THE emergence of the latest smart forfour model is a significant pointer that this range has really grown up and is a much more significant market force.

So much so that it was recently awarded the laurels for the City Car of the Year in the 2016 UK Car of the Year Awards.

It was hailed as being "full of character" and "young-at-heart" by the jury, and they are absolutely right.

Although it sells alongside the traditional fortwo model, the forfour raises the bar in city transport and delivers on some important customer demands, one of which is extra space.

It is not the first forfour model, but it is the most desirable and closes the gap between conventional hatchback and tiny city car by providing that important aspect - space.

It comes at a time when the smart brand, part of the Mercedes-Benz stable, is enjoying healthy sales. Last year saw an increase of 95% which says a lot.

The forfour is a heady blend of quirky, enjoyable, and practical, all mixed with a degree of the 'Wow Factor'.

It shares the fortwo's immense strength and compact drivetrain but with rear doors that open to 85 degrees, space for four adults and a load volume of up to 975-litres. And it comes at just a small premium over the equivalent fortwo. It is related to the Renault Twingo but is a very different animal.

High-quality interior features textured fabric for the dashboard and a leather, three-spoke multifunction steering wheel as standard - joining automatic climate control, automatic start/stop, direct steer power steering, cruise control, a 3.5-inch TFT screen and ISOFIX attachments.

It is available with a 999cc petrol engine with 71bhp or the turbocharged 898cc petrol engine producing 90bhp which powered this car.

This was equipped with a twin-clutch DCT transmission which suited it perfectly and placed a whole new sportiness on smart motoring.

At only 3.49-metres in length, this is by far the most advanced four-seat smart yet - with an all-new ultra-high strength steel chassis structure housing a highly-efficient rear-engined, rear-wheel drive powertrain, space for two adults in the rear via doors that pivot to 85 degrees and, when not in use for passenger-carrying duties, a rear bench that folds flat into the floor, leaving a 975-litre space and ability to carry loads measuring up to 2.2-metres in length.

There are three model passion, prime and proxy and it was the latter with its breathtaking interior colour scheme that I drove.

The Proxy model gains cloth and leather Artico seats with a two-tone finish and a matching interior colour scheme. and substitutes the prime's heated seats for a set of 16-inch wheels finished in black coupled with sports suspension and a 10mm lower ride height, a chrome exhaust finisher, alloy pedals and a sports steering wheel.