At the moment, buyers have the choice of a 67bhp three-cylinder 1.0 petrol engine or a 1.4 diesel with 54bhp. In such a light car, 67bhp is enough. The Aygo is nippy around town and can hold its own on faster roads if you use the gears. A semi-auto gearbox with a full auto programme is optional.

The Aygo handles tidily, but it isn’t as nimble as a city car should be, because of its sluggish initial steering response. Once the car is turning it feels eager, but the small front tyres soon run out of grip. The ride is hard and noisy over sharp surface changes.

The thrummy note of the three-cylinder petrol engine is ever-present and part of the vehicle’s charm. Less welcome is the amount of road and wind noise which is generated at out-of-town speeds. Everything works smoothly, though – even the full automatic programme in the semi-automatic gearbox.

The Aygo costs a little more than the mechanically identical Citroën C1, but it will cost peanuts to keep on the road. Insurance is in the lowest group 1 band, routine servicing takes just over four hours in the first three years and even the petrol model will do around 60mpg on a run. Residuals should be strong.

The Aygo’s cabin is funky and, although the materials used clearly aren’t as plush or attractive as those in Toyota’s pricier models, it has a similarly sturdy, built-to-last feel. Given Toyota’s record for mechanical reliability, we’ve every reason to expect the car to be hardy.

Front airbags are standard in the base model and the rest of the range also features side ’bags, while anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution are standard. Curtain airbags aren’t an option. There are no deadlocks, but etched windows, a fully integrated stereo and marked mechanical parts make life a little more difficult for thieves.

The driving position won't suit everyone because the steering column adjusts only vertically and there's no seat height adjustment. Still, there's a fresh and fun-loving character to the cabin, typified by its cylindrical heater control panel that glows orange in the dark. Visibility is mostly good.

Four people will fit in the Aygo, as long as they’re not too tall and are willing to share out what space there is. They’ll struggle to get all of their luggage on board, however, because the boot is tiny and accessed through a small, oddly – shaped hatch. The 50/50 split rear seats can be folded down for larger items, while there’s good oddment storage around the cabin.

The basic spec is far from generous. Higher up the range you get more equipment, but prices start to become steep. Every model has a CD player with an MP3 socket, a sign that this is a car aimed at the youth market.