WE seem to have developed something of a love affair with the little Hyundai i10.

Since it arrived back in 2008, British drivers have snapped up a third of all the city cars Hyundai has sold in Europe.

Its popularity was buoyed in 2009 when it became a star of the scrappage scheme since, with a £2,000 discount, it was unbeatable value for money.

There are now more than 110,000 i10s on our roads and that's going to grow with the arrival of an all-new version in January.

For Hyundai the success of the i10 is simple - a lot of car for not a lot of money.

Priced from £8,345 the new i10 not only looks the part it has a classy interior and drives like a dream.

For a small car the feel is quite remarkable and even the top grade model will see change from £10,500.

All come with five years, unlimited mileage warranties and with frugal petrol engines, running costs are going to be low.

Hyundai is claiming 60.1mpg for the cheapest 1.0-litre i10 and 57.6 for the slightly more powerful 1.25-litre version with emissions of 108 and 114 g/km respectively.

We got 49.5mpg from the 1.2 and actually managed to match the official economy figure for the 1.0 without any trouble.

The new i10 is built in Turkey at Hyundai's factory in Izmit which will also be home to the next generation i20 supermini which is due out next year.

What really impresses about the latest i10 is the build quality and a sturdy feel that belies its status as a city car.

It is finished well inside too and with a two-tone colour textured colour scheme to the dash it is bang on trend.

Noise levels inside are astonishingly low and the ride and feedback through the steering are a class above.

Around town there is little to fault with either engine although out in the open the 66ps 1.0-litre needs working to tackle anything but the smallest gradient.

The 87ps from the 1.25 helps plug the gap and that is reflected in a 0 to 60 time of 12.3 seconds compared to 14.9. Nevertheless both are comfortable at motorway speeds.

Up front it is nice and roomy and although it's a five-door, five-seater the back is tight for adults.

The eco friendly Blue Drive version which costs from £9,595 and is supposed to be good for 65.2 to the gallon with tax free emissions of 98g/km, can seat only four but for a young family space inside is adequate.

Boot capacity is good at 252 litres which is big enough for a weekly shop and with folding rear seats it rises to 1,046 litres.

All but the basic model comes with air conditioning and standard features include daytime running lights, central locking, electric front windows and an adjustable steering wheel.

At the top of the scale the i10 Premium comes with rather smart 14-inch alloys, Bluetooth connectivity with voice actuation, steering wheel controls, some leather finishes and quality upholstery that would not be out of place in a car costing thousands more.

Six airbags, stability controls and tyre pressure monitors are fitted to every model and on the five speed manual versions you get gear shift prompts to help efficient driving.

A four speed auto is available in mid-range SE trim and that's priced from £10,495.

Compared to others such as the Nissan Pixo, Suzuki Alto and even the likes of the Citroen C1, the new i10 is a sure-fire shift up the ladder in terms of all round refinement and quality.

Pound for pound it is a great value city car that is fashionable, fun and functional and bound to be a hit with drivers young and old.