HYUNDAI has upped the stakes in the city car battle with its latest i10.

It’s had an overhaul and is looking sleeker and more attractive than ever and is still excellent value.

The range starts at a mere £8,345, while the top spec Premium that I drove is still only £10,495.

For that money you get a reasonably peppy 1.2 petrol engine, alloys, leather steering wheel, air con, front fogs, cornering lights, electric windows all round, Bluetooth, USB and hill-hold.

Not a bad list for a small city car at all.

Inside, the feeling is far from cheap. There’s a real quality to the finish and everything feels very well built.

The boot is big enough for your shopping and there’s room in the back for adult passengers.

The drive is decent enough, too. While the i10 is undoubtedly built for urban driving, it can hold its own on longer journeys well enough.

In town, I managed a respectable mpg in the 40s without too much trouble – claimed is 57 on the combined cycle – and steering and clutch are light and easy.

While performance isn’t stunning, there’s enough pep for day-to-day driving.

Options are well-priced too, cruise control is just £50 extra, parking sensors £195 and heated front seats and steering wheel also £195, although there’s no option for sat nav.

The three-cylinder 1.0 litre Blue Drive engine gets to 98g/km of CO2, making for free road tax, and this four-pot 1.2 is in band C with 114g/km.

Hyundai has come up trumps with its latest i10. It’s good looking, clean, frugal, practical and, above all, with only the top spec model edging over £10,000, it is excellent value.

Making cheap motoring feel anything but is not easy, but Hyundai continues to pull it off.

Find out more at westovergroup.co.uk/Hyundai