THERE used to be more than the obvious - their size - to split thinking between a big car and a little 'un.

The big one would have more space and cost more but would also come with more kit to help justify the hike in the bottom line.

But no more; smaller cars can now be just as generously kitted out, to the extent you wonder what more you could add to the goodies count. Only their size remains restricted.

Take the poshest version of the latest edition of Hyundai's smallest car, the diminutive five-door i10 hatchback.

Slip aboard on a chilly day and the front seat warmers will soon have your bottom toastie. Ditto your hands, thanks to the heated steering wheel.

Air con turned to gently toasted, you set the cruise control for 70mph (it's a good day on the motorway) and head to work. Once there, the car park is as packed as ever but the Hyundai's rear view camera helps you slip into a space without threatening the smart alloy wheels.

The i10's modest dimensions help too, although they're more likely to be put to your advantage on the school or supermarket run than outside the corporate HQ.

Wherever the car does its work, the continuing list of standard fittings will make life on board usefully more pleasant and safer at the same time.

There's a reasonably classy DAB sound system with easy access to Android Auto or Apple CarPlay on your mobile phone and controlled easily from the steering wheel.

Safety features take in forward collision warning that brakes if you don't in an emergency and a lane departure warning - that happily can be turned off at the push of a button when it becomes annoying (it will).

You'll have to rely on your phone's sat nav app to display on the easily read screen unless you find a pricey £1,000 for the tech pack that includes touchscreen navigation and a wireless charging pad.

You won't get everything at the start of the i10 range, but the £12,820 i10 SE still manages air conditioning and cruise control along with a 1.0-litre petrol engine.

For another £1,000 the SE Connect adds rear speakers, alloy wheels instead of steel, those phone app connections and a rear view camera.

The smaller engine is a 66bhp 1.0 litre petrol unit and will be fine in town but you might quickly wish for the extra power that comes with the 1.2-litre option.

It adds £800 to the bill but produces a car that turns even a little perky when prodded, although you'll need to change down for hills and keep the revs up to enjoy it most.

Even driven with some attack the 1.2-litre car showed precisely 51.0mpg average on its clear trip computer after a week's varied use. So, another advantage of going smaller...