Motoring Editor STEVE NELSON finds Suzuki’s Splash ticks a lot of boxes.

IT will have come as no surprise to see that among more depressing car sales statistics released this month the diesel and small car market share improved.

This reflection of the economies being made by households is proving more than ever a test for manufacturers to produce cars to match our needs and aspirations.

We want more mpg, lower C02 emissions and more practicality in pint-sized packages that don’t make a big dent in precarious finances.

Suzuki has answered the call with the excellent Splash, which you may have guessed by the youthfulness of its name is aimed at a younger market of couples and families than the car it replaced, the versatile Wagon R.

Gone are the set-square looks, replaced by a chunky, cheeky cuteness. Yet it keeps the tall roof that helped the Wagon succeed at a shade under 1.6 metres in height.

Inevitably it makes getting in a breeze, and you are greeted by a modern dashboard of sturdy buttons and solid materials neatly laid out with touches of silver trim in a package that would feel at home in the class above.

The high driving position gives a good view out, and a choice of colours for the cabin means the traditional greys can be left behind. Better yet is the kit list: all models get a decent CD/tuner that plays MP3 discs, steering wheel controls, remote locking, front electric windows and electric heated mirrors, height adjustable seats, six airbags and ESP.

Suzuki deserves a pat on the back here because I believe the Splash is alone among its competitors in offering ESP electronic stability across the entire range. It also offers every model with six airbags – including two full-length curtain airbags.

Go up to GLS+ or the DDiS spec and you gain alloys, front fogs and privacy glass.

My test car was the aforementioned DDiS, which employs a 1.3-litre turbo diesel engine built under licence from Fiat, and it is beautifully suited to the task. Not only is it remarkably quiet after the initial diesel rumble, it also delivers the sort of economy we crave.

During a week on a variety of roads in both city and country, the trip computer rarely displayed an mpg of lower than 64 – even better than the official combined figure of 62.8 mpg. And don’t forget, the vehicle excise duty is only £35 a year.

The short-throw gear lever mounted in a relatively high position on the centre console makes for effortless shifting and is perfectly suited to the car.

Headroom is sufficient for a milliner taking their work home with them, while legroom in the back is sufficient to carry average adults front and rear – not bad for a car that can still do the urban tango into a tight parking spot.

The boot is tall rather than long, but is handily split with an under-floor partition. Don’t expect to get a couple of suitcases in the back without lowering the rear seats.

Fold these seats and you can have 573 litres of space with a near-flat floor for mini-van capacity. Here, the Splash scores highly again, because the rear seats – split 60/40 – can be dropped to the floor with one finger and the headrests do not have to be removed.

There’s also such an array of storage areas for maps, keys, bottles, phones and CDs that you might end up forgetting where you placed items.

Cars of this size are rarely built for fun driving, but the Splash is helped by using the acclaimed platform of the bigger Swift. The Splash is actually 20mm longer than the Swift at 3.73 metres, and inherits its dynamic qualities to cope with winding country roads and the demands of city life.

The electric power steering is designed for twirling in the city, but on the open road it is sufficiently sharp, and although it leans a little the Splash hangs on gamely when pressed. The ride quality is also above average for the class, helped by the long wheelbase.

Three engines are offered: Suzuki’s 1.0-litre three cylinder unit; a 1.2-litre petrol engine, for which four-speed automatic transmission is also available, and the punchy DDiS.

More than anything the Splash feels like a bigger car squeezed into a lower class.

The smart looks inside and out translate into good passenger space, and with a thoroughly comprehensive equipment list, it makes a compelling case.


AT A GLANCE

Model: Suzuki Splash DDiS

Price: £10,600 (Splash range from £8,750)

Engine: 1.3-litre diesel

Performance: 0-62 mph in 13.9 seconds; top speed 103 mph

Transmission: 5-speed manual

Economy: 62.8 mpg combined

CO2 emissions: 120 g/km