JANUARY will see the latest car in Hyundai's assault on the world market - the i20 - and there could not be a better time to launch a smaller, good value economy car.
The i10 and i30 models are both excellent and I'm sure the i20 Corsa-rival will be just as good.
Five-door models go on sale in January, with three-door versions following a couple of months later.
Petrol engines will be what sounds like a very good 1.2-litre with 76bhp - averaging over 50mpg - and an excellent 1.4 with 108bhp.
At launch there will be two 1.4 diesels - with either 74 or 88bhp and the company's 128bhp 1.6 diesel - which I rate as brilliant - could be added later.
The 1.4 Comfort five-door will be around £10,000 and prices should start at less than £8,500. Hyundai is keen to point out that this makes the i20 around £1,000 less than its rivals.
Interior
Quality should be good judging by recent models from the Korean maker and the company says it will have more kit than rivals.
Safety looks excellent and Hyundai's five-year warranty should offer peace of mind and help keep resale values up when it's time to sell on.
FAST FACTS (All figures approx)
Hyundai i20 1.4
Price: £10,000
Mechanical: 108bhp, 1,396cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 5spd manual gearbox
Max speed: 115mph
0-62mph: 11 secs
Combined mpg: 45+
Insurance group: 3
CO2 emissions: 130g/km
BiK rating: 15%
Warranty: 5yrs/ unlimited mileage, 6yrs paint, 6yrs anti-rust
Marks: 10/10
Main rival: Vauxhall Corsa