The budget-friendly 2020 Hyundai Atos

Discontinued in 2012, Hyundai South Africa decided to relaunch its entry-level hatchback Atos in October last year. The budget-friendly 2020 Hyundai Atos sits below the Grand i10 and competes against the likes of Renault Kwid and Datsun Go. It has everything one would expect from a budget car; from attractive design, good comfort, impressive safety features to low fuel consumption, this small vehicle is geared towards South Africans with a smaller vehicle budget. 

Although the 2020 Hyundai Atos has taken some of its design cues from the Grand i10, do not mistake it as another trim level of the i10. It has distinct elements, which make it a completely different car. The exterior design is simple featuring a high mounted stop lamp, 14˝ wheels with styled covers, and a choice of six bold colours including Acid Yellow, Alpha Blue, Fiery Red, Polar White, Titan Grey, and Typhoon Silver.

The real magic happens inside. For an entry-level budget car, we do not expect Apple CarPlay, do we? The new Atos offers it as a standard feature for handsfree calling, messaging, music, and navigation. Other standard facilities encompass steering wheel multifunction controls, electric front windows, air-conditioning, and Bluetooth. It also offers an ample boot capacity of 235 litres.

Under the hood of the 2020 Hyundai Atos is a 1.1L naturally-aspirated in-line 4 cylinder petrol engine creating 50 kW @ 5 500 r/min and 99 Nm of torque @ 2 800 r/min. The engine mates to a 5-speed manual transmission, which sends power to the front wheels. The top speed is limited to 155 km/h. Hyundai says, in the optimal driving conditions, this small city car can deliver a 5.7L/100KM fuel economy, which is exceptional. In the real-life tests, we heard an average fuel economy of around 6L/100Km.

Hyundai gave good thought to the safety of the passengers and installed ABS Brakes, Driver and Passenger Airbags, ISOFIX Child Seat Attachments, and Central Locking. Comparing these to its competitors, the new Atos takes a lead.

Hyundai has priced the 2020 Atos very competitively. For a price of R159 900, you get fun to drive city car, which is easy to manoeuvre and park in the tight spaces. For this price, you also get a 7 year/ 200,000 km manufacturer warranty and 1 year/ 15,000 km service plan. Prices correct at time of publication.

Considering the current economic challenges in South Africa, the 2020 Hyundai Atos is a welcome addition in the highly contested budget-car category. It is your perfect urban companion with the ability to serve you well in your daily commutes to grocery, class or a friend/family. 

Looking for other budget-friendly options? Be sure to check out the review section of the MotorHappy blog – we review at least two cars every month.