AUSSIES are a resourceful lot.

We’ve brought the world Granny Smith apples, wireless internet, the stump-jump plough, bionic ears and more.

And now, in another world first, we’ve brought car buyers in Australia a small Hyundai i30 hatchback that shakes off the dowdy city-bred utility of the range for a bit more spice and the chance of experiencing what Hyundais have lacked for a long, long time – a smile on the face of driving enthusiasts.

It’s still a Hyundai underneath, so that means value-driven levels of standard equipment, but the South Korean car-maker’s Australian guns-for-hire engineering team, as well as a 2.0-litre atmo four-cylinder engine, has transformed the i30 into something a little bit special.

It sets a very good benchmark for the company, and for the moment, it is all ours.

Click here for the full review...