A STUNNING-looking machine that returned a fantastic 65mpg, had room for five adults and their luggage and came with a realistic price tag. Just what most of us would happily settle for in a set of wheels.

Well, that's what you got from Korean giants Hyundai with their sleek, family-sized i40.

Arriving hard on the heels of the i40 Tourer estate car, the four-door saloon was blessed with the same flowing lines as its load-lugging sibling. So boy, did this baby look the part.

And it also acted the part, for the i40 came in three trim levels - Active, Style and Premium - and featured both petrol and diesel power units with a choice of three power outputs with both manual and automatic gearboxes.

All offered exceptional value for money, but not only that, for a large D-segment family saloon, running costs were such that it didn't break the bank to keep the car on the road.

Service intervals came every 20,000 miles, while Hyundai's five-year, unlimited miles warranty also kept repair costs at bay.

Hyundai's optional Blue Drive technology was available throughout the range, featuring intelligent stop-and-go technology. These models were cleaner, offerd better fuel consumption and were cheaper to tax.

I have to admit I was most impressed with the smaller-output diesel which was available only in Active trim.

Powered by the same 1.7-litre CRDi engine found throughout the rest of the range, but churning out 114bhp compared with 134bhp on the Style and Premium spec models, it delivered a whopping 65.7mpg on the combined cycle while cutting emissions to 113g/km.

While obviously missing out on some low end grunt when making a quick getaway or overtaking, it still produced 192lb/ft from between 1,250 and 2,750revs, powering the i40 to 62mph from standing in 12.3 seconds and giving it a top speed of 119mph.

The i40 came kitted out with a collection of the latest active and passive safety technologies for maximum protection for those inside.

Features included electronic stability programme, anti-lock brakes with brake assist, hill-start control and vehicle stability management, while seven airbags came as standard.

For such a big car, Hyundai did an excellent job when it came to ride quality. It's similar to what you would expect from an premium executive saloon, while its road-holding abilities were a match for many of the Korean company's far more expensive mainstream competitors.

Standard features included 16-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth with voice recognition, leather steering wheel with audio controls, heated door mirrors with integrated indicators, electric windows all round and electric parking brake with auto hold function.

Move up to Style specification, and that added touch-screen satellite navigation with rear view camera, cruise control, dual zone climate control and parking sensors front and rear to the list of goodies.

Flagship Premium models pushed the boat out when it came to luxurious motoring. Features included leather upholstery, panoramic sunroof and keyless entry, while other options included lane departure warning, smart parking assist, heated leather steering wheel and ventilated front seats.

Hyundai are certainly on a roll and have scooped many major awards over the last few years and iIf the i40 is anything to go by Hyundai had better make room for many more awards that will surely be coming their way in the years to come.

A used 2012 62-plate i40 Blue Drive Active will cost between £6,165 and £7,855. Move up a year to a 62-plate and you'll be talking in the region of £7,200 to £,9080.

For such a large, beautifully-sculptured, luxurious saloon, that's certainly something of a bargain in anyone's book.