WE’VE WRITTEN recently about the difficulty in getting finance on a new car. Those in the know tell us we either need to come to the car dealership with a greater deposit, or set our sights more realistically when it comes to the purchase of a new car.
Having a small amount of money to spend on a new car used to be a bad thing. Most of the time you would have been better off buying a good used car, but this has changed. Small, city cars are becoming all the more relevant. They take up less space, they use less fuel and, as a result, are cheaper to run and better for the environment.
The choice is getting better too. This week, we have driven two of the best out there: Ford’s new Ka and the surprise package that is the Hyundai i10.
STYLING
i10 ***
Ka ****
The Ka wins this part of the test hands down. It is just so cute and as it stands here in Titanium spec, it has the edge. The Ka uses Ford’s styling expertise to its best and while they haven’t managed to make the car as overtly good-looking as the Fiat 500, a car with which the Ka shares a platform, it is eye-catching and looks like a premium product. The i10 isn’t bad-looking but it has that slightly awkward shape that happens when manufacturers try and cram too much into a small footprint.
Any five-door car in this segment tends to end up looking a little tall and this is true of the i10. But it is well finished and the proportions are as good as you could expect. The Ka is just that bit prettier.
RELIABILITY & QUALITY
i10 ****
Ka ***
The problem for us when we tested the Ka originally – and it remains true today – is that it just doesn’t feel enough like a Ford. Sure, there are some of the plastics you might get in other Ford models, but it just lacks the solidity you get from a thoroughbred Ford product, which it just isn’t.
The i10 is a real eye-opener to anyone who hasn’t considered a Korean car. Considering the low price, the plastics and overall finish are very good.
DRIVING
i10 ***
Ka ***
We had expected a whole lot more from the Ka and a lot less from the i10 in this category.
The Ka in its old guise was a fun car to drive but this writer at least was never bowled over by the Fiat 500 in terms of the way it drives and the same is true of the Ka. It is fine around town but on the open road it feels too light and the steering is pretty vague.
We didn’t expect much from the i10 but it proved to be very good both in town and on the motorway. It has all the usual city car traits of being really easy to park and nip through traffic in, but it also feels competent on a longer drive. The extra horsepower in the i10 is welcome when you are trying to keep up with motorway traffic and although it felt the strain somewhat at 120km/h, it coped well.
ERGONOMICS & PRACTICALITY
i10 ****
Ka***
With five doors, the i10 is far more practical than the three-door Ka.
The front seats of the Ka have 987mm of headroom compared to 920mm in the i10. Staying up front, there is 1,050mm of legroom in the Ka compared to 990mm in the i10.
The rear seats in the Ka have 610mm of legroom, with 870mm of headroom. The i10 has much greater headroom in the rear with 950mm and there is 650mm of legroom, meaning so an adult might be able to sit quite comfortably in the i10.
The i10 has a larger boot, too, capable of holding 258 litres against the 224 litres in the Ka.
ENGINES
i10 ****
Ka ***
These engines are very evenly matched. There is little between them in terms of power output, with 9bhp in favour of the four-cylinder Hyundai unit.
Hyundai changed the i10 up to a more powerful unit last year and this version feels a lot more capable.
The 1.2-litre 67bhp petrol engine in the Ka is great around town but struggles a little bit on the motorway, as engine noise becomes a feature in the cabin.
RUNNING COSTS (ECONOMY, ROAD TAX, DEPRECIATION)
i10 ****
Ka ****
Both of these cars are cheap to tax, run and insure. Since both have CO2 emissions that are less than 120g/km, they will cost just €104 per annum to tax and, when it comes to fuel economy, there is virtually nothing between them, returning impressive fuel economy figures that are comparable to diesel equivalents in other models.
It is difficult to forecast depreciation on small cars these days, but they are cheap to buy so you could expect they would both retain about 48-50 per cent of their value over the course of three years.
EQUIPMENT & SAFETY
i10 ****
Ka ****
The Ka you see pictured here is a higher-spec version. There is a Style version for €11,535 and that comes with basic equipment levels. There are two airbags fitted as standard, with side airbags costing €455 and €705 for curtain airbags. Stability control will cost €605 and park assist is a €405 option. There is an aux jack for connecting an MP3 player too, which is handy. If you want more equipment you can go for the Titanium model, which has 15” alloy wheels, front fog lights, air conditioning and some other visual details – this pushed the price to €13,325.
At €11,995, the i10 comes with alloy wheels, driver and passenger airbag, CD player with aux jack, and that appears to be that. There is the option of metallic paint for €400 and, while ESP isn’t available as an option, air conditioning can be ordered as a factory option for €750.
VERDICT
These two cars are examples of the best available in terms of small city cars, and there is little between them, but we were slightly more charmed by the i10 than the Ka.
For those who want a little bit more practicality from their small car, then the i10 gets the nod, also offering slightly more in terms of value.
The Ka will appeal more to the younger user, or to those who don’t need rear seat space or access to the rear for child seats.
Hyundai i10 5dr
Engine: 1,248cc four-cylinder petrol
Power: 78bhp, 118Nm torque
Transmission: five-speed manual
0-100km/h: 12.8 seconds
Top Speed: 164km/h
Economy: urban – 6.3 l/100km (44.8 mpg), extra urban – 4.3 l/100km (65.6 mpg), combined – 5l/100km (56.4 mpg)
CO2 emissions: 119g/km
CO2 tax band: A (€104 annual road tax)
Boot capacity: 225 litres
Price: €11,995
Ford Ka 1.2 Titanium
Engine: 1,242cc four-cylinder petrol
Power: 69bhp, 102Nm torque
Transmission: five-speed manual
0-100km/h: 13.1 seconds
Top Speed: 159km/h
Economy: urban – 6.3l/100km (44.8 mpg), extra-urban – 4.4l/100km (64.2 mpg) combined – 5l/100km (55.4 mpg)
CO2 emissions: 119g/km
CO2 tax band: A (€104 annual road tax)
Boot capacity: 224 litres
Price: €13,325