Everyone, it seems, is downsizing. Even Ferrari are getting in on the act, although I don’t think we’ll see any of Maranello’s masterpieces powered by screaming 1.0-litre three-cylinder engines any time soon.

You can, however, buy a VW Polo with one under the bonnet. What that means for the average driver of this particular model is 106g/km and 60.1mpg. The 1.0-litre replaces the 1.2 four-cylinder petrol engine and is a stark improvement with greater refinement along with a more relaxed attitude.

It’s great around town, where the engine feels sprightly, and the chassis nimble, giving you the confidence to manoeuvre into and through the congested traffic but, once you find yourself traversing wide open highways and byways the experience can be a little less satisfactory.

Ignoring the fact that 0-62mph takes a pedestrian 15.5 seconds – there’s limited opportunity for standing starts on the country’s motorways – the bigger concern is the lack of urgency when you’re looking for a turn of pace to aid overtaking. The paltry 59bhp means that you’ll find yourself having to work the engine hard to extract any kind of performance from it and, consequently, you’ll struggle to get close to the quoted fuel consumption figures.

Occupants will enjoy the ride, which is nice and smooth, isolating passengers from all but the very worst that our roads can throw at it, but the steering is little vague and the body control a little loose.

Inside you’ll find everything is as it should be. SE spec comes equipped with a 6.5inch colour touchscreen that can be navigated using gestures you’d normally associate with mobile devices, such as pinch to zoom and swiping. It’s an incredibly natural interface to use, particularly for the tech-savvy, although the screen could be a little more responsive. There is Bluetooth, DAB radio and, for the princely sum of £700 should you wish it, sat nav.

There is a wealth of connection options - on top of Bluetooth - for playing your audio, with aux-in, USB and 3.5mm stereo inputs.

The cabin is, as always, a wonderfully welcoming place to be. The premium feel that you expect from VW is present and correct, and the fit and finish is first class. The styling is unadventurous, but it’s an approach that has served VW well over the years and has certainly never had an adverse effect on sales figures.

There are front and side airbags for driver and passenger and numerous driver aids that, in addition to ABS braking, include hydraulic brake assist (HBA), traction control (ASR) and electronic stability control (ESP) with electronic differential lock (EDL). There’s very little excuse for crashing the little VW then.

It’s safe to say that, when VW built this car, it wasn’t with rallying in mind, but then the people who buy it, and there will be many, won’t be the type who want to go rallying. They’ll value comfort, economy and quality, and they’ll want it in a small package. That’s why they’ll buy the Polo.

Volkswagen Polo SE 1.0-litre

Price: £13,215

As tested: £14,815

Engine: 1.0-litre thee-cylinder

Transmission: Five-speed manual

Power: 59bhp

Acceleration (0-62mph): 15.5sec

Maximum speed: 100mph

Urban: 49.6mpg

Extra-urban: 68.9mpg

Combined: 60.1mpg

Emissions (CO2): 106g/km

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