Fiat Qubo

Along with its Citroen Nemo and Peugeot Bipper Tepee stablemates, the Fiat is one of the most economical supermini-MPVs around. Yet just because it’s frugal, it doesn’t scrimp on space. With a 330-litre boot that can expand to 2,500 litres, sliding rear doors and a huge cabin, the quirky Qubo is as practical as it is characterful.

Its smooth 1.3-litre Multijet engine is a peach, and while performance is leisurely, the unit promises 64.2mpg combined. We achieved 58.5mpg on a trip from London to Newcastle. The mid-range Active is affordable and includes Bluetooth and a USB input, but air-con is £510 extra.