Little Pixo is a big hitter (From Dorset Echo)

Little Pixo is a big hitter

10:03am Friday 30th April 2010 in Cars By Steve Belasco

Nissan’s little Pixo should be a front-runner for anyone looking for a compact town runabout, capable of occasional longer journeys.

Launched last year, it comes with a one-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine producing 67bhp and 66lb/ft of torque.

Those figures don’t sound much, but weighing in at 885kg the Pixo gets to 62mph in a reasonable 14 seconds (it feels quicker) and tops out at 96mph.

That three-cylinder engine is a bit of a Marmite job. It’s not particularly quiet but I liked the eager sound. Some won’t. It growls when pushed, sounding more potent than it really is, but settles down at cruising speeds.

The five-door Pixo’s forte is, of course, in town, where its size and little turning circle of nine metres make it very manoeuvrable. But it’s okay with motorway cruising and delivers a combined 64.2mpg.

Climbing in, the cabin may be a little bland for some, but it’s roomy enough and I found the driving position quite comfortable, with good seats, though little adjustment. The instruments and switchgear are well laid out and within easy reach for most.

The free-revving engine combines with a decent, five-speed gearbox (there’s a £910 four-speed auto option) and sharp steering to provide an enjoyable, if not scintillating, drive and the brakes are nicely progressive.

The basic, Visia, model starts at just £6,995. That’s very good value if you can live without the frills. It’s a basic spec, but you do get a CD/MP3 player, steering wheel adjustment, immobiliser and Isofix anchors, though only two airbags. There’s no closeable glovebox and I was surprised to see that the mirror isn’t of the dipping variety – most unusual nowadays, particularly on the top-of-the range Tekna model.

Pay another £750 for the Acenta spec and get electric front windows, remote locking, split folding rear seats, front foglights and a pair of side airbags.

Moving up, the n-tec special edition has air-conditioning and remote central locking for £8,350 and the top-of-the-range Tekna adds curtain airbags and ESP for another £300.

Boot space is a modest 129 litres, which maxes out at a useful 367 litres, and all-round visibility is good for a car of this type.

It’s also a smart-looker and I’m sure that the sub-£7,000 base price will appeal to many.

Emissions are 103g/km, meaning annual VED of just £35 a year.