(26/09/2012)

WE LIKE small cars here at Examiner Motoring. There is something about a really well sorted supermini that appeals in this quarter because these cars boast more character and personality than many larger ones, as well as having a big hearted nature in a very small package.

Small cars are by nature designed to be practical and utilitarian, as well as being cheap to buy and own; but that is not the essence of the genre. Look back in automotive history and ask yourself why the original Alec Issigonis-designed Mini was such a massive and ongoing success or why the original Dante Giacosa-penned Topolino Fiat 500 became the car that kick-started Italy’s post-war automotive industry? The fact that Fiat has gone back to its roots to make a new 500, or that BMW cherry-picked the Austin Rover Group’s product line-up so that it could gain control of the Mini name, only highlights how important these original superminis were — and continue to be.

Few have — and few ever will — topped the achievements of Issigonis and Giacosa, but that is not going to stop them trying. This was clearly evidenced by VW a last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show when it introduced its new Up! supermini, or micromini, as it is. The Up! has garnered a whole host of awards globally since then and it has also fathered two other contenders in the segment — Skoda’s Citigo and the Mii from Seat, both companies, of course, being VW