HYUNDAI has used sense and sensibility in creating a budget-beating supermini.
The South Korean company has cannily made its assault on the midget budget market with one of the cheapest offerings around with the i20.
They were acutely aware that safety and quality had to be major considerations in delivering a package which could challenge leading rivals such as the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa and the Mazda2.
Designed in Germany and built in India guaranteed a quality product at a competitive price: most like-for-like rivals are at least £1,000 more.
The i20, it has to be said, is no heart stopper but it is neat enough and easy on the eye as well as the pocket with the 1.4-litre petrol test car in mid-range Comfort trim costing an impressive £10,450.
More impressive even is the kit list.
Even the entry Classic model gets air con, remote locking, six airbags, electric front windows - but the Comfort trim on the test car also includes 15-inch alloys, electric windows all-round and much more.
More surprising is the emphasis put on safety.
The all-new i20 is made of high strength steel which gives it better body rigidity. It also boasts electronic stability programme and has active head restraints, all of which must make it one of the safest cars in its class.
The 1.4, 99bhp petrol unit felt alert and proved flexible and fun and its overtures were adequately subdued.
The tiny Korean handled well and displayed decent grip and although the ride is quite firm, verging on hard, it wasn't uncomfortable.
The steering was on the numb side, but it is not on its own in this category, apart from the Fiesta.
Inside, materials are a bit on the old-fashioned side, however quality and fit are pretty good. There's enough room for five adults, at a pinch, and the boot is a reasonable size.
The replacement for the Getz - formerly Hyundai's best-selling car in the UK - the i20 is longer and lower but wider and certainly looks more modern.
Hyundai expect the i20 to make up a third of its total UK sales, so a great deal lies with this new generation Korean supermini. With its winning combination of excellent value, safety and quality, and great interior packaging it looks as though the newcomer will match its best-selling predecessor.
The excellent combined fuel economy of 50mpg, the low Group 4 insurance rating and the five-year warranty should make it a sure-fire winner.
- Val Jessop
THERE are lots of reasons for buying a Hyundai i20 - high specification, low price, fuel-efficient and low CO2 engines, good residual values and, of course, the Korean car firm's five-year warranty.
The flipside is bland styling, cheap- looking interior trim. In terms of badge snobbery, is it better to pay a bit more for a Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa, Toyota Yaris or VW Polo?
Given the credit crunch, it's no contest. The i20's price, warranty and build quality has to be considered as it's around £1,000 cheaper than its rivals and, according to Hyundai, better equipped.
The mid-range Comfort model on test, expected to be the best seller, costs £10,450 with its optional metallic paint.
It has 15-inch alloys, body colour mirrors and handles, electric rear windows, full iPod integration, steering wheel audio controls, trip computer and six-speaker sound system on top of the standard air con, six airbags and active head restraints.
There's plenty of new technology under the bonnet as well.
The test car was powered by a 1.4-litre 99bhp petrol engine borrowed from the larger i30 which returns 50.4mpg and produces 133g/km - better than some rivals 1.0-litre engines.
Two diesel engines complete the line-up. With 74 or 89bhp, better economy and a £35 a year tax disc, which will appeal to company car drivers as they have a 13% benefit in kind rating.
Whether it's a main family car coping with two teenagers in the back, or whether it's a reliable and cheap to run second car or tax efficient easy to park commuter, the i20 has lots going for it.
The car's styling is fairly dull, the interior in parts is low rent with hard plastics and old-fashioned brightly coloured cloth seat and door inserts in some models - but it drives really well.
The ride is very comfortable and the handling predictable. There's little feedback from the steering, however, and with the larger wheels it felt quite heavy at low speeds in town. They also affected the ride quality on hard, frosty roads.
The 99bhp 1.4-litre petrol engine which proved to be lively and free-running.
The official combined cycle fuel consumption is 50.4mpg. In freezing cold real life conditions, with two people on board and driving quite quickly, the car actually returned a still very respectable 42.5mpg.
The five-speed gearbox is very slick and the gear ratios well sorted to make best use of the available power - particularly its limited torque. On motorways it can get a little 'thrashy' but mostly it is fine. The Comfort specification is well thought out.
- Alistair Coull
FAST FACTS
Hyundai i20 1.4 Comfort
Price: £10,450
Mechanical: 99bhp, 1,396cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 5-speed manual gearbox
Max speed: 112mph
0-62mph: 11.6 seconds
Combined mpg: 50.4
Insurance group: 4
CO2 emissions: 133g/km
BIK rating: 13%
Warranty: 5yrs/ unlimited miles