We review the Hyundai i20 from price to economy and all its features

MY mate Steve has been flogging Hyundais for years.

He's done all right for himself too. Big house, nice holidays, good seats at Newcastle.

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His customers weren't fussy about looks (like Mrs Peter Beardsley, thankfully). They just wanted reliable, no-nonsense budget wheels — and they kept coming back.

Recently, Hyundai has started adding style and sophistication to that mix and UK sales are at an all-time Hy — up seven per cent year on year.

This i20 supermini is the latest model to be transformed and goes on sale in January, from £10,695.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS?

This is the first i20 to arrive in the UK and I got the keys late on Monday night.

It looked sharp under the street lights — longer, wider and lower than the old car.

And those gloss black rear pillars, creating a wraparound window effect, give it more individuality. It's more roomy inside too — comfy, better quality, good equipment. But my favourite bit of kit? Cornering lights.

The i20 still won't trouble the class-leading Ford Fiesta, but it is moving quickly up the ranks.

HOW DOES IT DRIVE?

My test car was fitted with a 1.4-litre petrol engine, one of the few things carried over from the old car.

You won't get too excited driving it, you're not meant to, but it returns close to 50mpg.

The gears are effortless and it's a nice relaxing ride on the motorway (cruise control on, naturally). Hill start assist is standard.

A new 1-litre T-GDI turbo petrol engine will follow soon and eco-warriors should consider the stop-and-go Blue model that does 88.3mpg with zero road tax (84g/km). That starts at £12,445.

And of course, all Hyundais come with peace of mind. You get a five-year unlimited mileage warranty as standard, plus five years' roadside assistance and vehicle health checks.

WHAT'S IT LIKE INSIDE?

This is where the i20 wins big. There's room for than average, more headroom and an even bigger boot, up ten per cent at 326 litres.

The dashboard is clean and simple and the controls glow blue at night so they are easy to use.

Even the entry i20 S has electric front windows, remote central locking, tinted windows and RDS radio with USB as standard.

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The SE will be the big seller (from £12,725) and adds voiceactivated Bluetooth, cruise control with speed limiter, lane departure warning, rear electric windows and reversing sensors.

The Premium model (from £13,725) gets cornering lights, smartphone dock and automatic wipers and headlights, while the Premium SE (from £14,725) tops the range with front parking sensors, heated front seats, heated steering wheel and an opening panoramic glass sunroof.

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VERDICT: It's simple maths, really. Better looks + good kit + low running costs = more younger buyers. And happy holidays for my mate Steve ...

Hyundai hope to sell around 17,500 next year. I'm sure they will.