FOR those heavily-congested towns and cities, a set of wheels that's fun-to-drive, easy to manoeuvre and high on safety, is just the ticket.

Throw in funky looks, bags of space for up to five, nimble handling, 55mpg coupled with low emissions and you have something that's certainly worth checking out.

Fitting the bill nicely on each of these counts is Chevrolet's bright Spark which is now establishing itself as a small city car with both style and attitude.

This replacement for the old Matiz which started life sporting a Daewoo badge before the struggling Korean makers were eventually bailed out by General Motors, is a breath of fresh air.

Those bright sparks at Chevvy have shown just how a city car should be, and at £6,945, the entry model comes with a price tag that is cheaper than the car it is replacing.

To keep things simple, the Spark comes with the choice of just two four-cylinder petrol engines of one-litre and 1.2-litre capacity.

Strangely enough, both the 67bhp and 80bhp units offer exactly the same fuel economy and emit identical 119g/km CO2 figures.

As the figures show, neither engine has been designed for speed, but in fairness both can turn it on in busy town traffic when pushed hard.

Out of town, both choices will cruise away happily up to the motorway speed limit, but the smaller powered car does struggle a bit to keep up the pace on inclines.

Inside the car there's a remarkable amount of space with plenty of legroom for taller passengers. Headroom is also better than a lot of competitors because of Spark's high roofline. However, because of its narrow width - the Spark is just a tad over 1.5 metres wide - it is best served as a four-seater.

Don't expect a huge boot - remember this is a city car - but with the split rear seats folded it will swallow up a respectable enough 568 litres, or three medium-sized cases.

Out on the road, the Spark behaves rather impeccably, with the ride at the top end of passenger comfort compared with other cars in its class.

Most bumps and holes are soaked up by the car's front McPherson strut and rear torsion beam suspension, and while there is a bit of body roll to be felt on corners, it is no more than can be expected on a small budget-priced vehicle.

All Sparks come kitted out with front, side and curtain airbags helping the car to a four-star rating in Euro NCAP tests.

To add a touch of extra sparkle to the supermini, buyers can also choose from a range of personalised graphics that highlight the model's stylish appeal.

Three sets are available - Pop, Sports and Urban - each with their own distinctive funky looks and co-ordinated set of floor mats.