A 2CV for the 21st century

The Japanese can always be relied on to produce some fairly bonkers concept cars - but now more and more of these wacky designs are making it into production.

First there was Honda's Civic, with its futuristic interior; then Daihatsu unveiled its boxy, cartoon-like Materia; and now Mitsubishi is getting in on the act with arguably the most radical of the lot: the 'i' car.

The 'i' has gone down a storm in gadget-obsessed Japan but is being imported in more limited numbers into Britain, where buyers traditionally tend to be more conservative.

There's nothing like this tiny-engined space oddity from Mitsubishi on UK roads and it really turns heads wherever it goes. If you want something radically different, this is the car for you.

It looks appealingly strange from just about any angle - though not everyone is going to like it, of course. The front end is not far off that of a Smart but the rest of the car looks more like a giant alien space helmet than any other car.

The 'i' comes with standard engine and trim and costs £9,000 to put on the road.

So, apart from a radical design, what do you get for your cash? The 'i' turns out to be surprisingly spacious and nippy too, so long as it is used as a city car.

The driving position is good, though the steering wheel does not adjust either for height or reach. The front seats are comfortable and the huge front window ensures that visibility is good, as well as almost negating the need for a panoramic roof.

The back is remarkably spacious, given that the car is barely 11 feet long. There's plenty of head and leg room, though the vehicle's narrow width means it seats only two rather than three. There are plenty of cup holders and there's even an optional tissue box for those prone to colds.

Luggage room is quite tight but hey, this is a city car not a grand tourer.

The test car came with an upgraded audio unit which boasted iPod compatibility at the expense of a CD player.

You have to hover the key fob over the immobiliser to unlock the ignition and then you can fire up the 659cc engine, which lives in the back of the car, under the boot.

The 'i' has been set up to propel you to 30mph quite rapidly, making it great for nipping around city streets. The acceleration tails off in the mid-range, however, and you'll not hit 60mph until around 14 seconds have elapsed.

The transmission is a four-speed automatic which is just about able to cope with most situations. Put your foot down to engage kickdown mode and the revs shoot up and the engine starts whirring like a demented hairdrier.

It does go, though, and you should have few problems keeping up with traffic. The steering is nice and sharp too with no woolliness to worry about.

The 'i' is rear wheel drive so it's worth taking care on bends in the wet. There's no ESP but you shouldn't be going fast enough to need it.

Other factors affecting the car's performance are its low weight and high sides, making it prone to buffeting from crosswinds.

The 'i' is more than capable of holding its own on motorways but its engine limiter cuts in long before you reach 90mph.

The seats are comfy enough to enable quite long journeys to be tackled but the 'i' is not a particularly quiet car and its ride quality can get choppy.

While the car may feel light and insubstantial it is made from aluminium which boosts its strength.

Running costs should be low - the car is capable of doing 50 to the gallon of unleaded and road tax is £35 a year because of its low CO2 emissions figure.

Just when you think you've got to grips with all the iCar's quirks there's the issue of refilling. The 'fuel cap' is on the passenger side but on the driver's side is an engine air intake, so you really don't want to be putting unleaded in there!

For the future I'd like to see a more radical interior, with funkier internal lighting. Some form of illumination for the auto gearstick should also be provided to stop you groping around in the dark for Drive and Reverse.

In many ways the 'i' is the 21st century spiritual successor to the Citro'n 2CV in that it's strange but good fun. You don't get a roll-back roof and seats which can be removed for a picnic but it has more than enough quirks of its own.

Unlike the 2CV, however, the 'i' is not particularly cheap. It shouldn't really cost £9,000 but there's going to be enough interest to ensure the first batch of 300 cars is soon snapped up.

Mitsubishi can get away with charging a premium because there are going to be so few cars in circulation.

It's true that a small hatch from Kia or Hyundai will handle and drive better for considerably less money -Êbut these alternatives won't be as cute or as spacious.

More realistic rivals include 'style' cars like the Twingo, the forthcoming Fiat 500 and the ubiquitous MINI.

All are going to be capable and stylish - but none comes as close to resembling a giant space helmet...

FACT FILE

Price: £9,084 on the road

Engine: 659cc, three-cylinder Power: 57bhp

Transmission: Four-speed autormatic, rear wheel drive

Performance: 0-62mph in 14.9 seconds Top speed: 84mph

Economy: 54.6mpg on combined cycle CO2 emissions: 114g/km

Length: 3,395mm Weight: 900kg

Insurance group: 4

Servicing: 12,000 miles Warranty: Three years/unlimited miles.

By Peter Carroll