You sit quite high up in the Colt, so there’s a pretty good view of the road. However the thick windscreen pillars obstruct visibility and can get in the way when turning out of junctions. The design of the dashboard is good though with fresh, attractive materials and funky ventilation controls, while at night all the clouded plastics are backlit in soothing green.

The steering column adjusts for height only while the driver’s seat adjusts for height on all but the CZ1 model. Revised cars (from October 2008) get a revamped steering wheel (similar to the larger Lancer), a redesigned instrument panel and an improved stereo with an auxiliary input.

Mitsubishi Colt comfort isn’t as good as some rivals. The seats are a little hard and can be unsupportive for longer journeys, but there’s plenty of leg, head and shoulder room. Two sit in the back in comfort with a good amount of legroom and three kids won’t complain either. Overall the interior ambience is light and pleasant, although there’s too much road and engine noise – which can be irritating on longer trips.

There’s a sliding rear bench on facelifted models which means better legroom for those travelling in the back.