A TRULY stunning-looking machine that returns a fantastic 65mpg, has masses of room for five adults and all their luggage and comes with a price tag of less than £20,000. All that most of us would quite happily settle for in a set of wheels.

Well, that's that's the deal on offer from Korean giants Hyundai, who have recently unleashed their sleek, family-sized i40 into the UK.

Arriving hard on the heels of the i40 Tourer estate wagon which was introduced last autumn, the four-door saloon is blessed with the same flowing lines as its load-lugging sibling. So boy, does this baby look the part.

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

Priced from £17,395 for the lead-in 1.6-litre GDi Blue Drive Active petrol model to £24,985 for the all-singing, all-dancing 1.7-litre CRDi Premium automatic oil-burner, every model in the i40 range offers exceptional value for money.

Not only that, but for a large family saloon, running costs are such that it won't break the bank to keep the car on the road. Service intervals are every 20,000 miles, while Hyundai's five-year, unlimited miles warranty will help keep repair costs at bay.

Hyundai's Blue Drive technology is available throughout the range, which adds £300 to the standard model.

Featuring intelligent stop and go, Blue Drive models are cleaner, offer better fuel consumption and are cheaper to tax, free for the first year and only £30 per annum from year two.

I have to admit that I was most impressed with the smaller-output diesel only available in Active trim and priced at £18,395.

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 returns a whopping 65.7mpg on the combined cycle while cutting emissions to just 113g/km.

While it obviously misses out on some low end grunt when making a quick getaway or when overtaking, it still produces plenty of torque 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 is kitted out with a collection of the latest active and passive safety technologies for maximum protection for those inside.

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

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

Standard features include 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 automatic hold function.

Move up to Style specification, and you can add 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 push the boat out when it comes to luxury. Features include leather upholstery, panoramic sunroof and keyless entry, while other options include lane departure warning, smart parking assist, heated leather steering wheel and ventilated front seats.

Hyundai is certainly on a roll and has just scooped the Carmaker of the Year prize for the second time in three years at the prestigious annual AM Magazine Awards.

With a host of other major awards already tucked away in the display cabinet, perhaps Hyundai had better make room for many more that will surely be coming their way in the coming months and years.