IT'S NO good. With the best will in the world, it's just impossible to get too worked up about Hyundai's mini-people carrier, the Matrix.
This is a shame, because the Koreans have put a lot of effort into coming up with a compact but surprisingly spacious contender in this highly competitive sector of the car market.
They even brought in the illustrious Italian design house, Pininfarina, to make the body stylish enough to win over European buyers. But while the Matrix is undoubtedly competent - and excellent value for money - this is very much a Henman class of MPV rather than a Bjorg or Agassi.
The exterior's neat but far from eye-catching, so don't expect too many people to be able to pick out a Matrix in a crowd. But there's some compensation for the clone-like appearance in the price tag and equipment levels, as we have come to expect from Korean models.
Based on the Elantra platform, the Matrix first appeared in October 2001 and does what it says on the tin - gets you from A to B in relative comfort with plenty of room for all your odds and ends.
The ride and handling is pretty much what you'd expect of this sort of vehicle, but the all-new 1.5 litre turbodiesel makes up for its modest performance with excellent fuel economy of more than 56mpg out of town.
At £11,795, the price is a distinct selling point, especially as there's no scrimping on those essential mod-cons like air conditioning, anti-lock brakes, electric windows and radio/CD player.
Best news of all is the fact that the cabin feels positively cavernous given the car's modest dimensions, thanks in part to the long wheelbase and deceptive width.
Sliding and double folding rear seats add to the overall flexiblility so that you can accommodate awkward loads with minimal effort. But despite all these plusses, it's still hard to wax lyrical about the car.
True, it has a tighter turning circle than many competitors, and you can't fault it on head and legroom.
But although there's plenty of torque and it's a comfortable enough outside-lane cruiser, gearchanges are stodgy, 0-62mph acceleration takes a lacklustre 17.9 seconds and the top speed is 99.4mph.
Inside, a minor irritation is the fact that the warning lights are contained in a separate panel from the essential dials. Although you can't complain about the array of cup holders, storage trays and useful extras like the seatback trays for rear passengers and cargo net in the load area.
But there's no getting away from the fact that there's just not enough about the Matrix to get you excited. Apart from the price, of course, which undercuts those of key rivals by anything from £1,500 to £3,000.
FAST FACTS
Hyundai Matrix 1.5 TD GSi
Price: £11,795
Mechanical: 81bhp, 1,493cc 3 cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 5-spd manual gearbox
Max speed: 99.4mph
0-62mph: 17.9 secs
Combined mpg: 47.1
Insurance group: 6
CO2 emissions: 158g/km
BiK rating: 18%
Warranty: 5yrs/ unlimited mileage; 6yrs anti-rust