Hyundai Inster review

Acceleration doesn't feel too bad. We used to be elated when a supermini could crack 10 seconds 0-62mph. OK, this one can't either, but it isn't far off, registering 10.6s. The lower-range car is 11.7s. The next bit, getting to 70, takes patience even in the 115bhp version.

Still, the pedal is well modulated and drive take-up is smooth, so when your main scope of operation is within the ring road, it's a really easy thing to get along with. You can choose from three levels of regeneration, and after that the handover to the friction brakes is neat and well modulated.

And it’s comfy, you say?

Aye. The suspension is on the soft side, which makes sense for this kind of car. The damping keeps pretty good control of things on undulating roads. In corners it rolls and squeals the tyres. Lots of small cars do that, but they give you a laugh because they let you feel the road through the steering and even adjust the course with what little power they have. Not so much here: the Inster is too numb and po-faced for our taste.

That said it feels solidly built, with no shudder or flex, and the suspension is quiet. This makes the soft ride feel pretty sophisticated for a baby car. It’s very finished, not at all cheap. Only the wind noise betrays it.

It comes with a full set of driver-assist and active-safety features. You don't expect adaptive cruise with lane centring on a car this small, but here it is, even on the base trim. So too is Hyundai's system that puts a blind-spot camera view into the instrument screen when you indicate.