What: VW Polo diesel

Where: Auckland city and environs

On sale: Now

Price: $26,990

About: The Polo 1.4-litre petrol and GTI 1.8T were joined by this three-cylinder 1.4-litre diesel-fuelled version late last year.

There's the same smart, if rather conservative design inside and out as the rest of the range, the same understated yet efficient layout and pleasant materials - here with a torquey little powerplant that's impressively frugal on fuel.

The 59kW power and 195Nm on-paper figures may not sound like much, but this isn't a big, heavy car, the unit's not working hard, and it's mated to a five-speed gearbox with a useful spread of ratios. As a result it pulls strongly off the line and proves smooth and willing at open road speeds.

Frugal, too - the claimed consumption is 4.5l/100km, and we got 4.7l/100km - not bad considering our Auckland city, Waitakere hills stint with the car was very light on open-road cruising.

Though the willing little powerplant offers plenty of pull, this Polo is no sports machine, so it comes as no surprise that the handling stresses comfort and predictability - our only quibble a touch of rattle around the steering when cornering on bumpy roads.

To be fair, it also felt safe-as-houses in wet and wintery conditions - it's always nice to know there's ABS and four airbags in reserve if it all turns pear-shaped, though a shame that ESP isn't standard at this price.

For: Smart, frugal, easy to live with and to like; a Euro car with modern diesel technology and clean, particulate-filtered emissions.

Against: Modern engine tech but the body is over-conservative, and you can get a more powerful Hyundai Getz diesel for two grand less.