If size and equipment are more important to you than the badge on the front of your car then Korea has always had its attractions.

Hyundai's latest offering, the Elantra, is larger than the Vauxhall Vectra, Nissan Primera, Volvo S40 and the Toyota Avensis, but with prices starting at £11,000, it undercuts them all.

So what do you get for your cash? The Elantra is longer, wider and taller than the Lantra it replaces and positively bulges with standard equipment, which we'll come to a little later.

If it lacks anything, it's road presence. When you look at a BMW you know what you are looking at. Look at a Mercedes-Benz and you know where it came from.

Ask a dozen people to name the Elantra's country of origin and you get a dozen different answers.

The Elantra, like many family-size cars from the Far East, lacks real character, but if you are willing to forgo badge appeal you will find a cossetting cabin, with a clear, well-designed dashboard and plenty of storage space.

Standard features across the whole range include anti-lock brakes, driver, passenger and side airbags, air-conditioning, radio/CD player, electric windows, seat-belt pre-tensioners, three three-point seat belts in the rear, power steering, central locking and engine immobiliser.

Move up a notch and GSi trim add remote-control central locking and alarm, trip computer, front and rear armrests, height and lumbar adjustment on the driver's seat, electrically adjustable tilt and slide sunroof and body-coloured door mirrors, door handles and rear number plate surround.

The 139 horsepower test model in top-of-the-range CDX trim came with all the bells and whistles, ranging from leather trim on seating, steering wheel and handbrake grip, to traction control, cruise and climate control and 15in alloy wheels.

Hyundai says improving safety has been a major consideration in the design of the new car, with a new bodyshell for the four-door saloon, and, for the first time, a five-door hatchback.

The stiffer bodyshell combined with new soundproofing under the bonnet, roof and rear shelf and new hydraulic engine mounts all help to cut noise and vibration and make the car noticeably quieter than its predecessor.

The power steering, while excellent for manoeuvring in tight spaces is a little light for the open road, giving a slightly twitchy feel at motorway speeds.

It might not be the most dynamic performer in its class, but the appeal of value-for-money pricing has not been lost on UK motorists, who have bought 34,300 Lantras since the original car was introduced in 1992.

Engine choice at present includes 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre petrol engines, with a 2.0-litre common-rail turbodiesel expected to arrive later in the year.

Five-speed manual transmission is fitted as standard and a four-speed automatic gearbox is available at £849 - the only optional extra available.

All new Hyundai cars come with a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty with a roadside recovery package and a six-year anti-perforation warranty.

*For more information contact Motorworld Hyundai, Oxford on 01865 722444.

Auto facts

Hyundai Elantra 2.0 CDX

Price: £13,999 on the road

Insurance group:13D

Fuel consumption (mpg)

Urban: 25.7mpg

Extra urban: 44.8mpg

Combined: 35.3mpg

Comfort: Excellent

Luggage space: 13cu ft

Dimensions

Length: 449.5cm/177in

Width: 172cm/67.7in

Top speed: 128mph

Fuel tank capacity: 55 litres/12.1 gallons