Hyundai I20 vs Lexus CT
What's the difference?

Hyundai I20

$27,950 - $32,888

2022 price

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Lexus CT

—

2018 price

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Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Summary

2022 Hyundai I20

2018 Lexus CT

By James Cleary

By Tim Robson

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 4, 1.6L

Inline 4, 1.8L

Fuel Type

Unleaded Petrol

Premium Unleaded/Electric

Fuel Efficiency

6.9L/100km (combined)

4.1L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Dynamics
Powertrain
Practicality

Dislikes

Firm ride
Flaky launch control
Turning circle

2022 Hyundai I20 Summary

Start occupying the top step of the World Rally Championship podium and the brand benefits are huge. Just ask Audi, Ford, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen and the many others which have done exactly that to great effect over the years.

And Hyundai’s most recent foray into the WRC has focused on the compact i20, and here we have that rally weapon’s civilian offspring, the much-anticipated i20 N.

It’s a lightweight, high-tech, city-sized, hot hatch designed to steer you away from Ford’s Fiesta ST or VW’s Polo GTI, and add even more lustre to Hyundai’s N performance badge.

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2018 Lexus CT Summary

There are two ways to look at the Lexus CT200h; as either the cheapest model in the Japanese company’s range, or as a planet-saving hybrid.

Either way, the four-door, five-seat CT200h hatch – which has been updated for 2018 – differs from the rest of the Japanese luxury brand’s lineup for a number of different reasons.

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Deep dive comparison

2022 Hyundai I20 2018 Lexus CT

Verdict

The i20 N hatch is so much fun, and not in a special occasion kind of way. It’s an affordable, compact performance car that’ll put a smile on your face no matter where or when you drive it. The Fiesta ST and Polo GTI have a worthy new playmate. I love it!

Verdict

The cheapest Lexus of them all isn’t chasing badge snobs with the CT200h as blatantly as Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi do with their entry level cars… but it’s perhaps not quite the Lexus you’d expect it to be.

It has a lovely front-of-cabin, for example, but there’s a lot of last-gen Prius in plain sight in the rear of the cabin.

The hybrid powertrain, too, is noble in concept, but the day-to-day reality is that it’s not as nice to drive, especially town to town, as a regular petrol-powered car of similar size.

The foot brake, silly multimedia joystick and odd gearshifter also spoilt the party a bit.

Empty nesters who are looking for a nice city runaround with a tinge of greenwash about it will love it… and if the current Prius is anything to go by, the next CT will be a very good thing indeed.

Hyundai I20 vs Lexus CT What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Hyundai I20 vs Lexus CT
What's the difference?