It’s not the most exciting car in the world, but for its price and category, it is virtually faultless.

Designed and developed especially for the European market, there are three trim levels in the Hyundai i30 – Comfort, Style and Premium.

There are four engines available, two petrol and two diesel. With low CO2 emissions, you will pay just £35 tax a year and, in a first for Hyundai, an Electronic Stability Program is fitted as standard to all models in the i30 range, providing a vast improvement in safety.

The system assists drivers in the event that they are forced to swerve to avoid a collision, or if traction is lost when cornering.

ESP helps to keep the vehicle headed in the intended direction where it might otherwise slide or spin out of control.

Other range-wide safety features include active front head restraints to reduce the risk of whiplash injury; passenger, driver and full length curtain airbags, a passenger airbag deactivation switch, seatbelt reminder system and Isofix child seat fixing points in the rear.

Also standard are front fog lights, remote locking, glovebox cooling, electrically heated door mirrors and a trip computer.

There are more than 20 storage compartments for everything from your sunglasses, spare change, CDs and mints to places to store maps. Those essential extras for the modern motorist, cup holders, are situated in the centre console.

An iPod or USB port connection isn’t a pricey option either – it is an integrated part of the stereo system.

In the rear, there is plenty of space and can easily fit five occupants in comfort. This is ideal for families with older children or drivers who regularly carry adult passengers, but don’t want the extra expense and inconvenience of driving a large car.

Intelligent active headrests, which move forward to cushion the head in a rear impact, are standard across the range and help minimise the risk of whiplash injury, should the vehicle be hit from the rear.

Factfile

Vehicle: Hyundai i30 1.6 CRDi Style

On the road: £14,400

CO2 emissions: 119g/km

Engine: 4-cyl 16V DOHC

Top speed: 117mph

0-62mph: 11.6 seconds

Fuel: 62.8mph (combined)