Sector: Supermini Price: £13,950 Fuel: 67.3mpg CO2: 99g/km

While Chrysler holds a tiny share of the UK market, it’s difficult not to notice the Ypsilon regardless of its body colour. But in this recently launched Black&Red colour scheme, it’s near impossible.

The Panda-based supermini has always been adept at dividing opinions, but it’s certainly not boring. Being daring can make sales difficult at the larger end of the automotive market, but it can save a city car like this from blending in.

That the Chrysler badge would ever find its way onto a car so small is a surprise in itself. The Ypsilon must be the most compact vehicle ever to wear the winged emblem, and the UK product offering is unique. This same car can be found all over Europe, but wearing Lancia badges.

So forget the links with Detroit for a few minutes, and it all makes sense. Lancia’s Ypsilon models – dating back to the Y10 – have always been known for distinctive styling. Chryslers, by comparison, haven’t. It means the family resemblance between this and the Interstate-special 300C are tenuous.

As unusual as it looks, the Ypsilon works better than the larger Delta. Its front and rear ends seem a little mismatched but it’s flamboyant and Italian throughout, and the contrast of pillarbox red bodywork with black bonnet and roof make a feature of its eccentricity. There really aren’t many cars which could pull off a colour scheme like this.

Materials in the cabin don’t feel quite as expensive as in some rivals, but the colour contrast and Prius-esque dashboard grain stop it feeling cheap. Bluetooth, USB and auxiliary connections all supply the 360-degree hi-fi system fitted to Black and Red models, and there’s space for four with a respectable boot.

Ride quality on the Red and Black’s 16-inch multispoke wheels is firm, but it’s comfortable enough to tackle long journeys and light enough on its feet to dart around inner-city traffic. A smaller steering wheel and a little more feedback wouldn’t go amiss, though.

Perhaps the most unlikely pairing with the Chrysler badge is its two-cylinder TwinAir turbo engine, but it’s good fun. A flat mechanical growl under load and sparky performance mean it’s brimming with test drive appeal, but as found in other applications long-term fuel economy is a long way off the claimed figures.

However, CO2 emissions of 99g/km mean it’s at least tax efficient, and it’s a lot more fun than the 1.3 diesel or the larger and less powerful 1.2 petrol. However, watch how you pull out of junctions, because traction control is a £325 option.

There’s a really broad choice in the supermini segment, now growing to include an ever-broader selection of chunky SUVs, but the Ypsilon does an admirable job of not blending in. It’s an affordable, practical car which manages to draw looks in traffic, and you’ll never lose it in the office car park. 

Verdict:

Lined up against the segment’s design-focused models, the Ypsilon is a bit of a bargain. It just depends whether you can live with the way it looks.