1. Vauxhall Corsa

Vauxhall Corsa (2006 onwards model)

Is this the most dynamic new supermini of 2006? Britain’s best selling small car for the past three years, the all-new Corsa is bigger and brasher.

With none of the subtle good looks of Europe’s best selling car, Fiat’s Grande Punto, the Corsa goes for a bold new look. The appeal is to all age ranges, the three door with sexy coupe looks, and a more practical five door for sensible people. Throw in a wide range of engines, state of the art options and five EuroNCAP stars and you have an undeniably tempting proposition.

The Corsa’s style owes much to the Astra, perhaps too much. It got few glances of new-car surprise on the media launch, even in car-mad Germany. But maybe it’s no bad thing to have a car that looks like something more expensive. Then there’s an interior that is more pleasing than the Astra’s, with a ‘friendly” centre console that Vauxhall would like you to think has a smiley face. Can’t see it myself, but it does look smart, high quality and stylish all at the same time, with some cool ambient background lighting for night time driving.

The Corsa’s a pretty comfortable environment inside, with firm, well-shaped seats and a decent ride. SXi versions, always popular Corsa derivatives, get lower, stiffer suspension that does just what you’d expect to the ride, though not to any uncomfortable degree. The windscreen is pushed a long way forward to give that sleek appearance. As a result the view forward is exceptional, almost as good as in an MPV, though the low fascia might make the front passenger feel more exposed that in rivals.

The Corsa isn’t particularly roomy in the rear, with even less room in the coupe-like three-door model, but what do you really expect in a supermini? It’s practical, though: the boot space is great, deep and well shaped. Top models get a false floor which can be pretty useful for hiding laptops beneath, and this can be lowered to fully open up the maximum capacity when needed.

Vauxhall has played a neat trick with the parcel shelf too, which simply slides down behind the rear seats when not in use. The rear backrests readily flop forward to extend the luggage area and if your Corsa has the false floor, there's a perfectly flat load area from rear sill right the way through to the front seats.

Engines

A wide range of engines, both petrol and diesel is on offer. Forget the bargain-priced £7,495 one-litre Expression – even the 1.2 isn’t man enough to power the heavier Corsa up hills without a thorough thrashing. The 1.4 may have only another 10bhp over the 1.2 – 90 bhp - but it is vastly superior and a very pleasant drive, both smooth and refined. The diesels are noticeably noisier and considerably more expensive, but they make driving a relaxed affair with their extra torque.

As always engine choice is a tricky balance between value for money and longer-term costs. The 1.4 petrol is certainly a good choice, particularly as it saves £700 over the similarly powered 1.3 CDTi. Or there’s a less powerful 1.3 diesel, the 75bhp CDTi, which cuts the premium to £400 and still promises easy diesel performance.

On the road

That the Corsa is also a great drive really adds to the equation, with more powerful versions getting sharpened-up steering. But every version I tried had a great chassis that provides plenty of driving enjoyment. Stick on tyres as wide as those on a Porsche – as Vauxhall did – and the roadholding is bound to be good, but the basic design of the Corsa is so right that whatever the specification there’s a good time to be had.

It can be customised to a larger extent than usual too. Vauxhall is particularly proud of its Flex-Fix integrated bike rack that stores away behind the rear bumper, though at £500 this option may find only a few takers. The same money buys you air conditioning; it’s standard only on the top ‘Design’ trim level.

You can also get headlights that see around corners that, at £250, are something of a bargain. Every Corsa has active brake lights. Brake hard enough to set the ABS into operation and the rear brakes lights don’t just illuminate, they flash to give and extra warning that things are not quite right to following drivers.

Verdict

Characteristics like these show just how far the supermini has moved on since the original Vauxhall Nova. The danger is that the essence of ‘supermini’ is lost somewhere along the way. It’s true that the increase in size of this new Corsa won’t make it as nimble around town and as easy to slot into a tight parking space. The trade off is a big improvement in safety while in all others areas Vauxhall has got it just about spot on. The Corsa deserves a very bright future.

2. Skoda Fabia

Skoda Fabia (2007 onwards model)

• What: Skoda Fabia
• Where: Faro, Portugal
• Date: Feb 2007
• Price: from £7,500 (estimated)
• Available: May 17 2007
• Key rivals: Fiat Grande Punto, Ford Fiesta, Honda Jazz, Vauxhall Corsa, Nissan Micra, Peugeot 207, Citroen C3, Seat Ibiza

Summary

Skoda’s big-selling Fabia enters 2007 with a major overhaul. New looks, revised engines and a smart interior increase its appeal even further. Expect prices to rise slightly as a result, but it will still be a good-value proposition compared to rivals.

• Likes: smart new look, neat interior, peppy three-cylinder engines
• Dislikes: noisy diesels, flat seats, firm ride in bigger engine variants

Less is more, much more

Up above there is a list of key rivals to this new Fabia, but you might notice the Volkswagen Polo is missing. Why, particularly as the Fabia famously shares its underpinnings with its VW cousin? Well, the Fabia is likely to appeal to a completely different customer. The Polo sells on its badge alone, and while that is perhaps partially true of the Skoda, the brand values could not be more different. Forget the Polo then, particularly as this latest Fabia makes it look and feel old and tired, that being one reason it is not on the list above – oh, and the VW is also significantly more expensive.

3. Suzuki Swift

On test: Suzuki Swift 1.5 (2005 onwards model)

Overview:

• Model: Suzuki Swift
• Bodystyle: 5-door hatchback
• Engine: 1.5–litres, 4 cylinder Petrol
• Transmission: 5–speed manual

What is it?

This is a straight-done-the-line, middle-of-the-road supermini of that sort that Suzuki hasn’t really offered before. Certainly there have been plenty of small cars, a Suzuki speciality, but almost without exception they have been niche models rather than falling into the mainstream. Now, with the claim that this new, Hungarian-built Swift is going to be “more enjoyable to drive than any rival”, it has a lot to live up to. There are two petrol engines, 1.3 and 1.6, a 1.3-litre Fiat diesel and a choice of two body styles, 3 and 5-door. The 1.5 comes with the option of a traditional four-speed automatic, while 1.3 buyers have the chance to choose an automated manual (no clutch pedal but you still shift the gears by hand).

Where does it fit?

As we’ve discovered, the Swift is aimed head-on at the Fiesta, Corsa, Clio and two-dozen other superminis. Where it fits in the confused Suzuki range is more puzzling, for it seems smaller but more expensive than the Ignis (which is known as the Swift in Japan). The 1.3-litre Suzuki Wagon R isn’t that much different in size either.

Is it for you?

Suzuki has something of a low profile in the UK, despite selling over 37,000 cars a year. Suzuki buyers traditionally cite value for money and the aura of Japanese reliability behind their purchase decision. The brand is certainly a step away from the standard Japanese fare, and it’s easy to see that the new Swift could catch on as a bit of a style icon.

What does it do well?

The 1.5-litre Swift gets a sophisticated variable-valve timing engine with 100bhp. That’s a country mile away from the Renault Clio Cup and its rivals, but the Swift is both more affordable and easier to insure. And it’s good fun to drive too. There may not be loads of pulling power at low speeds, but the engine is eager to rev hard and the slick gearbox makes it a pleasure to zip up and down the gears. The steering is well weighted and precise, but this Swift is, at the same time, very straightforward to drive in town with a decent ride and reasonable noise levels.

What doesn’t it do well?

If you drive the Swift in a determined manner the engine noise gets pretty intrusive, though most drivers would trade this off for the performance. The steering wheel adjust only for tilt, not reach, and some will find the driving position a little compromised. The rear seat is too soft and consequently doesn’t give adults the support they might need. The boot will take a single large case standing upright, but the rear seats need to be folded – quite a fiddly operation – to gain real luggage space.

What’s it like to live with?

Easy. No-one is going to find this small Suzuki a challenge to drive or use. There’s an excess of headroom and good legroom for a small car, both front and rear. The front seats are well-shaped and comfortable, the ride is fine without being exceptional and there’s air conditioning as standard on the GLX model. There are six airbags with 4 stars for occupant safety in the EuroNCAP safety tests and a commendable 3 stars for pedestrians. The 1.5–litre will produce well over 40mpg. You can even get keyless entry, so you never need to take the keys out of your pocket or handbag.

Would we buy it?

The new Swift hits nearly all the right buttons and we were quite charmed. It works well in both a city environment yet is eminently useable – and fun – out on the open road. Designed with European drivers in mind, it’s much classier both inside and out than anything Suzuki has produced previously.

4. Ford Fiesta

Ford Fiesta (2006 onwards model)

The Rolling Stones have been around for decades, but you could hardly say they attract the yoof of today. How they must look enviously on at the Fiesta, Ford's longest-running car line, which this year marks its third decade of being down with the kids.

That's why Bluetooth and MP3 compatibility have been introduced - to keep the cool count high with those to whom both terms are everyday language. You can sometimes get what you want.

That's also why, when teenagers complain that nobody listens to them, Ford has ensured that the Fiesta will. Voice recognition is available, controlling the climate, mobile and stereo. This is a masterstroke. In bars and snowboard resorts the world over, excitable teens will be waxing lyrical over Ford's 'well cool' Fiesta, that also plays plug-in MP3s as clearly as it handles CDs, broadcasts Pete from the pub with the clarity it transmits Pete Tong. You can even get it with a red dashboard moulding! And metallic green paint that is sure to have financing parents drawling 'oh my!' Every manufacturer is obsessed with making its cars appeal to the young. Quietly, without 'trying' ad campaigns and patronising hype, Ford may well manage this. A free insurance deal will underline teen lust.

But the Fiesta hasn't been around for 30 years by allowing kids to blow up the speakers with Arctic Monkeys. The basics need to be right and, to an extent, they are. The 2006 facelift is meant to enhance styling, as the competition, such as the Peugeot 207, Toyota Yaris, Renault Clio and new Vauxhall Corsa, edge online. Changes are minimal - new lights, slightly altered bumpers and some vivid colours - but the three-door Fiesta didn't really need much updating. It's a neat, tidy, squat shape. The five-door, however, remains less pleasing, looking like a scaled-down, more-upright C-Max compact MPV. Ah well. But you do have a vast choice of alloy wheels to have less celebratory teenagers frowning over your locking wheel nuts

Engines

Fiestas lack external engine designations other than petrol or diesel. Most sold are petrols, as the premium for diesel forms a disproportionate part of the list price - blame all that expensive, mandatory environmental gear. From the petrol range, you've a 1.25-litre, 1.4-litre or 1.6-litre; the smaller two engines are best-sellers but rather frustratingly, Ford didn't have these to test. We remember the 1.25-litre as a noisy, gutless thing with a severe torque deficiency, albeit also very smooth and revvy in nature. The 1.4-litre is much better and well worth its £300 premium. Furthermore the 1.6-litre we did drive, in sporty, sub-ST Zetec-S trim, was an absolute delight. Slick, with good low-down shove and a pacy feel, it proved quite a sweetie.

So perfectly does it gel with the rest of the car, you'll drive it and wonder how the 2.0-litre ST could be any better. The sharp steering reacts keenly, with precision, the ride is not over-stiff yet poise through corners is taught, a chuckable nature encourages zappy driving without traits of aggression - and throttle matches steering matches engine matches brakes matches gearchange for linearity and progression. What an enthusiastic car, despite the nicely-bolstered seats being set too high, despite the slight angle to the steering wheel. It also looks spot-on and, for £11,595, had us wondering if you could ever need any more supermini - a class act alright.

Petrol or diesel?

The 1.4-litre diesel brought us right back down to earth. It is slow. It is noisy and clattery (if again smooth). It doesn't even swim with torque, leaving you pinning your foot to the floor when ascending hills, enjoying plenty of time to think where the benefit is in the £600 premium you've spent over the 1.4-litre petrol. Really, you'll only see it at the pumps, with a claimed 61mpg average - but then, so hard do you have to drive it, we doubt whether this will be a reality. However, diesel fans, despair not. The 1.6-litre TDCi is massively better - quieter, smoother, less clattery and appreciably more refined, with all the surgey pace we now expect. It's even more economical than the smaller engine (64mpg combined), though at a price: £11,695, a huge £1,200 premium over petrol models and hard to justify despite its excellence

Harder to justify is the ST's premium over the Zetec S. Yes, an extra 50bhp means it's faster, dipping below eight seconds to 60mph, but you'll only appreciate the differences over 3,000rpm - and it's a fair bit noisier with it, with an 'angrier' engine and exhaust note. The suspension is firmer and limits are higher, but unless you approach them, it feels less involving, as if the wider rubber is clothing feedback. The Zetec S is the sweeter car; the ST is ultimately faster but less satisfying with it. And, unless you spend the best part of £500 on stripes for the doors, bonnet and boot, there's not a huge stylistic benefit for the range-topper, either. We'd save the £2,000 unless speed is all.

Verdict

The Fiesta may be a thirty-something now, but it still satisfies. It retains the crown of best-handling supermini, adding good build, tidy three-door styling and some interesting tech features to the mix, too. Some engines are hardly thrillers and equipment levels do look mean considering the list prices, but keen drivers should definitely place it high on their list. Fiesta - err, don't stop, yet!

5. Fiat Panda

Overview:

• Bodystyle:Five-door hatchback
• Engine:1.2-litre four-cylinder
• Fuel type:Petrol
• Transmission:5-speed manual

What is it?

The Panda is Fiat's entry-level model that replaced the long-lived Seicento and, in the countries where it was still on sale, the even more ancient original Panda. That original was designed to be simple, honest, reliable and practical transportation and this car replicates those ideals in a thoroughly modern package. The result is a five-door city car with huge amounts of space, small but potent engines, cheeky looks and real 'character'. The Panda is the kind of car that Fiat has always excelled in and the current car is no exception - we're not the only ones to think so either as it's won the acclaimed title of European Car of the Year 2004.

Where does it fit?

In the Fiat range it sits under the smart-looking but outclassed Punto supermini. It's the entry-level car, but if you're considering a Punto-sized car then you'd be as well looking at the Panda too as despite its compact dimensions it's able to offer a great deal of (versatile) interior space. Like many of current crop of small cars the designers have managed to liberate quite extraordinary amounts of leg and headroom from the cabin, making it a practical machine for everybody from young singles to families looking for an inexpensive and enjoyable compact car. Obvious rivals include the far less practical three-door Ford Ka and VW Lupo/Seat Arosa twins and the five-door Daewoo Matiz.

Is it for you?

Really the Panda is intended for everybody. As such it covers all bases extremely well, it's spacious and practical enough for families young and old, economical, inexpensive, well equipped and even has a cheeky charm that'll win over just about anybody who drives it. With a high driving position, folding and sliding rear seats it should accommodate whatever 'lifestyle' category you fall into - be it single young surfer or babysitting grandparent. It's fun to drive too - even with the smallest engines.

What does it do well?

It's unusual to find such a practical machine that's also so much fun to drive. The dash-mounted gearshift, just one of a number of MPV-inspired details, shifts precisely and the steering is sharp and offers lots of feel too. The 1.2-litre petrol engine will deliver fantastic consumption yet feels quick - despite rather modest performance figures. The interior offers great space for four passengers, the suspension smoothing out the worst our roads can throw at it without losing agility and refinement is good too - even at motorway speeds. Decent equipment levels and a funky instrument pod top-off an enticing package.

What doesn't it do well?

It's not all good news inside. The interior build is patchy in places and some of the plastics lack the quality look and feel of the competition. Features like the sliding rear seat are a cost option, and even low-cost city cars should offer a CD player as standard these days. The rear seat is only really suitable for two passengers as the cabin is narrow, a third rear belt can be fitted as an option should it be needed. Base models do without ABS and the split fold rear seat. Roof bars are also an option on the cheapest models and are a must for its appearance - even if you're never going to use them the Panda looks naked without them.

What's it like to live with?

We're convinced that the Panda is one of the best cars of its type. It's practical, yet it has a charm that belies its underlying sensibility. It's hugely fun to drive, the both the 1.1-litre and 1.2-litre engines having plenty of urgency and excellent economy. The turbodiesel will offer even more, so with any engine you're unlikely to feel short-changed. Try to avoid the entry-level specification models though - a step up the model range is cheaper than picking individual options that make the Panda that little bit more appealing. A hugely capable drive that's not out of its depth out of town the Panda is a rare thing - a city car that's refined and able on the motorways. Fiat dealer service has long been criticised as poor, and the Italian firm's cars haven't always faired particularly well in reliability surveys, but as always we're promised improvements?

Would we buy it?

Absolutely. Despite our reservations about Fiat's service network and its as yet unproven reliability the Panda is a hugely tempting proposition. It offers an exceptionally mature feel at the wheel, feeling far bigger than it is with ride quality and handling that would embarrass much more expensive and larger cars. Despite this it's fun, the engines are capable, the gearshift snappy and the steering extremely precise. The high driving position gives it good visibility and space all-round is good. It's inexpensive and economical too, making it a very desirable purchase indeed.