HYUNDAI'S ix20 is one of those cars that's difficult to classify - is it a supermini or perhaps even a mini MPV?

Perhaps the best description and one that actually sums it up rather well would be ‘a supermini on steroids'.

At first glance it certainly has the compact dimensions of a supermini but step inside and the space it offers will come as a genuine surprise.

For a long time now any company making a small car has been hard at work making them way bigger on the inside than they ever used to be.

One of the tricks in achieving this is to make them taller rather than longer and wider.

And the ix20 is no exception. It is still a fairly small car when it comes to width and length and like many smaller cars has minimal overhangs.

Yet the interior has the feel of a family hatchback or a small MPV.

I confess I actually found it quite perplexing at first but quickly got to appreciate it.

The big car feel is enhanced by the fact the ix20 sits quite high off the ground, almost SUV style.

It's another appealing and endearing aspect of a car that really grew on me as each day passed.

It makes getting in and out exceptionally easy and combined with good all round visibility ensures a great view of the road at all times.

My only disappointment was a boot that was a wee bit on the small side - a kind of giveaway that this was in fact a small car cleverly passing as something a lot bigger.

As far as fit and finish go the ix20 measures up well too. Build quality feels good and although the interior falls short of being inspiring it's more than up to the mark when it comes to quality and functionality.

To complete the picture the ix20's driving manners are pretty big and grown up too.

It holds the road well with a remarkably flat feel when cornering and rides comfortably.

The 1.4-litre diesel engine offered is well worth paying a little extra for over the similarly aspirated petrol unit

Its acceleration on paper might appear to be on a par with a 1970s Ford Escort but to me it felt sprightly enough, particularly when it came to everyday urban motoring and any sluggishness as far as sprinting was concerned was more than compensated for by an abundance of torque.

With Hyundai making significant inroads into the UK market the ix20 is a model that should see that trend continue.

It's a small car with a big attitude and without doubt a great all-rounder for a price that's a relative steal.

£13,275

89bhp, 1,396cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 6-speed manual gearbox

104mph

14.5 seconds

65.7

9

114g/km

13%

5yrs/ unlimited miles