The little fella with the cheeky face is the new Citroen C1, the French's company's new
supermini.
Developed in conjunction with the Peugeot 108 and the Toyota Aygo, the C1 gets a look
all of its own, with a happy smiley front end design that features split-level lights,
plus funky LED running lights in the front bumper.
A neat design touch is the blackened A-pillar that creates the effect of a wrap-around glass
area, while Airscape models feature a large electrically-operated fabric roof that opens
at the touch of a button - although, presumably for annoying health-and-safety reasons, you
have to hold the button to close it.
It features a pop-up wind deflector to help keep the buffeting down, and it gathers itself
into a neat series of folds when open.
The C1 is available in both three and five-door forms, although both are externally the same
size, the only difference being the number and size of the doors.
The design of the rear is finished off by the blackened glass tailgate, with a funky
pair of square light clusters either side.
Inside, the funkiness continues with the stripey seats of our Feel test car, and there's a
decent amount of adjustment for the driver's seat that allows even tall drivers to get
comfortable.
The steering wheel adjusts for height only, which is a shame, as tall drivers would really
benefit from having reach adjustment, too.
The dials move with the steering column which is a neat idea and keeps everything perfectly
in view, although the range of adjustment is pretty tiny.
Still, everything is simply laid out with easy to use controls for the ventilation system
plus a good number of cup holders and cubby holes dotted around the cabin.
The dials are nice and clear, and come complete with a handy trip computer, although the rev
counter is an option on all but the top spec model.
The centre stack is dominated by a 7-inch colour touch-screen that provides access to
the various audio and connectivity systems, plus the option of a reversing camera, although
there's no satnav option.
It does, however, include MirrorLink, which allows you to use the touch-screen to control
your phone by downloading an app, although the system isn't compatible with all smartphones.
The back seats are fine for kids, and you could probably squeeze a couple of mates in
for a quick trip to the pub, but realistically most adults are going to struggle back here.
Boot space is 196 litres, rising to 780 litres with the seats folded forward, and although
that's easy to do, it doesn't leave you with a very flat load floor.
That said, we like the little hooks for hanging shopping bags on, and one particularly neat
touch is the way the parcel shelf, which is attached to the tailgate, is pulled out of
the way automatically by a simple bit of cord.
Two petrol engines are available, both with three-cylinders, starting with a 1.0-litre
unit with 68hp that's available with either a five-speed manual or five-speed ETG auto
transmission, plus a 1.2-litre PureTech unit with 80hp.
Whichever engine you choose, all of them have CO2 emissions below 100 g/km, making road
tax a thing of the past, while official economy figures range from 65.7 to 74.3mpg.
In the real world, we averaged around 56mpg from our 1.0-litre test car, although something
in the low 60s should be perfectly possible if you're prepared to take things easy.
On the road, the little three-cylinder has quite an appealing rasp to it, although at
low revs there are a few vibrations making their way through the steering wheel and the
pedals, and while the five-speed box perhaps isn't the most precise, it always changes
smoothly and cleanly.
The throttle response is a touch too keen at low speeds, though, but once on the move
it makes the little C1 feel eager and responsive.
Ok, so it's not desperately quick, and turning on the air con has a noticeable impact on
its performance, but it's still more than capable of getting up to speed and staying
there.
It's even got enough juice to overtake slower-moving traffic without embarrassing itself.
The ride's pretty good, too, with surprisingly good control that keeps body roll largely
in check.
In fact, it tackles some challenges such as speed-bumps better than many a car twice the
price, but it still has its foibles, like the way it skips sideways over mid-corner
bumps at speed.
Add in the decent steering response and the excellent turning circle, and the C1 becomes
a nimble little tyke to thread through traffic.
But its capabilities extend far enough that should you need to venture out onto the motorway
network, there should be little to worry about.
Prices for the Citroen C1 start at £8,245, our test car with a few tasteful options coming
in at £11,830.
We quite like its cheerful sense of design, and while it might not be the last word in
interior space or performance, for nipping about town the C1 is a more than willing companion.