IF you know Toyota's back story there's a theme that surfaces every few years; we know we make reliable cars, now we're going to make them more fun too.

That mantra has come round the world, being uttered from the man whose family set up the business, and who enjoys racing cars at the weekend. So he must mean it.

Now, you might think, how can the that apply to a modestly sized and priced (from £8,595) little car that's going to spend its life on the school run or taking mum to the supermarket.

The answer, and you won't be shocked, is that the new Aygo is less fun than, say, a Ferrari, but that doesn't stop it being a better car than the model it replaces. And that sold more than 770,000 examples across Europe in its nine year life.

If Aygo mark one was a play safe car, produced in the Czech Republic in collaboration with Citroen and Peugeot (producing near identical cars), then the new baby is a bold step in the direction of fun, especially in the looks department.

It's a tiny bit lower and longer than before, but no wider and with even a mildly aggressive look to the front, now dominated by what looks like a big cross, which be ordered in a variety of colours. The same cars from the Citroen/Peugeot stable plays it much safer in the styling department.

Personalisation is the name of the game in small cars with bigger aspirations (the BMW MINI is the obvious, and profitable example), and you now have several ways of making your new Aygo even more 'you'.

Fancy red or chrome touches to the front bumper, side sills and below the rear bumper? You'll be wanting the £245 OUTburst pack. Inside, for £165, you can match the air vents and gearlever surround with the car's exterior colour. Other add-ons are available.

Built on the mildly modified underpinnings of the old car, you won't expect much in the way of extra space inside. The old millimeter has been gained here and there, to the benefit of rear seat passengers (a six-footer can sit behind himself in modest comfort) and the boot is usefully larger than before.

Under the bonnet of every new Aygo beats a revised version of the old car's three-cylinder petrol engine, tickled a bit for more power and improved emissions and economy; now none of the newcomers involves paying the Chancellor a penny in road tax.

There's a choice of five-speed manual transmission or an automated version that does away with the clutch pedal and adds £700 to the bill.

Despite higher strength, lighter steel in some body parts the new Aygo bucks the diet plan of many new cars and weighs 30kgs more than before, thanks to added features and improved safety structures.

Among the new car's attractions is a multimedia system that, as standard or at extra cost, lets you stream Bluetooth music from your mobile phone, see the road behind as you reverse or display your phone's sat nav function on the Aygo's seven inch touch screen.

Out on the flat, beautifully surfaced roads of the Netherlands, where the Aygo was launched to the press, the car impressed with its lively nature, abetted by an engine that thrums sportily away when provoked. It rode well too, with more emphasis on comfort than sporty prowess, thank goodness.

Pressing on, the trip computer showed a 57mpg average, which makes the decision not to offer a diesel model look absolutely the right one.

At launch there are three regular versions of the Aygo, with ascending amounts of standard kit and a couple of range-topping special editions, maxing out at £12,395 and adding things like fancier wheels, DAB radio and styling flourishes. A canvas roll back roof arrives next spring.

£11,395

69   bhp, 998cc, 3-cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 5-spd gearbox

99 mph

14.2 secs

7

68.9

95 g/km

11%

5yrs/100,000 miles