MAZDA'S small but perfectly formed CX-3, is a supermini sized SUV with all the advantages of the utility vehicle and one which is equally at home in town or country.

This pretty car has all the finer points of a vehicle put together by Mazda's award winning design team.

It is smooth and elegant with a deep grille and lines that flow sleekly to a sculpted rear hatch with an integrated spoiler. It sits on 18-inch alloys and looks every bit the little poser sitting on my driveway.

There are various colour choices but the one I am driving, for example, ceramic metallic paint with contrasting black is fashionably understated.

The interior will not disappoint either. In black and ivory leather which comes with the GT Sport Nav+ it is quite stunning when you open the door.

The driver's seat is electric powered and both front seats are heated - something you do not always get in a car of this size. It is a very classy SUV with luxury styling and height and robustness for that extra bit of confidence.

What is also unusual is that you can actually spec this car as an all-wheel drive.

This version I am driving is the 2.0-litre petrol with 121ps in front wheel drive.This is not a bad option for those who will really only be driving this car in and around the city.

Add the all wheel drive into the mixand it makes the ideal companion for country pursuits.

It is terrific to drive and incredibly smooth. The six-speed manual gearbox is slick and effortless, the response immediate and the way it handles itself on the open road and around bends and corners is very impressive.

Luggage room may be a bit limited but other than that, this fine-looking little car is faultless whether you are taking it to the local Tesco or the muddy rugby club ground.

There is a diesel option but as time goes by, more and more people are opting for gasoline like this and so the good news is that the CX-3 will give you an average of 42.8mpg.

The CX-3 comes with a full suite of safety systems and tech including sat nav. Impressively for a small car it has a head up display, a piece of kit that is always incredibly useful for the driver.

There are also two USB points in the front of the car as well as an aux-in and surprisingly, a CD player. Well I liked it.

Everyone loves a runaround, the nippy little car that is happy to fulfil all of life's little chores alongside you.