MAKING a small car more spacious inside than its dimensions appear to allow has long been one of the challenges for the world's manufacturers.
Renault is the latest claiming to have achieved the impossible, in the shape of a car intended to evoke a unique feeling of "joie de vivre" in its owners.
Big glass areas and ingenious storage solutions are nothing new, however, so does the Modus deliver that blend of youthful spirit and practicality that could make it a bestseller?
At one level the compromise is certainly a significant achievement. With the help of a high roof, slight bulges in the sides and large windows all round, there's a light and airy feel to the interior that was enhanced in the test car by the use of pale trim materials and an uncluttered dashboard.
It boasts a slightly raised driver's seat and better than average all-round visibility, although the quarterlight design does block the view in the nearside door mirror from some angles.
The tailgate opens to reveal a compact load area that will comfortably soak up the weekly shopping but not a great deal more. There's also a neat "boot chute" in the tailgate which allows you to throw small items in or gain access if anyone has parked too close behind you.
However the rear seat is very flexible and can be folded in different combinations to provide additional loadspace if required.
Indeed, a great deal is made of the ingenuity of the rear seating configuration, with the seats moulded to incorporate bottle or can storage compartments and the rear bench sliding forward and back for maximum leg and kneeroom.
So far, so good, although I can't say the seats themselves delivered the sofa-like comfort that was promised.
Raising the roof and putting the wheels close to the corners of a small car are bound to impact on its handling characteristics, and although the Modus aspires to match best-in-class levels, there will still be moans about the tendency to scrabble on rough surfaces and feel a little top-heavy on tight bends.
But the biggest challenge lies in trying to make a "practical" car appeal to the young and the young at heart.
We've seen plenty of smaller cars which have achieved great technical feats but have failed to ignite much enthusiasm among buyers.
Years ago, when the earliest, sit-up-and-beg small cars with high roofs were selling like hotcakes in Japan, British buyers proved particularly resistant to the charms of cars that might be effortless to park and cheap to run, but didn't look sufficiently chic or desirable to tempt image-conscious buyers.
Citroen has done wonders in recent years in making its small cars look cheeky and friendly. Renault has achieved the same in the past - most notably with the tiny Twingo, which never made it into right-hand drive production.
But does the Modus make the grade? The name itself sounds a little stolid and although the exterior lines are clean and smart, it's not a small car that exudes a strong sense of personality.
The company claims the reverse is true - that buyers have spotted that this is a small car with a big heart, have identified it as a cheeky and fun newcomer and have placed orders in such numbers since it made its debut last autumn that it is well on course to surpass its initial sales targets.
All that may be true, but it's not a formula that will appeal to all tastes. My young passengers found little to rave about and driving it around rain-soaked roads for a week didn't invoke the desired feeling of joe de vivre in the driver either.
Equipment levels in the Dynamique model were fine - alloys, fog lamps, body coloured door mirrors and leather and aluminium trim in the cabin all giving it the feel of a larger and more expensive car.
But the 98bhp, 1.4-litre engine takes over 11 seconds to move from rest to 60mph plus and felt sluggish at times when the car was fully loaded.
It looks smart enough on the road, but the back end is perhaps a little gawky and a few of the colour options - like the pearlescent citrus and blackcurrant - look at little scary for British tastes.
But the clean interior will doubtless woo some owners, the abundance of storage options are good for a car of its size and the company's success in achieving a five-star safety rating in the Euro NCAP tests will be a big selling point for those who feel a little nervous about the ability of smaller cars to withstand crash impacts.
It's cheap to insure too and Renault reckons it undercuts key rivals like the Honda Jazz and Vauxhall Meriva in the value-for-money stakes on the forecourt, with entry-level models letting you get behind the seat for less than £10,000.
But that's still not exactly cheap as chips, so much will depend on whether buyers share Renault's belief that this is a car that's as chic and youthful as it is practical.
Despite the somewhat pedestrian name, with environmental concerns boosting interest in small cars there's little doubt the new arrival will become a familiar sight across Europe. But whether it has enough personality to be a true sales phenomenon remains to be seen.
FAST FACTS
Renault Modus 1.4 Dynamique
Price: £10,500
Mechanical: 98bhp, 1,390cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 5spd manual gearbox
Max speed: 110mph
0-62mph: 11.4 secs
Combined mpg: 42.2
Insurance group: 3
CO2 emissions: 161g/km
BiK rating: 19%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles; 3yrs paint; 12yrs anti-rust