HYUNDAI GRAND i10

AND FOR MY NEXT TRICK…

Confession: the i10 is my preferred rental car. Even up at the Highveld. Its surprisingly punchy engine/gearing combination is well up to the challenge of lugging two adults around. Never mind that they've got luggage that's a little more than just overnight, because the boot's 256 litres is kind of just enough. Drop the rear seats, of course, and you add a little under 1 000 litres more.

In the second quarter of 2017, the Grand i10, which is halfway through its current model cycle, was subjected to a makeover. There's been some body restyling, including a new-look nose and new alloy wheels. The integrated rear roof spoiler probably has more to do with aerodynamic efficiency than ultimate downforce around the Nurburgring, but it does provide space to hang the high-mounted brake light and to be fair finishes off the profile quite nicely.

The Grand i10 is one of the bigger cars in its class and occupants won't feel like Hyundai stinted on the space. Standard features are well up there with the class norms. Seats are cloth and there's air-con, radio/cd sound system, USB and AUX inlet plug and Bluetooth. The top Fluid model gets powered mirrors and windows and nice, but quite unnecessary, rear park assist. More importantly, ABS brakes and dual front airbags are standard.

All three available models get Hyundai's 1,25-litre Kappa engine, paired with either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic. You probably won't believe this, but the engine thrives on being pushed hard. It's got all the modern conveniences – double overhead cams, dual variable valve timing, the works – and besides being smooth-running and spirited it's also fairly economical.

The i20 is a better, more balanced bet if you habitually travel two or more up and plan regular cross-country trips. Yet the i10 feels equally refined, with that gruff little powertrain that's not at all intrusive and, given its budget status, well controlled wind and road noise. Scratch that: it's actually very quiet, period. Unlike the i10 proper, the Grand feels like, well, a proper car that's able to fulfil a variety of roles besides shopping. Like crosscountry scrambling, traffic jamming, flat-out hustling…