IN these days of electrification, hybrids and twin-clutch automatics, there's something strangely reassuring about an old-school hatchback with a gear-stick, traditionally ICE-powered without a shred of shove from batteries.

We've just been behind the wheel of a Hyundai i20, a well-priced supermini propelled by a three-cylinder, one litre petrol engine. It may not sound much, but the all 89 horses are harnessed to work hard and give the little five-door a decent turn of speed and ample acceleration that sees 62mph coming up in less than 12 seconds.

The engine itself is willing and smooth with an eager ‘thrum' from the three cylinders. There's decent torque, too, so the driver isn't forever seeking a lower gear to scale gradients.

Gearing of the six-speed transmission is relatively high making cruising at motorway speeds quite relaxed. At 70mph the engine is turning over at just 2,400rpm. The manual gearbox has quite a long-throw action but the change is smooth and the clutch light.

While there are no pretentions towards being a hot hatch, handling and roadholding is crisp enough with strong grip, even in damp, greasy conditions. Steering is also more positive than many, though not as impressive of the now extinct Fiesta.

The cabin is smart enough with a large, oblong centrally positioned touchscreen and a binnacle housing twin dials for speedo and rev counter directly in front of the driver. Look more carefully and you find quite a lot of hard plastic surfaces on the fascia.

Heating controls are thankfully physical controls separate from the touchscreen. Unusually, these days, the handbrake is of the old-fashioned type set between the seats.

There's plenty of space for driver and front seat passenger both in terms of headroom and legroom and the seats are seriously comfortable and supportive. Those in the rear are less well catered for with limited legroom, particularly if the front seats are set well back.

With 352litres of boot space, the i20 has many of its rivals beaten. Fold down the rear seats and this grows to 1,165 litres, a useful area for transporting larger items. Up front, there's a large glove box, cup holders and generous sized door bins, making it a practical proposition for families on the move.

While noise levels are quite acceptable, even at higher speeds, the ride tends to be on the firmer side and its composure can be unsettled by rippled or undulating surfaces traversed at slower speeds.

Economy is always an important feature to be considered in cheaper family models and in this area the i20 acquits itself well. Our average of 47mpg was achieved during a mix of busy commuter runs and longer cross-country drives plus several motorway journeys. With an emissions level of 130g/km it lags below several obvious rivals, however.

A feather in its cap and an obvious attraction to buyers is Hyundai's generous five-year warranty, which beats most European rivals.

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