Engine choice

Things started off simply enough with a choice of three petrol engines and a pair of diesels. Entry-level was a 95bhp 1.4 16-valve unit, good for 0-62mph in 11.2 seconds and with 47.9mpg combined economy. Above that were a pair of turbocharged, drive-by-wire 1.4 TB engines with 120bhp or 155bhp, the latter cracking the 0-62mph sprint in a sprightly 8.0 seconds while still managing 43.5mpg and 153g/km of CO2 emissions.

Oil-burner devotees got 1.3 and 1.6 JTDM motors with 90bhp and 120bhp respectively. The larger unit was Euro 5-compliant and featured a diesel particulate filter (DPF) and variable-geometry turbo, while both returned a claimed economy of around 60mpg.

In early 2010, a new 1.4 Multiair petrol debuted, featuring electro-hydraulic control of inlet valve opening. Capable of 135bhp and 170bhp, the former claimed notable efficiency gains over the 120bhp TB unit, while the more powerful engine reached 0-62mph in 7.5 seconds. At the same time, stop/start was made available across the range and a new 1.3 Multijet II diesel engine was offered with 95bhp and 65.7mpg.

The changes kept coming. In April 2011, the 1.4 16-valve petrol was replaced by an 8-valve 78bhp unit, a 105bhp 1.4 Multiair and a 1.3 JTDM diesel with 85bhp.

The warranty was extended to five years in July 2012, which also saw another notable addition with the turbocharged, two-cylinder Twinair engine. Boasting 875cc and 85bhp, it claimed 67.3mpg economy, although the reality was often much less. A further round of updates in October 2013 brought a 105bhp Twinair to accompany the 1.4 petrols (135/170bhp) and 1.3/1.6 diesels (85/120bhp). For the 2017 model year, buyers got an updated diesel with 95bhp and 89g/km CO2 emissions.