Hyundai Getz

The Getz could be Hyundai's first serious contender in the hotly contested supermini market. Good-looking, spacious and practical inside, the newcomer will be priced and equipped to make it a really tempting proposition against more established class competitors. So this could be the car to launch the Korean manufacturer towards that British top sellers list at last.

It's all very well for Hyundai to gain credibility with fashionable cars such as the new Coup� and the Santa Fe 4x4, but it's not these models which will make the company rich. To really get noticed in the European market, it has to build small cars � and they have to be good enough to make buyers turn away from best sellers such as the Ford Fiesta and Fiat Punto.

So this is where the company Getz serious. Its new hatchback, out in the UK on 1 October, has been designed specifically for European tastes, unlike previous models such as the quirky Atoz and lacklustre Accent. At 3,810mm long, it's within a few millimetres of its new rivals, and the tall stance and long wheelbase give it the competitive interior space buyers demand. We took an exclusive early drive in a Korean version � named Clicks in the domestic market � to see if it measures up.

Hyundai knows that it's not good enough just to be on a level with competitors � it has to offer a little bit more. So besides luxuries such as a trip computer and phone built in to the dashboard, the Getz has interior flexibility which rivals the Honda Jazz for practicality. The back seats slide on rails to optimise space for rear passengers or luggage depending on the situation, or they can also fold and recline in a 60/40 split. In the boot, the parcel shelf can also be placed in various positions to hide loads, or can even increase the amount of room available for luggage by providing another platform to stack objects on to.

Build quality is surprisingly good, too. Although the Getz will never feel as solid as a VW Polo, the materials used for the interior are far better than the Hyundai models from a few years ago.

But can it match rivals on the road? While UK cars will be available with 1.1, 1.3, and 1.6-litre petrol engines and a 1.5-litre common-rail diesel, we had to settle for a Korean market 1.5-litre with 100bhp mated to an automatic box.

As you'd expect from a relatively powerful engine in a small car, the Getz feels lively above 2,000rpm, and the auto changes ratios incredibly smoothly. Engine noise is remarkably subdued, too, especially at motorway speeds. The handling and ride aren't up to the very high standards set by the latest batch of supermini rivals, though. High-speed stability and refinement are good enough to shame the bigger Accent, but the Getz doesn't manage to absorb low-speed bumps in the same way a Fiesta or Skoda Fabia would.

Electrically assisted power-steering, fitted to save weight and fuel, also lacks feel and is much too heavy at parking speeds, but the rack is quick-geared enough to provide sporty responses and make twisty lanes good fun. We'll have to wait and see how the car copes with the challenge of UK roads, though.