Slip behind the wheel of the new Vauxhall Viva and you’ll be greeted by a spacious and comfortable interior which for the most part uses good quality materials and hard plastics. There are a few parts which feel a little flimsy to touch though like the door panels and the glovebox.

The gloss black detailing around the centre cubby helps to add interest what is an otherwise bland interior and the trip computer and basic centre console are easy to use and navigate around, although a little dated in its presentation.

In January the IntelliLink multimedia system arrives and can be specified for under £500 which helps to modernise the centre console somewhat and the seven-inch touchscreen system which comes with it is of good quality and intuitive to use.

Vauxhall is keen to emphasise that the Viva is a functional and budget choice for car buyers and the interior reflects this, it’s practical with plenty of cubbies and cupholders so you can have all your personal belongings within easy reach and finding a good comfortable driving position is easy too thanks to the height adjustable seat.

Disappointing for the army of smartphone users will be the lack of a USB port available in SE trim as standard so you’ll need to dig out your old auxiliary lead if you want to charge your phone and there’s no sat-nav available as an option across the entire range either so you’ll need to rely on your phone’s mapping app or wait until January when you can specify the IntelliLink system and use the navigation app.

Vauxhall Viva comfort levels are very good. With an overall length of 3675mm and a height of 1,485mm there’s plenty of space inside for four adults to travel in comfort. Although officially a five seater, the rear seats will fit only three young teenagers comfortably, six-footers will particularly struggle with legroom in the rear too which could prove uncomfortable over longer journeys.

For those in the front, the seats are comfortable and supportive except for some oddly angled headrests and the driver’s seat can be height adjusted to gain a better seating position too.

The suspension does a good job of soaking up the potholes and bumps in the road and the cabin is light and airy. Features like the standard cruise control, steering wheel mounted controls and electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors make life easier while out on the road too.

Wind and road noise is kept to a minimum unless you take the Viva out onto the motorway where you’ll need to have the music on fairly loud to drown it out.