Top Gear's Top Five: the best city cars you can buy right now

Price: £11,875

Specs: 75bhp, 70lb ft, 0-62mph 13.2secs, top speed 106mph, 60.1mpg, CO2 108g/km

VW has found a way to cram professionalism and quality into its smallest car. Mainly by being rather crafty with the packaging. Lovely to own.

Read Top Gear's full verdict on the Volkswagen Up

Price: £11,375

Specs: 85bhp, 106lb ft, 0-62mph 11.2secs, top speed 110mph, 67.3mpg, CO2 99g/km

City cars should not only be good, they should be enthusiastic. The Panda almost bubbles over with enthusiasm. Nothing is as much fun for city nipping.

Read Top Gear's full verdict on the Fiat Panda

Price: £10,995

Specs: 71bhp, 106lb ft, 0-62mph 11.2secs, top speed 110mph, 67.3mpg, CO2 95g/km

Rear-engined, rear-drive city car that’s not a Porsche 911. Architecture shared with Smart, but cutesy attitude and Frenchness are all its own.

Read Top Gear's full verdict on the Renault Twingo

Price: £10,225

Specs: 66bhp, 69lb ft, 0-62mph 15.1secs, top speed 96mph, 65.7mpg, CO2 98g/km

Perhaps the i10 is a bit mature, but that aside, this is one very accomplished little city car. A poke in the eye for the big Euro brands.

Read Top Gear's full verdict on the Hyundai i10

Price: £13,065

Specs: 85bhp, 106lb ft, 0-62mph 11.0secs, top speed 107mph, 74.3mpg, CO2 90g/km

What the Panda wants to be when it hits the town at night. The same, but funkier. Also a bit more... feminine. Think clutch bag rather than rucksack.

Read Top Gear's full verdict on the Fiat 500