Over the years I’ve closely followed the fortunes of Hyundai. After all, I was the first local journalist to test drive the Pony, originally planned for the Canadian market and a thoroughly satisfying car to drive on our even more uncertain roads all those years ago.

Many years later, Hyundai has mastered the art of making fine cars that will, and do, appeal, to buyers worldwide, including Malta. I was also pleased to read that the Hyundai boss had met up with our local agent very recently.

Whether you drive the three- or five-door model i20, the whole experience should be totally pleasurable, as Marcel Loporto and I found out while ‘batting’ around a fine selection of some of our best, and worst, roads to give the car a fair test.

This is one of an ever-expanding breed of cars that is entirely driver-friendly. Yes, the road holding and drivability of the car encourage good drivers to stretch themselves a little while allowing newcomers to the art of fine driving to become accustomed to handling the car nicely, politely and very much within both the driver’s and car’s limits.

Cars of this grand character are designed to go safely at speeds far above our local 80 km/h limit, a fact that seems generally beyond the understanding of local government experts.

This is one of an ever-expanding breed of cars that is entirely driver friendly

We encounted no traffic congestion, possibly because we used a selection of reasonably surfaced lesser roads, roads we both know very well and are absolutely ideal for small, well-balanced Hyundais.

The 1248cc petrol engine is the ideal size for Malta as the car has sufficient power [85 bhp] to cope with a full load of passengers with no undue strain on the mechanicals.

There is absolutely no excuse for the driver not being able to get into an ideal driving position, as the driver’s seat is height-adjustable along with the tilt and telescopic steering.

The back-seat rests can be lowered 60:40 to allow a most interesting amount of luggage along with two occupants who can waft along either on extended holidays or mundane shopping trips.

In chatter, it is still apparent that a lot of potential owners are unduly concerned with safety. This is, I suppose, because a lot of people hate driving and have no faith in their own abilities. It is a horrible fact, but true, that each of us is totally responsible for the way we drive and, for the sake of every other road user, we owe it to them to put a brave and skilful face on things.

This is somewhat easier in the i20. It is such a forgiving little car. Getting into safety mode, the car has a seat belt reminder system, five head restraints, the front ones active. There are airbags for the driver and front seat passenger, along with side and curtain bags and an On/Off airbag switch option for the passenger side.

ABS helps stop the car from skidding when you need to stop in a hurry. ESC (electronic stability control) helps keep the car under control when driven near its limits or when negotiating slippery or uncertain road surfaces. ES (emergency stop signal); VSM (vehicle stability management); HAC (hill assist control); LDW (lane departure warning) are extremely useful if the driver gets tired and concentration flags.

Cruise control with speed limiter is useful abroad. There is also a speed-related auto door lock and an impact-sensing door unlock and reversing sensors along with a full-size spare wheel and TPMS (tyre pressure monitoring system).

A pretty good selection of standard features, quite apart from air-conditioning and power steering. There is also remote central locking with alarm and a folding type key.

Obviously the radio CD is great with four speakers, USB and Aux port, Bluetooth with voice recognition and, if electrics are your thing, the front and rear windows are electrically operated and the outside mirrors electrically heated and adjusted with a side repeater lamp set in the outside mirrors.

­While talking lights, one finds daytime LED lights and front fog lamps. It’s really no wonder why so many people enjoy the entire Hyundai experience. The i20 is made to take the panic out of driving, and it does it well.

Verdict

Comfort
With the properly adjustable driver’s seat and plenty of leg room inside, this family car should carry a decent four-star rating.

Performance
Perfectly adequate for a small family car.

Cool
From the purely fun point of view, the i20 really must once again carry a four-star.

Quality
Hard to beat in cars costing many times the price.

At a glance

Engine
1248cc petrol engine

Transmission
Five-speed manual

Economy
5 litres/100km

C02
119 g/km

Power
85bhp at 6,000rpm

Maximum torque
120.7 Nm at 4,000rpm

Specifications
3,995 mm long, 1,710 mm wide and stands proud at 1,490 mm