THE Toyota Aygo is a city slicker designed to be adept at coping with the urban jungle - so I took it on a 500-mile jaunt to Norfolk.

You learn a lot about people and machines when they are taken out of their comfort zones and the Aygo showed a surprising capacity to adapt.

City car normally equals small petrol tank so I had envisaged paying frequent trips to petrol stations - but the Aygo uses fuel like a miser spends money so it offers a range of 500-plus miles on a tank of fuel.

To that ‘big car' range add a ride that was pretty comfortable - even on long journeys - with enough room in the cabin to cater comfortably for four.

When you get to a town or city the Aygo comes into its own ducking and weaving like a latter day Artful Dodger with sharp steering and compact dimensions allowing it to get in and out of tight spots.

Yes the boot is tiny, but it still coped with a family overnight bag and several other bits and pieces so is not as impractical as the bald luggage capacity figure would suggest.

The rear seats also split 50/50 and can be folded down so allowing larger items to be accommodated. There are also plenty of cubby holes dotted around the interior to store the odds and ends that cars inevitably accumulate over time.

The cabin is modern with a joie de vivre that can't help but make you smile. I found it easy to get comfortable behind the wheel - although the steering column only adjusts vertically and there's no seat height adjustment - and all-round visibility is excellent.

Just one engine is offered on the Aygo - a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, petrol power unit that gives you everything it has got leaving nothing on the sidelines.

Even when fully loaded it refuses to buckle making the Aygo sprightly from a standing start and capable on even a steep incline.

Launched in 2005, Toyota's three and five-door city mini has benefited from a number of changes introduced earlier this year designed to yield more fuel saving and lower emissions. The result brings the annual road tax bill down to zero and gains the car exemption from the London congestion charge.

It's cute to look at as well, with smooth lines and a cherubic face that almost have you saying ‘ahhh' out loud.

The five-year warranty suggests Toyota haven't skimped on build quality and indeed the Aygo feels well put together with decent materials used and everything efficiently screwed together.

Despite being a city mini you don't feel vulnerable as front and side airbags are fitted to the Fire version I drove and anti-lock brakes are backed up by fancy electronics with stability control available as a cost option.

As far as goodies go, the entry-level Aygo gets a radio/CD player with a socket for an iPod while the recently launched Fire model offers electric front windows, snazzy 14-inch alloy wheels, remote locking, four-speaker audio system, rear privacy glass, body-colour bumpers and door handles and front fog lamps.

It adds up to an impressive package that is bound to continue attracting interest from buyers looking for a good-looking, cheap to run city mini.