IT seems pretty rare these days for a car to come along that possesses great looks, excellent performance, plenty of on-board wizardry and a price tag less than £20,000.

But that's exactly what the latest stylish saloon from Hyundai - the i40 - can boast with its eye-catching flowing lines and neatly designed and spacious interior.

First impressions are vital and the i40 really does look great from all angles with sleek lines, 17-inch alloys and smart light clusters with LED daytime running lights.

And the level of creature comforts and gadgetry is just as impressive once you take your seat behind the multi-function, leather steering wheel. The cabin is deceptively spacious and light floods in to help create a bright atmosphere.

All the controls are ideally positioned for driver usability and features include air conditioning, a sound system with CD player and MP3 compatibility, USB and Aux connections, electric front and rear windows, automatic headlights, Bluetooth connectivity with voice recognition and plenty more besides.

There is ample room for four adults to travel in extreme comfort, five at a slight push, and there won't be any restrictions on luggage either as the boot is very generously sized.

Despite being diesel powered, the i40 is incredibly quiet and with the intelligent Stop & Go system, you can easily be fooled into thinking the engine has stopped. It's that sort of technology that results in superb economy statistics with the 140 boasting combined fuel efficiency of 65.7mpg.

Admittedly, it's not the fastest kid on the block reaching from 0-62mph in 12.9 seconds, but it delivers an extremely smooth and comfortable ride both in and around town and out on the faster roads where it holds its own with faster moving traffic.

The 1.7-litre engine delivers plenty of power and the six-speed manual gearbox is nice and responsive.

My only criticism after a week behind the wheel was due to the weather. If you open either the driver or passenger door after a shower then water trickles into the cabin.

But that aside, the i40 is quite a car and as one would expect, it comes packed to bursting with top notch safety specifications such as seven airbags, hill-start assist, anti-lock brakes, electronic stabilioty programme and lots more.

All in all, when you take into consideration the asking price and Hyuindai's five-year warranty offer, the i40 is a brilliant all-rounder that is exceptionally good value too.