2mpg less efficient on fuel.