Hyundai’s range isn’t quite as ‘cheap as chips’ as the saying goes but it does offer stonking good value for money, writes motoring editor Sharon Walters.

And that’s something everyone is looking for in the current economic climate – even the so-called luxury brands are feeling the chill wind of the credit crunch as manufacturers cut back production as orders get thinner on the ground.

The biggest market for cars in Britain is the C-segment and it is hotly contested with bags of offerings.

So step forward and take a bow the i30 from Hyundai.

Whether in hatch or estate form you will have to go far to get a better deal.

It is anything from around £1,000 to £3,000 cheaper than most of its competitors, has loads of kit, good choice and standard of engine, a decent finish inside and out AND there is the small matter of a five year warranty.

In fact the difference in price is much bigger when you take the spec into account plus the advantages of the excellent warranty.

Starting with the hatch, it has the longest wheelbase in its class, a wide track and tall roofline which it takes up to five occupants in some comfort. There is also a decent bootspace of 340 litres and with the slit rear seats down that goes up to 1,250 litres.

As for the estate, rear passenger space is not sacrificed to make a bigger boot.

All models get an electronic as standard stability programme and other safety features include active front head restraints; passenger, driver and full length curtain airbags; passenger airbag deactivation switch, seatbelt reminder and ISOfix child seat fixing points in the rear.

Other standard equipment includes front fog lights, remote locking, glovebox cooling, electrically heated door mirrors, a trip computer, air conditioning, four electric windows, alloy wheels and integrated steering wheel controls.

See what I mean about value-for-money?

And it’s a pretty good drive too, whichever engine you opt for. The ride is comfortable and the car is equally pleasant on country roads as the motorway – although it has to be said that wind noise can be a little intrusive when travelling at speed.

The hatch as a choice of 1.4 petrol, 1.6 petrol, 1.6iBlue, 1.6 diesel and 2.0 diesel with an option of an auto box on the 1.6 petrol and 1.6 diesel.

In the estate you get manual and auto versions of the 1.6 petrol and 1.6 diesel.

It’s worth mentioning here that diesel have become popular with rising fuel costs and yet only a few car makers offer a diesel engine with an auto box.

So you can get two pedal fuel economy in an i30.

There are three trim levels – Comfort, Style and Premium. Even on the Comfort level there is high specification with more equipment than most maker’s mid-range offerings.

I have a driven most of the engine derivatives and recently spent more time in the 1.4 Comfort – and yes, you really do think you are in a more expensive car.

The 1.4 returns a very respectable46.3 mpg in the combined cycle and can get from 0-62mph in 12.6 seconds .

Prices start at £11,845 on-the-road for the hatchback rising to £16,755. For the estate at £13,155 rising to £16,455.

Bumper to bumper:

HYUNDAI: i30 SE 1.4 Comfort

ENGINE: Four-cylinder 16-valve DOHC

FUEL ECONOMY: Urban: 37.2; extra urban: 54.3; combined: 46.3

TOP SPEED: 116mph, 0-62 11.7 secs

TRANSMISSION: Five-speed manual transmission

EMISSIONS: CO2, 145 g/km

TORQUE: 137/101(Nm/lbs ft)

TYRES: 205/55 R16