It may look like a Dinky toy version of a Popemobile, but the Smart Fortwo is a simply superb city car and the latest model even makes longer trips a pleasure.

For a tiny car, the high seating position and acres of glass make the driving experience a becalming one. The tallness does, however, make for a touch of pitch and roll but never enough to cause the release of adrenaline.

As long as you never forget that this is a two-seater car, you may find yourself pleasant surprised by the amount of space it offers. The boot size is more than reasonable (340 litres when packed to the roof) and, if you’re flying solo and you need a bit of extra stowage, the passenger seat folds forward, increasing the space appreciably. You can even get accessory racks to carry a couple of pushbikes.

It’s not quite as nifty as its small size might lead you to believe, especially at the basic end of the range. Even so, for city driving this is not much of a problem and if you really want some extra verve, the Fortwo Brabus delivers all the additional zoom-factor you could wish for. Away from the city, at higher speeds it pitches and rolls a bit more noticeably but, actually, no more so than many tall SUVs. The Fortwo manages to be cheeky and chic at the same time.