2019 Hyundai i10 Reviews

A new report from the Australia Automotive Dealer Association (AADA) has shed light over fresh concerns regarding long car repair and refund wait times in Australia.Dealers admitted customers face significant delays to get their cars fixed in Australia, especially EVs. It can take between six and eight weeks for an issue to just be diagnosed due to workshop backlogs.The association said some manufacturing faults can even take months or years to be correctly diagnosedDealers are now refusing to accept tow-ins or diagnostic work for vehicles they did not originally sell due their backlogs.They blamed long wait times on sourcing parts like electric car batteries that cannot be air-freighted and must be shipped instead.Dealers have also pointed the finger at car manufacturers that dispute or mull over approving warranty requests.The report said that only manufacturers can provide remedy for design faults, leaving dealers helpless to appease customer expectations of a swift resolution. The report stated concerns over manufacturers denying reimbursement claims and failing to meaningfully engage with dispute processes. Carmakers are required to make parts and repair available for a reasonable time after purchase, but this is a vague stipulation.The report sets out several Australian Consumer Law reform recommendations to rectify these issues. It said manufacturers should be required to respond to buyback requests within a fixed period.If the manufacturer fails to respond with written confirmation of indemnity, it is deemed to have accepted responsibility. Manufacturers should also be required to join legal tribunal proceedings for alleged manufacturing or systemic defects. The report called for further clarification of consumer guarantees regarding battery degradation and replacement thresholds. This would recognise the inevitable delays of sourcing EV components and developing software solutions.The Australian EV boom is in full swing, with sales surging in the wake of skyrocketing fuel prices and increasingly stringent environment regulations. More EVs will hit the roads in the coming months, with the industry likely to be placed under further strain.

Electric car buyers in Australia are facing a new concern.There are demands for increased responsibilities for car manufacturers to correctly state how long EV batteries should last, according to a report from the Australian Automotive Dealer Association (AADA). The report warns that buyers could face a “wave of litigation” when EV batteries need replacement outside of warranty as their cost could exceed the vehicle’s remaining value.One particular dealer said Chinese-built cars are “not holding their charge” or are “blowing up on fire”.The report suggests manufacturers should be required to define acceptable battery thresholds or disclose the expected degradation of a unit. Most batteries carry an eight-year or 160,000km manufacturer warranty, but dealers are looking for greater clarity on what this means.The new initiative would require manufacturers to provide clear indicators of acceptable battery performance.A battery would be considered to be performing at an acceptable level if it has at least 70 per cent of its total capacity remaining after more than eight years, for example. The EV driving range debate continues to rage on and it remains a substantial roadblock for buyers considering switching from petrol- and diesel-powered cars. Many EVs now boast more than 500km of driving range, but people have also started to recognise that most journeys do not require significant amounts of driving. The convenience and accessibility to home and public charging have also increased the convenience of EVs. Reported driving range figures on a particular car can vary greatly depending on the testing cycle used. The Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) is viewed as the most accurate standard available. Its testing figures often come in noticeably lower than the older New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) and the even more generous China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC).As much as these systems do their best to mirror real-world driving, they can never be truly accurate because of the different ways people use their cars.Consumers often experience range anxiety or disappointment when EVs fail to achieve the range advertised in brochures, according to AADA. AADA has put forward a series of reforms for the Australian Consumer Law to adopt, but it remains to be seen whether any of these will make their way into legislation. 

Hyundai has sounded the alarm about what will happen to customer warranties, and who will hold the liability, when car companies inevitably fail in Australia's increasingly crowded and competitive market.That's the stark warning from Hyundai Australia CEO, Don Romano, who said the industry consensus was that some brands, legacy and newcomer alike, would fail in Australia's cut-throat car market, with the senior executive warning that honouring warranties could then become a question mark for owners."The question is are all of these brands going to survive? And I think the general consensus from every manufacturer is no," Mr Romano says."The question then becomes when they leave, who holds the warranty liability? And I think that's an issue that doesn't get too much press, but I think it's a worry that some of the big dealer groups that are holding onto a number of brands that may or may not be around – and I'm not talking Chinese brands, it could be any brand."I've been involved with brands that have left North America, but they still have the resources in their global business to protect the warranty. I wonder sometimes about some of the new brands – is the government looking at that? Do they realise that if they leave, some of these dealers are going to have to take care of the customers out of their own pocket?What happens to a customer's warranty in Australia appears to largely depend on the infrastructure left behind. When Opel failed in Australia, Holden honoured remaining warranty. Same too for Holden, which was covered by General Motors. Customers of Citroen and, most recently, Peugeot will have their warranties covered by the broader Inchcape Group, which was the importer for both of the French brands.But if no infrastructure remains, then it would appear to be the distributor, and then the dealer group, left holding the liability."I think that's a concern because a lot of those dealer groups own our facilities and represent us, so you know this could have implications beyond just the brands that may leave, but even the stronger brands because they're all tied together," Mr Romano says.It's a thought echoed by the Australian Automotive Dealer Association (AADA), which has today released a response to a major review into Australian Consumer Law and the Franchising Code of Conduct.The wide-ranging review, conducted by Emeritus Professor Jenny Buchan and commissioned by the AADA, identified five key themes, including "a growing disconnect between legal responsibility and operational control in the resolution of manufacturing defect claims, practical shortcomings in the operation of manufacturer indemnification arrangements, uncertainty surrounding the application of key ACL concepts, inefficiencies within existing dispute resolution processes, and limitations in the Franchising Code’s ability to address power imbalances.The review also specifically explored brands exiting the Australian market, and calls for a policy framework that demands OEMs honour warranty, repair, parts and buy-backs for a defined period, lasting as long as the warranty on the last-sold vehicle. It also calls for EV-specific funding for wound-up companies, as well as regulatory approval before an OEM can exit the market.“For most Australians, purchasing a car is the second-largest financial commitment they will make. Consumers have every right to expect a fair, timely and efficient process when faults arise,” says James Voortman, CEO of the AADA.“Multinational manufacturers must take greater responsibility for the products they import in Australia and be active participants in resolving consumer disputes.”

Many electric vehicles (EVs) are ridiculously rapid from a standstill but offer no emotion beyond being electric and fast in a straight line.However, one particular feature altered my perspective on this and how I engage with sporty EVs.This is the fake gear shifter. I experienced it for the first time in a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N back in 2024 and felt so overwhelmed with all of the other new tech and customisation in the car that I didn’t get to properly test it out.However, I was recently handed the keys to an Ioniq 6 N and finally sunk my teeth into the simulated gear shifting, which Hyundai calls N e-Shift.Getting the boring stuff out of the way first, it essentially simulates an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It’ll replicate slight jerks when shifting gears and if you take control using the paddle shifters, it can bounce off the rev limiter.There are also numerous sound profiles you can select from, but my personal favourite is the classic one that simulates a combustion engine.It sounds comical when written down, but experiencing this first hand does dramatically change how you engage with the car.Rather than just planting the accelerator and silently getting to the speed limit, you get auditory and physical feedback that brings a smile to my face every time.It’s so thrilling watching the rev counter go up and to hear the ‘engine’ getting louder. Then it reaches the next level when it snaps into the next gear.It’s even fun just cruising around with the mode on as it’ll shuffle through the gears.One of the few things that get old in the Hyundai version of this technology is the idle sound. It can be a little drony, which grates after a while.I can see the irony in how these sensations mirror what’s already offered in internal combustion-powered sports cars, but every sporty EV needs a feature like this.Beyond Hyundai, a number of other carmakers already have technology that’s similar to this.Dodge introduced the so-called ‘Fratzonic Chambered’ exhaust on the electric Charger Daytona, which uses speakers and vibration motors to create a note that comes out of an exhaust pipe.Additionally, Porsche is now introducing simulated gear shifts and engine sounds in the Taycan and the new Cayenne Electric. The German carmaker had previously been against introducing this tech.

Hyundai is bulking up its big family SUV range in Australia.The new flagship Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Black Ink has landed Down Under as a family-hauler with attitude.Based on the current Calligraphy, the Black Ink variant brings a blacked-out theme throughout.Buyers can expect a black grille, window surrounds, lower bumpers, beltline and Hyundai badges and emblems.This is joined by gloss black 21-inch alloy wheels, black roof rails and the choice of black or white paint all over.Inside it brings the same dark effect with supple black leather Nappa leather with metallic black finishes throughout.The Black Ink version costs about $2500 more than the standard Calligraphy and is available in seven- and eight-seat layouts.Eight-seats are standard, with it costing an extra $1000 to remove one seat.It is powered by the same hybrid set-up as the rest of the range, with a 2.5-litre petrol engine paired with an electric motor to make a combined 245kW and 460Nm sent to all four wheels via a six-speed auto.Hyundai claims the Palisade drinks 6.8-litres per 100km, which is decent for a monster SUV. It can also use the cheapest unleaded petrol.The Palisade Black Ink is due in dealerships this month.The current Palisade has been a success for Hyundai, with sales up 38 per cent this year.2027 Hyundai Palisade prices  

The popular Hyundai Venue's immediate future is in doubt in Australia as the brand faces increasing NVES pressure to rationalise its lineup.A new Venue has been revealed in India, but is unlikely to launch in Australia, with the brand here instead waiting for an all-electric version to better fit into its local lineup."I honestly believe we're still going all-electric eventually. I think the world's going electric, and if we look at the Venue right now we have to consider the impacts on the NVES liability and requirements," says Hyundai Australia President and CEO, Don Romano."So the decision's not made at this point, but I do believe longterm we're going to be moving more and more to electrification electric vehicles, or very low emission HEVs and PHEVs and that type of technology versus just straight combustion engines."That decision's not made, but I don't see a long term in the current configuration for the Venue."The new Venue was revealed in India with some critical changes to better appeal to that market. It's smaller than the vehicle currently sold in Australia, and gets a significant tech and feature upgrade.Critically, the engine choices are a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol, 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine or a 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine – none of which carry the electrification demanded of Hyundai in Australia.But while that car looks sure not to arrive, and Hyundai says the model currently sold here won't continue "long term", hope is not lost for the Venue nameplate to live on with electrified power in the future."The brand (Venue)? The brand might stick around, but it's not going to be the same Venue," Romano says.It will leave a gap in Hyundai's portfolio, with the brand's smallest SUV contributing around 3000 sales to Hyundai's total so far this year.

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. As the automotive world embraces technology at a rapid rate with autonomous driving, connected cars and electrification, even the biggest names in the business are forced to reinvent themselves. Hyundai, the world’s third largest car brand, has declared that it is no longer simply a car maker but is something more.“ So we are not a normal OEM , “ declared Jose Munoz, global president and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company. “I think by now you've seen that we are more of a tech company that happens to be also an OEM.”Munoz explained why this is more than simply a rebranding exercise to compete with the likes of Tesla and other emerging brands from China that straddle the world of technology and cars, pointing to Hyundai Group’s expansive portfolio of companies.“Because we control, we own, Boston Dynamics,” he said.“We created a lot of companies related to autonomous driving, like 42Dot, Motional. We have made the best deal ever with Waymo on literally tens of thousands of robotaxis that we're gonna produce in the United States and expand it to the world. And we… with local partners like Momenta in China. We got an exclusive supply from NVIDIA… and we also have a fantastic partnership with the state-of-the-art, the number one company in the world, which is Amazon. Not to mention others like Santander, GM, TBS In India, Mubadala in the Middle East, etc.”The deals he is referring to include the robotics company Boston Dynamics, which Hyundai took ownership of in 2020 and specialises in commercially available robots. While 42Dot and Motional are both autonomous driving software companies owned by Hyundai but based in South Korea and the USA, respectively, and Momenta is a Chinese joint-venture in the same space.Hyundai’s deal with Amazon is described as a ‘broad partnership’ that encompasses a variety of deals including online vehicle sales in select markets as well as the integration of Amazon Alexa into Hyundai vehicles and the car maker’s use of Amazon Web Services.This all comes in addition to Hyundai Group’s diverse business interests that include making its own steel, container ships and logistics businesses that can all help with the production and distribution of its cars.“So our group is not a normal group, so we have a lot of companies,” Munoz added.“We won't get into all the details, but you can see we have more than 50 affiliated companies in all areas of the business. So not only vertically integrated and creating the steel, also the distribution with Glovis, with our own advertising with Innocean. But then we are in many other businesses like robots for the factories. And then as mentioned, sales finance, Rotem in the military and other applications.”All this investment in technology is part of a plan to not only ensure the business is ready for what car buyers are interested in, but also make Hyundai appealing to investors and drive the share price up.“So I think the result is fantastic, and obviously, this is being accompanied by the top rating in the world in terms of the financial performance,” Munoz said.It appears to be working, with Hyundai Motor Company’s share price dramatically increasing over the past three years, despite up and down sales numbers - particularly in Australia.

Hyundai’s Chinese joint-venture has revealed more details on its upcoming Ioniq V coupe as it nears its overseas launch.The new member of the Ioniq family moves the brand in a new design direction, but with the same retro-futuristic vibe found with the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 9 SUVs which are sold in Australia.The wedge-shaped coupe features a new headlight signature, with thin strip-style LEDs rather than the blocky pixel LED light fittings the Ioniq brand is known for. Interestingly, these styling motifs are also seen on the upcoming Avante (likely to be called the i30 sedan in Australia), suggesting a new design direction for Hyundai.The Ioniq V also features frameless doors, and an interior that's virtually unrecognisable for a Hyundai, with a dramatic and minimalist dash and new octagonal steering wheel. Like the recently launched Elexio, which is also a Chinese-built joint-venture model, the Ioniq V features a multimedia screen spanning both the centre and passenger side.In this case it's a whopping 27 inches and has a 4K resolution. It also features a head-up display sunken into the dash, similar to the one perched atop the dash in the Elexio.The brand also revealed the car’s exterior colour palette, which will include seven colours, from the usual white, silver, grey, and black, to more adventurous shades like gold, green and purple.The company also confirmed it will use an array of local suppliers in China, like sourcing its 800-volt battery from CATL, its self-driving system from Momenta, and various software and hardware components from other Chinese companies.At 4900mm long, 1890mm wide, and 1470mm tall the Ioniq V is similar in size and four-door coupe design to the Polestar 4. Hyundai says its design allows for an 86 per cent usable floor area ratio.Hyundai Australia told CarsGuide the incoming Ioniq V is “under study” for the time being. It is likely it will be significantly more affordable than the outgoing Ioniq 6 (which started from $67,300 before on-roads), which could help the company comply with tough new emissions rules as some of its pricier Korean-sourced models struggle for sales in the face of cheaper options flooding the market from China.The Elexio, Hyundai’s first China-sourced model for Australia (priced from $58,990 before on-roads), has gone on to register 639 units since its recent arrival, nearly tripling the tally of the more expensive Ioniq 5’s year-to-date sales.The next Ioniq model for Australia will no doubt be the Ioniq 3, although it will be sourced from Europe, casting doubt on whether it will be price competitive with Chinese rivals.Hyundai’s renewed push into the Chinese market with its BAIC partner (which has had $1.1 billion USD invested in it) will also spawn a larger and also more dramatically styled SUV to join the Ioniq V at a later date, with 20 new models planned in total.The company has racked up 94,697 units in China so far in 2026, making it a minor but growing player in the world’s second largest market.Expect full specs and more information for the Ioniq V to be revealed closer to its launch later this year in China.

Hyundai has affirmed its commitment to launching its first dual-cab ute in Australia, but concedes it might be later to arrive than first expected, with the brand's local CEO saying he'd rather "get it right than fast".From the outset, Hyundai has suggested it has several levers to pull in producing its first ute, with the brand saying it could lean on its US partnership with General Motors, borrow from sister brand Kia and its Tasman, or develop something itself.All signs had pointed to the brand's newly developed EREV technology as the likely powertrain choice, with the brand targeting a potential driving range in excess of 1000kms without needing to plug in from its petrol-electric solution.That remains "option number one", according to Hyundai Australia CEO Don Romano, but the executive says unfavourable exchange rates with the US Dollar has forced it to look closer to home for production."If it's built in the US we have an exchange rate issue we would have to deal with, there are also tariff issues depending on where we would also consider building. So we're going to keep our options open in this area because what we need is a...pickup truck, and it has to be unique," he says. "A lot of the Chinese brands are already bringing in pickup trucks, and I don't think Australia needs another standardised pickup truck, so what will make ours unique? I think it may take longer than we had initially anticipated to get there but I'd rather get it right than fast."Mr Romano says the brand is also considering where to build the ute for export, suggesting the brand is exploring facilities across the Asia-Pacific region to reduce the impact of currency exchange and transport. It is also plotting the impact of a new ute on Australia's tightening NVES, or New Vehicle Emissions Standard."We'll have to leave that hanging in limbo for now until we can better define, one; the impact to NVES, two; the drivetrain, three; the FX and alternative locations," he says."We have plants throughout Asia Pacific – we have plants in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam – and we want to utilise those plants as much as possible to minimise the impact of foreign exchange."So if there's an option there and it takes a little longer, so be it. As long as we get the right ute at the right price."Despite the headwinds, Hyundai insists its first ute is still a go-project, suggesting it still could be in market by 2030."It's definitely going to happen. The timing is really the issue, because if it's built in the US... and if the FX is favourable, it would be sooner. But if it's not, we don't need another ute that's priced too high," Mr Romano says."I'd say we're still looking at between now and 2030. There's a timeframe, but even that isn't a guarantee and it would be subject to us saying 'that's the right ute for Australia', and I haven't got to that point yet that anything we're doing at this stage is a guaranteed right vehicle for Australia."

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming increasingly popular and mainstream in Australia, however many lack a feature that limits their long-distance driving capabilities.And that's a spare wheel. For decades it has been a common-fit item that is extremely handy if you get a puncture out on the open road.What is becoming more popular now, especially in electrified vehicles, is to replace the spare wheel with an inflator kit as this space is usually being taken up by the high-voltage battery.The inflator kits typically include a 12V-powered air compressor and a 'can of goo' which plugs up minor air leaks in the deflating tyre.However, these inflator kits won’t help in every event of a puncture, especially if it’s a more significant one that compromises the tyre sidewall, for example.In these circumstances you’re typically left needing to call a tow truck, which is incredibly painful if you’re away from a town with a tyre repair shop.There aren’t many out there, but here is a rundown of all the new EVs currently available in Australia that have some form of physical spare wheel. The 2027 Chery E5 is the only new EV passenger car in Australia to feature a full-size spare wheel.There is now only one trim level of the E5 (formerly known as the Omoda E5) offered in Australia. It’s priced from $37,990, drive-away.The 2027 GWM Ora 5 has just launched in Australia and it features a space-saver spare wheel across the line-up.At launch two trim levels are on offer, Lux and Ultra, with pricing starting at $33,990, drive-away.The 2027 Hyundai Kona Electric has a space-saver spare wheel available across the line-up.The Kona Electric is offered in five trim levels now and pricing starts at $46,000, before on-road costs.The 2027 Toyota HiLux BEV is the only electric ute currently available in Australia with a spare wheel of any kind. It’s a full-size unit in this case.There are currently three versions of the HiLux BEV offered in Australia, the SR dual-cab chassis, SR dual-cab pick-up and SR5 dual-cab pick-up. Pricing starts at $74,990, before on-road costs.A number of electric commercial vans feature full-size spare wheels as standard.It’s more common for these types of vehicles to feature spare wheels, though they’re not standard in every electric van.A number of companies offer aftermarket spare wheel solutions for many popular EVs, like the Tesla Model Y and Model 3, among others.These kits typically include a space-saver spare wheel, a jack and related tools to get the wheel on and off.As there’s no dedicated spot in the car for this to be stored, this type of kit typically has to go in the boot which sacrifices space for other items.