My Shortlist 
First round finalist: One of the surprise packages of the year.
Good-looking, comfortable, well-trimmed and very well made, but the stand-out feature of the little Hyundai is the engine.
The 1.6-litre common rail direct-injection turbo diesel is a treat and the match with the five-speed manual is one made in engineering heaven. Raw figures of 85kW and 255Nm do not tell the full story, as it punches above its weight and drives like a far more expensive car.
The only slight niggle is the steering. While it is a staggering leap ahead of previous Hyundais, it is still a little off the pace for class best.
On the safety front the base model does not come standard with the full suit of airbags or ESP but can be upgraded with a safety pack for $1790 as on the test car.
Even with that it represents superb value.
Snapshot
HYUNDAI i30 CRDi
Price: $21,490 (as tested $23,280)
Engine: 1.6L/4-cylinder turbo diesel; 85kW/255Nm
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Economy: 4.7L/100km
Do you think this is a worthy Car of the Year finalist?
For all the latest on the carsguide Car Of The Year each week go to www.carsguide.com.au/caroftheyear
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