MOTORING NEWS - One of Germany's most respected motoring magazines has judged the Hyundai i20 hatchback as the best car in its class out of three top European rivals.
Auto Zeitung tested the Hyundai against four of its B-segment competitors - Ford Fiesta, Opel Corsa, Seat Ibiza and VW Polo - all in 1,0-litre turbocharged variants. The magazine rated the i20 as the best for its interior space, comfort and performance. It was the only car in the test to reach 100km in less than 10 seconds.
"It says a great deal to have one of Germany's leading auto magazines judge the Hyundai i20 as the best of this group. These are some of the most popular European cars in an extremely competitive market segment," says Mike Song, Hyundai's head of Operations for Africa and the Middle East.
The current generation Hyundai i20 has drawn consistent praise from European motoring experts since its launch. The model has won other awards in Germany including a Red Dot Design Award and iF Award for product design, as well as a Golden Steering Wheel Award from AutoBild magazine.
The model has also provided the base for Hyundai's successful effort in the World Rally Championship as the Hyundai i20 WRC and it has now been modified into a "customer rally car," the Hyundai i20 R5.
Hyundai Motorsport is competing in the 2017 World Rally Championship (WRC) with a new challenger, the Hyundai i20 Coupé WRC, as the team aims to build on its second-place finish in the 2016 season. Hyundai Motorsport also took second place overall in the Manufacturers Championship in the 2016 season.
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