THE shape and much of the specification of the Peugeot 108 have been shared with the second generation Toyota Aygo and Citroen C1 ever since they were all launched in 2014.

They were also built in the same factory and the majority have the same excellent Toyota-designed 1.0-litre three cylinder petrol engine.

Despite its small size the 108 is fun to drive, because it's lightweight, the engines rev sweetly and sound lovely, and the handling is very good for such a small car with no sporting pretensions. It often feels quicker than it really is.

With 67 or later 72 bhp on tap in such a light body, the 1.0-litre engine is enough to reach 60 miles an hour from rest in 13.4 seconds.

That sounds pretty slow but it actually feels nippy and responsive on the move, all the way up to motorway speeds.

And on the motorway, it can keep up with general traffic, albeit with a fair amount of noise.

It is necessary to use the gears and the revs to get the best performance but doing so will make a dent in the economy.

But that economy, with careful driving, is superb, with an official average figure of 68mpg. That translates into 60+ is general driving with a bit of care and a light right foot.

The other engine, which is only available in upper models, is the well-known Peugeot 1.2 PureTech, and that has 82bhp.

Again, in such a light body, it really performs very well, bringing up the 60 sprint in just 10.6 seconds and yet still being capable of 65mpg.

Good power steering gives decent roadfeel through the corners in all, and as I said above, the handling and roadholding are very good for what is in no way a sporting car, with great balance and enough verve to brings a smile to anyone's face.

Overtaking is an art in the 1.0-litre - as it is in all lowly powered cars - and the only way is to use the 'slingshot' technique, where you start to accelerate just before an oncoming car has passed, so that you are already getting up to overtaking speed when you pull out.

In lower order models, insurance is group 8, so it's an excellent second or starter car that costs peanuts to run.

The ride is acceptable most of the time, taking the majority of surfaces pretty much in its stride, but you do need to slow down for speed humps - as you do for quite a few of today's cars - and the rear seats are not as comfortable as the front.

There have been numerous special editions with added spec, plus loads of personalization from new, but all models have stayed the same under the skin.

Mid-range Allure has front electric windows remote locking, plenty of airbags, traction control, electric heated mirrors, air conditioning, parking sensors, audio remote control, folding back seats and tyre pressure sensors.

The boot is a reasonable size - much improved on the previous 107 - and there's room inside for four adults to travel in reasonable comfort.

On top of that, there's a five door version that is much more practical for young families.

Pay about £6,850 for an '18 18-reg 1.0 Allure 3 door, or £9,800 for a '20 20-reg 1.0 Collection five door.