Smart ForFour

Though it shares its platform with Mitsubishi's new Colt, the ForFour keeps the Smart look. Its Tridion safety cell is exposed and the rest of the bodywork is made up of brightly coloured interchangeable plastic panels. The interior has plenty of cubbies and a sliding rear seat to increase legroom or boot space, while airbags and ABS are standard.

Two gearboxes are on offer: a five-speed manual and a six-speed auto. A manual Smart goes against the grain, but it's not a bad proposition. The engine is quiet, gearchanges smooth and the car cruises along nicely. It's a different tale with the automatic. The unit is no longer sequential and, while better than the ForTwo, it's still not great.

It's a brave move to enter the supermini market. The ForFour has many of Smart's popular design ideas, but it lacks the quirkiness of the rest of the range, and faces a battle to make its mark.