THE Suzuki Splash is another of those curvy little cars that are fun to drive, highly economical and spacious enough to serve as a family car for well under £10,000.
Sister to the Vauxhall Agila, it's a sort of supermini MPV that is built on a modified version of the platform that served Suzuki's excellent Swift, and if the sporty settings have been eased somewhat it retains quite a few of the good handling and ride credentials.
As it is quite a tall vehicle, settings are still stiff and that pays off with very little lean through bends and a pleasing agility on back roads; it is, of course, right at home in town and even does a good job on motorways - although wind and road noise levels increase with the pace - thanks to Suzuki's bright 1.2-litre petrol engine.
The power and pull capabilities, 86PS and 84lb/ft, don't sound too promising, but the car weighs in at just over 1,000kg and that lightness means it pops around with enthusiasm, providing sufficient acceleration to give confidence to overtaking.
Top speed is 109mph and upper motorway speeds are handled easily and smoothly, with a average return of just over 50mpg. With low carbon dioxide emissions, the car's economic case is substantial - and there is a diesel alternative that is even better.
As for emotional appeal, little MPVs are always going to look a bit gangly but the Splash, all curves and flanks that rise steeply to a sharply cut-off, almost vertical, back end, has a youthful, modern, fun vitality. The face is adorned with bold, three-cylinder headlights, a split grille and, in this GLS+ trim, foglights, and if the tip of the snub nose is out of driver's vision it's not really a driving problem.
Indeed, the Splash is quite driver-friendly. A lot of glass is employed - the bright, airy interior is a major part of the car's charm - so, with the raised seat positions, all-round visibility is excellent and, for once, the MPV front pillars aren't a particular nuisance. Height adjustment for the front seats furthers comfort and the leather-wrapped steering wheel offers tilt variation.
The gear lever is handily placed in the central console - although it's not a very slick shift - and controls and information are cleanly laid out - a large white-dialled, red back-lit speedo is especially clear, but the small pod housing the rev counter on top of the dash looks a bit curious.
To be honest, the decor in front of you is generally disappointing, with some uninspired plastic in use and a few silver metal-effect highlights can't save it. Elsewhere, however, the car-colour matching seat panels, repeated in the doors, are much more edifying.
The car's height and its wheels-in-corners design ensure a fair amount of room in the cabin and there is reasonable space even at the back. The Splash is a five-door car, so getting in and out is easy.
In fact, it looks after it occupants very well, indeed wonderfully, for the price. Just from a safety perspective, you get front, side and curtain airbags, an electronic stability programme and ABS with electronic brake force distribution and brake assist as standard across the range.
Other standard offerings include air conditioning, electric front windows, heated door mirrors, a four-speaker RDS radio/CD player system with MP3 player and steering wheel controls, remote central locking and deadlocks and a range of storage points (including a lidded dash-top container) and drinks holders.
In this GLS+ trim the car gains 15in alloys as well as privacy glass and the foglights.
At the back the seats split 60:40 and fold to give extra luggage space, just as well because the boot is minimal, despite an under-floor compartment - it could certainly be embarrassed by a weekly shopping trip. Even with the seats folded down the load area level is quite high and limited.
So, not everything about the Splash is perfect, but it does a lot of things well and, given the equipment, price and warranty, it's worth a look.
FAST FACTS
Suzuki Swift 1.2 GLS+ 5dr
Price: £9,350
Mechanical: 86ps,1,242cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 5spd manual gearbox
Max speed: 109mph
0-62mph: 12.3 secs
Combined mpg: 51.4
Insurance group: 3
CO2 emissions: 131g/km
BiK rating: 17%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles