Hyundai i30 CRDi

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.

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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.

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

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