AS one of the first cars in the Nissan range to carry the company's eco-friendly Puredrive badge it is apt that the Pixo has just driven down emissions - and running costs - even further.

When it hit our roads in 2009 the Pixo was the firm's first foray into the rapidly expanding city car market and, shrewdly, was the result of a collaboration with fellow Japanese manufacturer Suzuki - already renowned for small car expertise.

Effectively the Pixo is a repackaged version of Suzuki's Alto and, just like it's sister model, its main appeal is in offering a cheap and cheerful option for those on a tight budget whose motoring needs rarely stretch beyond pootling around the urban jungle.

But with competition ever increasing in what the industry calls the A-Segment, with recent arrivals such as the up! form Volkswagen and the closely related Skoda Citigo, the Pixo has been refreshed for the summer.

In truth most of the alterations are superficial styling ones but there has also been a major change under the bonnet which offers significant improvement where it matters most - in your pocket.

The boffins have re-tuned the 68ps, one-litre power-pack so that carbon emissions now come in at 99g/km, which is not only good news for the environment but means the Pixo is now totally exempt from road tax when equipped with the standard five-speed manual transmission

Add in some little aerodynamic tweaks here and there and you also get slightly improved fuel economy over the old version with an average 65.7 miles per gallon now claimed.

There is also a four-speed automatic option available - but this kicks out 118g/km of CO2 and will incur some taxation.

As you would expect the Pixo is at its best nipping in and out of the town traffic, where the frugal three-cylinder engine proves lively enough to cope with most eventualities, while the car's diminutive stature and a tight turning circle of just 4.5 metres mean there'll be few parking spaces that you can't get into.

Acceleration won't set the heart racing and a top speed of 96mph is modest but that's not the point here really.

Nevertheless, the willing power-plant manages to keep up with traffic on the open road, although engine and wind noise do become evident at motorway speeds.

Inside the most is made of the available space and it's actually quite roomy up front, where the seats are comfortable and supportive and the minimalist dashboard and control panel are easy to understand and navigate.

Space is understandably a little tighter in the rear but there is comfortable room for two average sized adults while the four-door body means that getting in and out of the back is not a problem.

There is even room for a couple of practical bottle holders in the rear doors as Nissan seek to make practical use of every square centimetre.

Materials around the cabin do reflect the fact that we are at the budget end of the market with the Pixo but some of the latest tweaks at least seek to give it a slightly more upmarket feel, such as black rather than grey trim on the doors, around the glovebox and on the centre console. And the electronic auto-dimming rear-view mirror is not something you often see in a city car.

Kit on the entry-level Visia models is pretty sparse with power steering, front airbags, ABS brakes, front fog lamps and a CD player just about your lot.

Stepping up to the the n-tec trim brings extra comforts though such as air-conditioning, electric front windows, split rear seats, side airbags, central locking and alloy wheels - all of which helps make this version a competitive low-cost motoring propostion.

Curtain airbags, stability control and a connector for your MP3 player will, however, cost you extra on all versions.