59 VW Up: Deceptively simple with plenty of vroom . . .

Proof that small and cheap need not mean small nor cheap. The Up is the car Apple should have built if it hadn't gone half mad trying to build an Apple Car. It has the deceptively simple style of Cupertino's finest (all chamfered edges and subtle detailing) and it also sticks to the Apple credo of making functionality a prime target. So the Up is relatively spacious for a small car (tiny boot aside) and somewhat surprisingly comfortable too – unlike most rivals, you don't sit in it and feel as if you are perched up on a narrow bar stool. Instrumentation is simple and clear, and the neat little centre touchscreen is a delight to use. 1.0-litre three-pot engine is game as anything, even on the motorway, and it seems to return 50mpg no matter how you drive it. Electric version has oddly Yorkshire-esque e-Up name and tiny range, but we await the sporty GT version with avid interest. All of the above goes equally for the identical Skoda Citigo and Seat Mii, and they can be notably cheaper than the VW.

Price range: €11,875 to €17,065

Co2 emissions: 100 to 108g/km

Which one? Move Up 5dr 60hp

PCP from €179 per month