IN these days of ever larger saloons and giant SUVs, don't you sometimes yearn for something narrow and petite?

The sort of vehicle you can jump out of without risking scraping the car next to you in the supermarket car park, or whizz into a little gapâ¦

If you're one of the many who'd happily trade in a behemoth for a baby car, have a look at what's available. Sadly, you'll find that cheap, small cars are on the wainâ¦endangered species even.

The Ford Ka went some time ago, as did the VW Up. Even the ever-green Fiesta has been axed. Trouble is small hatches cost a lot to manufacture in relation to the profits made. In other words, the bigger the model the bigger the scope for making money.

But there are still a few little gems around. One of them is the Kia Picanto, a pint-sized four-seater that measures less than 3.6metres long and 1.6 metres wide yet can carry a small family and their luggage - 252 litres - and will run for nearly 60 miles on a gallon of E10.

We drove the poshest model in the range, the 1.2-litre GT-Line S which costs under £19,000.

It certainly puts up a bold front with a recently remodelled nose that mirrors the somewhat brutish looking EV9, immediately proving eye-catching and flamboyant.

The 1.2-litre petrol engine pushes out 77bhp, which though hardly excessive, endows it with a reasonable turn of speed. High gearing and ample torque mean it shows nearly 60mph on the speedo before you need to change into third gear.

The manual five speed gearbox has a fairly long throw but is light and pleasant to use. It's quite softly sprung, so there's some cornering roll but it's not unduly upset by bumps or poor surfaces.

Front seats are quite firm and hold you in place well. Front legroom is generous, and those in the rear don't do too badly so long as the front inhabitants are willing to slide forward a tad.

The controls are easy to master with twist knobs and old-school switches, making eyes-on-road adjustments safer than touchscreen actions. Well done Kia.

The facia is well laid out and smart enough for a budget model. Most of the materials used are quite hard but easy to clan and well put together.

Lots of standard equipment in the GT-Line S including rear parking sensors, sat nav, air con and parking camera. Our particular version even has a sliding sunroof - a rarity in small cars.

There is also forward avoidance assist system and curtain airbags as safety equipment. Additionally, all Picantos are alarmed and fitted with speed sensing door locking.

For many prospective buyers, the icing on the cake is Kia's seven year,100,000-mile warranty.

Noise levels are about what you'd expect for a small hatch. The engine itself is reasonably muted but the tyres transmit some road noise into the cabin.