Hyundai i20 scores 20 out of 20

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Long gone too are the days when people chuckled and made rude comments about manufacturers such as Hyundai. One only has to think of the market-leading little Getz as a good example of the fun, style and good value for money this brand has brought to the local market.

Towards the end of last year Hyundai introduced the cheeky Hyundai i10 for below R100,000 and almost from day one the baby Korean was arm-wrestling strong opponents such as the Tata Indica, Daihatsu Charade, Fiat Palio, Opel Corsa Lite, Kia Picanto, Ford Ka and the VW CitiStorm for market share.

And now hard on its heels comes the slightly bigger Hyundai i20 with a stylish, trendy new look and a Father Christmas sleigh brimming with so many fancy goodies that it is going to overturn, let alone upset, the supermini apple cart.

Not only has it got more than enough cute and cool to appeal to a younger market, it also has all the value-for-money impressives that make lots of rands and cents sense in the current meltdown market.

In terms of looks it is not unlike the Toyota Yaris, but just prettier with neater lines and a squatter crouch that makes it look quite sporty.

Attractive features include teardrop-shaped headlights, a rather cheeky nose, large and low air intakes, chiselled bonnet and its large slanted front windscreen (which also gives it a coefficient drag of only 0.33 which is impressive for a B-segment hatchback).

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The zesty, young-at-heart look of the i20 lives on in the living quarters which are spacious and have an airy, light and modern feel to it.

The seats are comfortable, the steering wheel is fully adjustable and the stubby gear lever is perfectly positioned for easy cog-swopping.

But besides being comfortable and easy on the eye, what really impresses is the build quality and the quietness of the ride. The cabin is really well-insulated against outside noises and it oozes the level of classiness one would expect to find in a more expensive car.

Back passengers, who often come a poor second in terms of leg and head-room in B-segment cars, are certainly well looked after in the i20.

The back seats can be split 60:40 to create a long and flat load length of 1.35 metres. The boot is a generous 295 litres in size, even though it houses a full-size spare wheel.

There are two versions of the i20 to choose from - a 1.4-litre and a 1.6-litre, both with five-speed manual transmission.

The 1.4-litre produces 74kW and 136Nm, has a maximum speed of 180km/h and will do the 0-100km/h sprint in 11.6 seconds.

Fuel consumption in the combined cycle is given as 5.6 litres per 100km and it is priced at R149,900.

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The 1.6-litre produces 91kW and 156Nm, has a top speed of 190km/h and will do the 0-100km/h run in 9.5 seconds. Combined cycle fuel consumption is given as 5.9 litres per 100km and it wears a price tag of R159,900.

The models are identical in looks and both come with a long list of impressive safety and luxury features including driver and front passenger air bags, crumple zones, side impact beams, child safety rear locking, central locking, fog lights, aircon, six-speaker radio/CD system (with MP3, AUX and USB and audio controls on the steering wheel), electric windows, electric foldable exterior mirrors, ABS brakes with EBD - and a five-star rating in the Euro NCAP crash test evalution.

So, a good looker, well priced, highly-specced, classy and comfortable - but what's it like on the road?

Very nice, thank you.

At the media introduction, I had the opportunity of stretching the 1.6-litre's legs on a quick spin down to Fish Hoek and from there via Hout Bay to the Twelve Apostles Hotel and I really enjoyed the ride.

It's a nippy little car, gentle to drive and it feels good and solid on the road with no small car bouncy-bounce in the corners, even at fair lick.

The steering is light and easy which makes parking a breeze.

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I tried hard but couldn't find anything obvious to dislike about the i20.

In fact, it has a solid, funky smile-on-your-dial air about it that makes it instantly likeable.

The car's target market audience will probably be singles and young families aged between 25 and 35, but as a value package it certainly also has lots of appeal for older audiences.

In these days of high maintenance and repair costs, the Hyundai's marketing-leading price-inclusive package of a five-year/150,000km manufacturer's warranty and three-year/60,000km service plan also certainly carries a lot of weight.

Look at what the opposition has to offer and I reckon you'll agree that the new i20 looks as attractive as a generous SARS rebate.