Small wonder

opposition from Vauxhall, Peugeot and Renault, all of whom produce rivals a grand or so cheaper.

But it’s not all about the sticker price because the Toyota will start saving you money as soon as you drive it out of the showroom.

Nobody knows more about hybrid powertrains than Toyota and it has been constantly tweaking and improving the one in the Yaris.

The official WLTP consumption for our test car is 70.6mpg and experience says that if you concentrate on driving smoothly, maximising momentum and think ahead, you will get very close to achieving this figure.

The Yaris weighs in at 1,145kg which is relatively light by modern standards but obese by the 1990s’ measures. Makes you wonder how economical an original (and very much lighter) 1999 Yaris would be with this powertrain.

Unusually in current times, the fourth generation Yaris is shorter and lower than its predecessors but has a 50mm longer wheelbase.

One of the reasons the car has been a success is its good use of interior space despite a small footprint. Six footers, however, will feel a bit cramped in the back – but hey, it’s a small city car.

You won’t have to prod around too much to find some hard plastics but in general the interior is nicely designed and solid.

Part of the 2024 update is the fitting of Toyota’s latest Touch 3 infotainment system and a new instrument cluster that you can customise for your preferred layout.

Toyota has focused on economy and efficiency, so the Yaris isn’t a giggle to drive. The fun bit is trying to beat your personal best MPG figure and using a bigger percentage of time on electric power – all of which you are informed about on the instrument panel.

Thanks to electric power, the Yaris is really zippy to drive in town with brisk and smooth acceleration from rest.

For 25 years the Toyota Yaris has been a great choice for an urban family runabout.

It still is.