HYUNDAI ELANTRA

Today I drove a [slightly] intoxicated friend home in her new Hyundai eLantra. The car has recently clocked on its first thousand miles. It was a two hour drive through varied traffic conditions that has changed my mind about Hyundai's.

INSIDE THE CAR: True, the interior could at best be described as bland; the use of grey plastics coupled with the sheer simplicity of the cabin left me feeling as though the car could have used a few personalised touches. That said, the seats were very comfortable, the ventilation was excellent and the lack of any road noise made it an extremely pleasant car to be inside.

ENGINE AND ROAD PERFORMANCE: The 1.8 litre four cylinder engine was smooth and powered the car with that little extra bit of 'oomf' with no signs that fuel economy suffered as a result. It was truly a fun driving experience- the steering was responsive and tight, the suspension was terrific even over potholes and rough surfaces and the acceleration gave the car a real sporty feel to it. The brakes did their job with pin-point accuracy but I found that the brake pedal was a little too close to the accelerator pedal.

OUTSIDE THE CAR: This car is really nice to look at! It has a sweeping front profile, recognisable with its distinctive and instantly appealing 'visage'. It looks sleek and futuristic and even though its a four-door sedan something about it screams sports car at you. Indeed it would be my choice over a bland two-door version of a company's basic model with a few x's slapped on the tail as it left the factory. The paint work looks glossy and even though it is silver has a fascinating purplish sheen when light hits it. Gee haven't the Korean car-makers caught up with the Japanese in terms of car paint finish and quality? The doors close surely and quietly and are aligned well. However, because of its curvy shape the rear doors are a bit difficult to manoeuvre around for a very tall occupant.

After driving the Hyundai for two hours I really ended up missing the feel of it when I got back into my old car. It has changed the way I feel about Korean-made cars.