Overall rating:

Value, quality and comfort are high on many a buyer's agenda, and with its impressive space and quality, the Hyundai i20 stands to do well. It's never going to be exciting, but that's not the point; this is a car that makes sense, not one that plucks at your heartstrings. Considering the cash-strapped times we live in, and the Korean company's famous five-year warranty, that's no bad thing.

Key Facts

Model tested: Hyundai i20 1.2 Comfort three-door
Pricing: £10,745 (data updated on 10 Oct, 2011)
Engine: 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol
Transmission: five-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Body style: three-door hatchback
Rivals: Fiat Grande Punto, Kia Rio, Vauxhall Corsa
CO₂ emissions: 119g/km
Combined economy: 55.4mpg
Top speed: 106mph
0-62mph: 12.9 seconds
Power: 79hp at 4,000rpm
Torque: 120Nm at 4,000rpm

Inside & Out:

Unlike its more daring brethren at Kia, the Hyundai i20 has soft lines that are easy-on-the-eye. There's something of the Vauxhall Corsa about it, which suggests that Hyundai was aiming for a conventionally pleasing, but restrained overall appearance.

Huge headway has been made in the quality of the Hyundai's interiors over the last five years or so, and the i20 embodies that. Though not necessarily exciting, the cabin is well laid out, functional and of fine quality. Space is exceptionally generous for both front and rear passengers, too.

Ride & Handling:

The giveaway is in the name - Comfort. That may be a spec level and not necessarily representative of the i20 range, but the Hyundai is certainly designed to make life easy rather than enthralling for its occupants - and that's something it does well.

The soft springs deliver a comfortable ride, especially at low speeds. Grip is reasonably good and the i20 handles well in so much as it goes where you point it, but without much exuberance.

Engine & Transmission:

A 78hp 1.2-litre petrol engine is never going to set the world alight, but the Hyundai's unit delivers its peak torque of 120Nm at 4,000rpm, which is just about low enough to make for decent mid-range performance.

It still requires effort from the driver when serious progress is to be made, but that's to be expected from a small-engined car. The five-speed manual gearbox is light and easy to use.

Equipment, Economy & Value for Money:

Former versions of the 1.2-litre Hyundai i20 narrowly missed out on sub-120g/km tax breaks, but Hyundai has now rectified the problem. A nip and a tuck here and there have brought the emissions down to 119g/km - sufficient enough for real cost savings whether you're a fleet or retail buyer.

At £10,745 for the three-door model, the Hyundai is far from overpriced, and the mid-spec Comfort model is a more desirable prospect than the entry-level Classic, though neither is spartan - and 55.4mpg is not to be sniffed at from a petrol engine.