2023-10-14 14:00:00
With increasingly stringent safety standards imposed by Europe, it is becoming difficult for manufacturers to offer affordable and desirable mini-city cars. In question, the equipment and various driving aids which must be present on board, and which have the consequences of inflating prices in the same way as anti-pollution standards, not to mention the increase in the cost of raw materials in recent years… Brief, producing small, affordable cars is becoming very complicated. Hence the voluntary exclusion of the Toyota Aygo X, not uninteresting but expensive since the configurations can flirt with €25,000! Building and selling cheaply is so complicated on small cars that the best financial deal actually concerns the category above, since it is the Dacia Sandero which is often cheaper than the mini-city cars on the market! But although more versatile, it is also larger and some people want the smallest possible four-seater car. If some manufacturers like Peugeot and Citroën have abandoned the category, others persist, like Hyundai which has just restyled its i10.
Hyundai i10: still in the game – from €16,900
Unlike the Picanto, the Hyundai i10 still benefits from the 100 hp 1.0 turbo. ©Hyundai
Hyundai does not offer a real new i10 but is content with a second restyling to reduce production costs a little and maintain an acceptable list price. Thus, the exterior look evolves especially at the front, with the adoption of new daytime running lights and slightly redesigned headlights, while two new body colors are also on the program. The passenger compartment, for its part, gains digital meters as well as new LED ambient lighting, going hand in hand with a range of driving aids which did not exist before. For the rest it’s white hat and white hat, since the i10 does not change one iota technically speaking. We therefore find the 3-cylinder 1.0 in atmo (67 hp) or turbo (100 hp) version as well as the 4-cylinder 1.2 atmo with 84 hp. Rather welcoming although quite firm in suspension, the Korean costs from €16,900 in the four-seater version but it takes €19,150 to have a folding seat and a belt in the middle of the rear seat, since the 5-seater only available in N Line finish.
The strengths of the Hyundai i10
Complete equipment Homogeneous behavior Three engines available in the catalog
The weaknesses of the Hyundai i10
Slightly dry cushioning at the rear Intrusive driving aids
Kia Picanto: the price advantage – from €13,240
The Kia Picanto is a technical cousin of the Hyundai i10. © Kia
Apart from the fact that it has no longer offered the 1.0 turbo 100 hp for several months now, this Kia Picanto is, despite completely different appearances, a technical clone of the Hyundai i10. We therefore find the same qualities and weaknesses as for the i10, as well as the 3-cylinder 1.0 67 hp and 4-cylinder 1.2 84 hp. Also intended mainly for the city, the Picanto 1.0 lacks a little breath and comfort, like its cousin. But it has a big advantage over the other Korean: while waiting for the marketing, in June 2024, of the major restyling which was already presented several months ago, the current variant remains offered at very competitive prices, from €13,240 without air conditioning or €14,840 with. A floor price that will not last forever, especially since with the restyling there will most likely be an increase in prices!
The forces of the Kia Picanto
Attractive initial price Correct habitability Reassuring behavior
The weaknesses of the Kia Picanto
Imminent restylingVibrations in slow motionLittle storage space
Renault Twingo: queen of the niche – from €16,750
The Renault Twingo is really confined to the city with its small 65 hp engine. © BARSHON, Paul
Having also been offered in TCe 90 hp, in manual and automatic EDC gearboxes, and even in TCe 110 hp, the Twingo now only exists with the basic 1.0 naturally aspirated 65 hp unit, in addition to its E-Tech electric variant. A modest power which necessarily limits it to city use because, like the i10, the performance is really very fair on the road, especially for overtaking. On the other hand, his very small turning radius of 4.3 m works wonders in town, for slipping and parking its 3.61 m. An asset that she owes to her engine located at the rear, thus freeing up space on the front axle but limiting modularity as well as trunk volume (150 dm³). Especially since the engine is located just under the floor of the hold, which tends to heat up the shopping you put there! On the road, the front end and comfort of the Renault Twingo are simply average. But it is very well equipped from the basic finish.
The strengths of the Renault Twingo
Turning radiusConsumptionComplete equipment
The weaknesses of the Renault Twingo
Comfort could be improved Disappointing modularity and habitability Trunk that takes heat from the engine
Suzuki Ignis: a wide range – from €13,990
The Suzuki Ignis is the only one in the category to benefit from refinements such as all-wheel drive. © Suzuki
Behind its good looks and the false air of a coupe SUV, the Ignis offers technologies that its rivals ignore. Micro-hybridization by alternator starter, all-wheel drive on certain versions, CVT automatic transmission, not forgetting two independent and sliding rear seats, Suzuki is clearly pulling out all the stops and arriving with a unique proposition in the mini-city car segment. All offered to competitive rates while the equipment is rather rich and consumption remains very low. On the other hand, if, with its 3.70m, the Ignis is like a fish in water in the city (even if its slightly heavy steering will not suit everyone), it is not not very suitable for road use where the steering becomes imprecise, the front end rather clumsy and the damping is dry.
The forces of the Suzuki Ignis
ModularitéNombreuses configurations possiblesConsommations
The weaknesses of the Suzuki Ignis
Struggling on the road Comfort
Mitsubishi Space Star: the most roomy – from €15,990
The Mitsubishi Space Star hides its age well on the outside, but its road performance is dated.© Mitsubishi
If it is now more than 10 years old, the Mitsubishi Space Star does not visually look too old thanks to a clever restyling carried out in 2020. But, behind its current appearance and its good habitability, thanks to its 3.85m, this Japanese woman can’t hide her dated design with a chassis from another time. Front axle not very effective, especially on wet roads, and sticky steering requiring numerous corrections to drive straight mean that it is more comfortable in town than elsewhere, especially since the 1.2 3-cylinder 71 hp does not is not valiant once you leave the streets. And then, really dry cushioning as well as the driving position that could be improved (high seat and lack of steering wheel adjustment range) mean that this Space Star must be limited to short trips.
The forces of the Mitsubishi Space Star
HabitabilityReasonable price
The weaknesses of the Mitsubishi Space Star
Dated road services Limited performance
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