Volkswagen Fox

The Volkswagen Fox is crappily finished for a VW, and less fun to drive than many of its baby-car rivals. Amazingly badly equipped, so don’t believe the low price. Not foxy at all then.

• Comfort

  The space in a Fox is impressive, partly because it's built in Brazil where it functions as a family car. So it's taller and wider inside than most cars in the class. But it's noisy.

  

• Performance

  The engine range comprises of two petrols, a 1.2-litre with 55bhp and a 1.4-lire with 75bhp. The 1.2 hauls the little car along easily enough around town. It takes a languorous 17.5 seconds to reach 0-62mph, but it feels faster than that because it's quick off the mark to 30mph. Make full use of the five-speed 'box and it trundles you steadily up to motorway speeds too, the noise settling to a hushed background thrum. However, the 1.4 is much more of a serious prospect. There's plenty of power that's delivered easily and effortlessly with less engine noise so it's much more civilised for long distances.

  

• Cool

  The Fox isn't cool in the way a 500 or Panda or Aygo is. Not cheeky, not impish, not stylish, not even novel.

  

• Quality

  If you were expecting a miniaturised Polo you'll be disappointed. The Fox's dash is hard and slabby, and the garish stripey seats won't distract you.

  

• Handling

  Built in Brazil where the roads aren't known for their smoothness, the Fox easily takes care of rough tarmac surfaces. Just don't expect the liveliness of comparable hatches, such as the Citroen C1 or Ford Ka. Throw the Fox at your favourite roundabout and it'll refuse to play; the body lollops over, the steering's reponses are slow and the brakes are too grabby.

  

• Practicality

  Top models have a sliding rear seat, and it's a fundamentally roomy tot. But it's only a three-door.

  

• Running costs

  Yup, it's cheap thanks to low prices, low insurance, and fairly low servicing costs. But fuel costs and CO2 tax are unimpressive for the class.