Mitsubishi i news - I is for i - 2007

Say hello to the little i, Mitsubishi's K-car that looks set to take the UK by storm this summer.

'K' stands for 'Keijidosha', or 'light vehicle', a class of car that, unlike other vehicles in Japan, does not need its own parking space by law.

K-cars must be less than 3.4 metres long and 1.48 metres wide: compare that with a Ford Ka at 3.62 metres long and 1.63 metres wide and you'll get an idea of how compact they are.

What's more, a K's engine must be of less than 660cc capacity and develop no more than 64bhp. More than a million were sold in Japan last year, in a market dominated by the Daihatsu Move.

But maybe that's about to change, now that the super-funk i has arrived. To keep the wheelbase as long as possible, the front wheels are pushed in front of the nose, while its 660cc turbo-charged three-cylinder engine is mounted behind the rear axle.

This frees up space in the cabin, with a surprising amount of room for four people.

The gearbox is a simple four-speed auto, so no Smart-like jerky shifts.

We've driven the i, and it's superb for town use, with a decent ride and nimble handling. It does 0-62mph in 11.2 seconds - which is quick enough - and an eco-friendly 55mpg on the combined cycle.

OK, there's nothing explicitly green about the i, but that's rather the point. Leaving aside the limited array of hybrids or the probability of successfully distilling your own waste products into useable fuel, downsizing to a K-sized city runabout is a surefire way to reduce your carbon footprint.

You'll be able to do so at your local Mitsu dealer from this July for the not-quite-so-miniature price of £9k.