Road Test: Seat MII 1.0 SE 3dr

The Seat Mii is the second piece in the Volkswagen city car jigsaw, slotting snugly beside the VW Up and the Skoda Citygo.

At this end of the market, tiny margins are the differences between success and failure. Just £500 is what will determine whether the Seat Mii is a hit or not. Because if it comes in at £7,500, like Seat are hoping it will, then it will undercut the all-but-identical VW Up by £500 and it'll make sense. But if the Mii gets any closer to the Up's price, then all is lost.

This is badge engineering in the extreme. Other than some bodywork tweaks and some variety in the options, all three cars are identical. And because the Skoda will probably cost the same as the Seat, your choices get even more confusing.

Like the others, the Mii gets two engines - both are petrol and 1.0-litre, and it comes with either 59bhp or 74bhp. The little three-cylinder engine is smooth and has plenty of poke for town work, but it struggles a bit more getting up to motorway speeds. But once you've got to 70mph, it's amazing how refined the Mii is. There's a big car feel going on here, and both wind and road noise are far more muted than you'd expect.

There are four trims available - S, SE, Ecomotive and Sport - but we'd get the SE. The top-spec Sport gets harder and lowered suspension, which just makes the Mii rumble through bumps too much, for no trade-off in handling. Stick to the plainer versions.

Not that any of them feel boring inside. The Mii's build quality is good - it's not a soft-touch dash, but it looks OK and doesn't feel tinny. And there's loads of room, both in the front and the back. For a small city car, the packaging on this thing is brilliant because four adults will easily fit.

If you're thinking about one of these small VW Group cars, the less cash-strapped amongst you should go for the VW Up. It's got a better interior and looks nicer too.

But which of the others should you pick? That's easy. Whichever one of the Skoda or Seat that offers the best finance options, or has the nearest dealer. Honestly, there's nothing else in it.