Hyundai i10 is city car that’s a cut above rest

WHEN it comes to launching new models carmakers have in the past provoked controversy by coming up with odd-sounding names.

But what about a carmaker’s name itself? Hyundai has been running a TV advertising campaign that appears to seek to correct our pronunciation of the word Hyundai.

Most people I know pronounce and always have pronounced Hyundai as it looks and therefore sounds.

So the name comes out as “Hyun-” which is quite straightforward and Dai, which is a pet form of the name David or the Welsh name Dafydd.

Jo Kim, a linguist and Korean specialist at the BBC Pronunciation Unit says the original Korean pronunciation is closest to HYUN-day (-hy as in Hugh, -u as in bun, -ay as in day, stressed syllables shown in upper case).

Hyundai UK, including its adverts, has a different way of saying it: high-UUN-digh (-igh as in high, -uu as in book, British anglicisation).

Well, I’m glad I’ve got that off my chest. Actually, the debate over the Hyundai name coincides nicely with the arrival of Hyundai’s new i10.

The new i10 has had a design upgrade both in and out compared to the original, which was first launched in 2019.

With this popular model buyers can purchase the sporty i10 N Line variant, which is “inspired by Hyundai’s high-performance N models”.

The i10 has in the past proved a city car a cut above the rest. Matt Burt of Autocar gave it four-and-a-half out of five stars, calling it “one of the most accomplished and well-rounded offerings in the city car segment”. The model now looks sportier with a low roof and long wheelbase. Hyundai has also added advanced connectivity features and technologies.

The i10 now comes in nine exterior colours — two of which are new: Lumen Grey, a bright and light grey colour with a pearl finish, and Meta Blue with its bluish-violet colour reflections and pearl finish — and a black two-tone roof. The front LED Day Running Lights (DRL) have been integrated into the sporty wide front grille, which features a new honeycomb mesh design.

Additionally, the rear LED-combined lights now display an ‘H’ on the horizontal tailgate line. The model also features newly designed 15in alloy wheels. Inside, a new colour package, the Purple Package, brings a “sense of playfulness” to the car’s sporty exterior design.

I t offers tartan fabric seats with vertical purple lines, as well as purple touches in the stitching and air vents.

The i10 N Line has design features inspired by motorsport, including bespoke bumpers, inserts, and red touches.

The backs of the seats feature triple red line fabric, and the model comes with new 16in alloy wheels.

New technologies in the model include a standard 4.2in LCD cluster, USB type-C in the front and rear, second-generation eCall based on the 4G network, and Over The Air (OTA) map updates.

However, the model remains consistent with the 8in display screen, Audio Video Navigation (AVN), wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charger, and the latest update to Bluelink telematics.

The model also comes standard with more Hyundai Smart Sense safety features. FCA helps detect and avoid potential accidents with obstacles ahead. More comfort and convenience

The new i10 is outfitted with power folding mirrors. And like its predecessor, it offers a boot capacity of 252 litres with the seats up and 1,050 litres with the seats folded, a two-stage luggage board, one-handed rear seat folding, and a rear-view camera.

Production of the new i10 is planned to begin in April 2023 at Hyundai’s production plant in Izmit, Türkiye. The first units are expected to arrive on European roads in the second half of the year.

Whatever your take on how to pronounce Hyundai I don’t think the South Korean carmaker should be overly concerned.

Hyundai’s i-range — comprising of i10, i20, and i30 — has been very much a success story for the company in Europe.