"The Matrix 1.6 GSi suddenly looks as if it's holding a handful of aces."

It certainly has price on its side. The Matrix 1.6 undercuts many direct rivals and even finds itself pitched in with smaller cars like the Toyota Yaris Verso. In order to get a 1.6-litre engine under the bonnet of a Renault Scenic, you'll need to find another £3,000 and even Citroen's popular C4 Picasso would cost an extra £2,500. When you consider that many mini-MPVs are bought out of necessity rather than on any consideration of dynamic merit, the Matrix 1.6 suddenly looks as if it's holding a handful of aces. Only models like the Kia Carens or the Chevrolet Tacuma offer a more aggressive value proposition.

Despite the nature of the market, the styling of the Matrix may well swing it for some. Designed by Pininfarina, it's a neat job. Although you wouldn't identify it as the high point in the portfolio of a styling house that has brought us the Ferrari 355, the Alfa Romeo Duetto and the Peugeot 406 Coupe it's nevertheless a distinctive effort. That rather odd window line is a novelty and acts as a neat signature touch. It certainly makes an interesting visual hook, something that will make the Matrix easily identifiable in a crop of lookalike egg-shaped rivals.

The front end is somewhat anonymous, looking all-too similar to a Premacy, a Space Star or any other Far Eastern mini-MPV that drifts aimlessly to mind. The rear is far sharper with some neatly bevelled planes that catch the light in interesting ways and would look great with a mica 'flip' paint job.

Inside, the Matrix continues the slightly left-field styling theme with centrally mounted instruments which, although angled toward the driver, require some effort to read quickly and the overall feel is of a number of good ideas stunted due to cost considerations. Nevertheless, the Matrix features a befuddling array of storage boxes, cubbies, shelves and pockets to the extent that finding a casually secreted key, card or banknote can be the work of several minutes. The GSi trim level is notably generous and includes a standard CD player, air conditioning, alloy wheels and twin front and side airbags.

Unlike many of the more smugly self-congratulatory offerings in the mini-MPV sector, the Matrix only boasts five seats, but this in itself is no great drawback. The rear seats slide and with a 60/40 split can be folded double. Unfortunately they can't be removed, which limits the Matrix's ultimate carrying capacity, but even with the seats in place you'll get more useable boot space than you'll probably need. Although it looks tiny outside, with its diminutive wheels and miniaturised detailing, the Matrix is, in fact, bigger than a Renault Scenic inside. With a 2600mmm wheelbase and a width of 1740mm it 's one of the biggest cars in the class. Break out the tape measure and you'll find your eyes aren't deceiving you. The Matrix is just 4025mm long, which makes it a good 11 cm shorter than a Scenic and over a foot shorter than a Zafira.

The driving position is good, and the wheel is pleasantly upright, unlike in many small MPVs which make steering feel like opening a lock gate. Likewise the driving position is pleasantly relaxed, and the pedals are well spaced. The windscreen pillars don't contain any airbags and, as a consequence, are relatively slim, such that you'll probably be more likely to avoid an accident on a bend or roundabout in the first instance. Should you need to stop, the brakes are well up to the task, although they require quite a stomp to get maximum effect.

The 106bhp 1.6-litre engine isn't the car's best point, being rather thrashy when worked hard. Unfortunately, that will mean most of the time when the Matrix is fully loaded. Fortunately the standard fit stereo isn't bad, so you may want to drown out the sound of cams, kids and companion with a few well-intentioned watts. Bear in mind that you'll probably need to shift down into fourth or even third gear to effect any A-road overtaking manoeuvres as there's not a huge amount of torque on offer to drive the tall fifth gear. Still, should you wish to put the pedal to the metal, the Matrix 1.6 will get to 60mph in an entirely reasonable 12 seconds and on to a top speed of 105mph. Fuel economy is a bonus, with 35.3mpg readily attainable.

Being based on the Elantra platform, the Matrix rides well and makes all sorts of sense in town, as the turning circle is almost comically tiny and the steering is light and direct. It may lack feedback, but if you want a driver's car for the family, you'll need to fork out a heck of a lot more than £12,000 to get behind the wheel of a Vauxhall Zafira VXR. Truth be told, few prospective customers will place driver feedback anywhere near the top of their priority lists. In all of the areas that really matter, the Matrix 1.6 looks to have covered its bases very well.

In a way it takes a good deal of corporate faith to enter a market as obsessed with packaging miracles with none to speak of. The Matrix 1.6 singularly lacks the sort of showroom wow factor that the Vauxhall Zafira's Flex 7 seating system or the Fiat Multipla's three abreast arrangement can generate and do you know what? It's all the better because of it. There's a refreshing honesty about the Matrix, a feeling of 'what you see is what you get'. The 1.6-litre version is perhaps the most compelling choice of the range, especially for price conscious customers, as with some of the more upmarket Matrix variants, customers are tempted by base model offerings from the European elite. It's also one of the few inexpensive cars that contrives never to feel cheap.

Facts At A Glance

CAR: Hyundai Matrix 1.6 GSi

PRICES: £11,015 - on the road

INSURANCE GROUP: 7

CO2 EMISSIONS: 191g/km / E

PERFORMANCE: 0-60 mph 12s / Max Speed 106 mph

FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 27.5 (extra urban) 42.8 (combined) 35.3mpg

STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: ABS, twin front and side airbags.

WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE: Length/Width/Heightmm 4025/1740/1625