Getting comfortable in the Hyundai i10 is easy with a multi-way adjustable driver’s seat, good visibility and large door mirrors. One oversight is the steering wheel only adjusts for angle and not reach, but most drivers should find an agreeable position.

The i10’s dashboard suggests it’s a larger, more expensive car than it is. All versions have a contrasting coloured panel across the width of the facia which is replicated on the door panels and around the gear lever. While the colours are attractive, it’s not as bold as the look Volkswagen employs in the up!

Ergonomically the i10 works well, and where fitted the steering wheel buttons are almost all within reach of a sweeping arc of a thumb. The switchgear buttons work with a satisfying action and the controls all feel like they’re built to last.

Instrumentation is clear and the white and blue back lighting is attractive when daylight ebbs away.

The only significant points of note for being absent were integrated sat-nav units and a front armrest. These might be features usually associated with larger cars, but as the new i10’s very competent and comfortable on longer journeys, many will travel further afield than a city centre commute.

Hyundai seems to have succeeded in its aim of making the interior feel like it’s from a more expensive car. In a segment where buyers are very price conscious, the i10’s cabin will be a pleasant surprise.

For a car that’s likely to spend most of its time on the pock-marked roads of Britain’s cities, the high level of Hyundai i10 comfort is very impressive.

Not only is the ride quality vastly improved over the previous i10, due to lowering the centre of gravity, lengthening the wheelbase and retuning the suspension, there’s more space to be comfortable inside.

All i10s are five-seaters, except the BlueDrive version which does without the centre seatbelt. Those up front enjoy supportive seats and best-in-class room to luxuriate in while, the back bench can accommodate a pair of tall adults without it feeling cramped.

Both front and rear seats have adjustable head restraints, and a driver’s seat height adjuster is standard on SE and Premium specifications.

Good quality plastics have been used for the interior. They’re not squeezable soft-touch grade but they are very well assembled and feature contrasting colour panels in beige, blue, orange or red depending on the trim level selected. Wherever you place your hands, it feels like a quality product.

Driving is pleasantly serene for a car in this class, with great effort made to improve aerodynamics and subsequently reduce wind noise.

Choose an SE or Premium specification i10 and the equipment levels are very generous for a car of this size too. Depending on the model, all-round electric windows, climate control and Bluetooth audio streaming are available.

Further sound-deadening materials have been added between the cabin and engine bay and the doors have double seals to hush outside noise. Even the aerial’s been moved rearwards to reduce drag.

With a choice of refined petrol engines to select, the new i10 is one of the quietest city cars available.