A STYLISH supermini offering masses of space and - more importantly - the economy of a city car is a winning combination in anyone's book.
And that's just what Hyundai is hoping for with the new ix20.
With its DNA based on the already-popular i20 supermini, the MPV-style ix20 model offers a little more flexibility for today's lifestyle requirements and with its hard-to-beat price tag, should quickly find favour with the Korean manufacturer's target audience.
With entry-level prices ranging between £11,395 and £13,000, the ix20 comes with the choice of a flexible 89bhp, 1.4-litre petrol engine mated to a five-speed gearbox or a similarly-powered 1.6-litre diesel unit which gains an extra gear.
A four-speed automatic is also available which is kitted out with a 1.6-litre petrol engine which delivers 123bhp.
It's reckoned the manual petrol edition will be the best selling model in the UK and it's easy to see why.
Around £1000 cheaper than it's diesel sibling, it still returns more than 50mpg on average, accelerates from standing to 62mph in 12.9 seconds and has a top speed of 104mph, while carbon dioxide emissions have been pared to just 130g/km, thanks in part to the car's stop and go technology.
Hyundai is also making a name in the safety stakes and thre's no reason to doubt that the ix20, with it latest onboard safety features, which includes an electronic stability programme, will join the i20, i30 and ix35 in gaining a top five-star NCAP rating.
Designed at Hyundai's development centre at Russelsheim in Germany and built in the Czech Republic, Hyundai engineers fine-tuned the car's suspension here on UK roads.
It has certainly paid off for the ix20 gives an assured and comfortable ride on our better surfaced roads yet still manages to kep things together when the surface deteriorates.
To prove the point, Hyundaistaged the launch event for the newcomer on the Isle of Wight, where smooth surfaces and long fast straights are just not found.
Every road on the island seemed to be made up of a poorly laid asphalt patchwork between an never-ending series of potholes, while the sudden changes in the direction of cambers was another feature that could suddenly spring up to catch out the unwary.
Yet the ix20 took it all in its stride, being totally unruffled by the job in hand.
Okay, the car did tend to lean a bit through tight bends, that was only to be expected due to its high stance, but it never at any time struggled to keep its composure.
The ix20 offers drivers a high driving position, while the split windscreen pillars also help drivers get an unrestricted view to what's going on.
Thanks to its high body styling, there's masses of cabin space and the normal 440 litre boot space increases to a whopping 1486 litres with the split rear seats folded.
Available in three trim levels - Classic, Active and Style - the ix20 comes with an wide array of goodies as standard. Air con, electric front windows, six-speaker CD sound system, USB and Aux input, trip computer with eco-drive indicator and chilled glovebox.
Moving up to Active trim adds leather-clad steering wheel, electric windows all round, Bluetooth, reversing sensors and alloy wheels, while the top spec Style adds, among other features, an electric tilt-and-slide panoramic sunroof.
Following on from the ix35, the ix20 is the second Hyundai to offer what the Korean company calls "fluidic sculpture design language" which combines refinement, dynamism, and confidence.
This includes the brand's new hexagonal front grille which will feature in future new models.
The design theme continues inside the car, with styling touches taken from some exterior lines.
The swoop of the instrument panel hood, for instance, copies the lines of the headlights, while Active and Style models feature the leaf skeleton design of the front grille on the speaker covers and seat fabric.
Another Hyundai feature that just cannot be ignored is the marque's five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, which includes five years of free dealership-monitored vehicle health check ups and roadside assistance.
With this in mind, there's little doubt the Hyundai ix20 will be able to make a strong case for itself against mote established players such as the Nissan Note, Vauxhall Meriva and Citroen C3 Picasso.