IF small cars are the way ahead, then Toyota's trailblazing Yaris is a car of the future - available now.

Economical, comfortable and easy-to-live-with, its stylish body houses a remarkable amount of space in an exceptionally compact body.

The interior is futuristic and the 'black hole' instrumentation is out of this world.

But its ace in the hole lies under the bonnet - a superb 'Mighty Atom' 1.0-litre engine that carries a sporty sounding VVTi tag.

The 68 horsepower unit is zippy, can cruise effortlessly on motorways and still delivers an average of about 50 miles per gallon.

Small wonder that it was recently voted the best engine in the world, for its efficiency, economy and power at the first 'Oscars for engines' ceremony in Germany.

Above all, the Yaris has character, both on the Japanese-styled interior and the European-styled exterior.

The raised seating position, which gives plenty of space at head and shoulder height, gives the feeling of a much larger car.

The large car feel extends to the equipment which includes power steering, twin front airbags, electronic front seatbelt pre-tensioners and a sliding rear seat on all models, apart from the entry model.

But the most striking feature sitting behind the wheel is the absence of any conventional instruments in front of the driver.

All you have in front of you is a clear view of the road.

The instrumentation is housed in a hi-tech, 3D central cluster, which delivers a digital speed display, and glowing bar charts for revs and fuel.

Other warning lights gleam out of the black hole when required.

The cluster is angled towards the driver and Toyota says it is designed to cut the time taken to refocus on traditional gauges.

Once over the initial surprise, it is unexpectedly easy on the eye.

The interior is surprisingly useful too with lots of storage space and a split/fold rear seat which can slide forward to give extra boot space.

Prices for the range, which includes both three and five-door models, start at £7,495 and rise to £10,995 for the top of the range five-door CDX model which has alloy wheels, air conditioning and a CD/radio as standard.

Options include a satellite navigation system.

Five-door models are priced at £500 over the equivalent three-door and an optional five-speed automatic Free-Tronic clutch system, which removes the need for a clutch pedal and makes driving in heavy traffic less tiring, costs an extra £250.

The warranty on all models extends to three years or 60,000 miles on mechanical parts and 12 years on anti-corrosion perforation.

Toyota says the Yaris will need a full service only once every 20,000 miles or two years.

From 2001, the Toyota's mighty Yaris will be built from a new manufacturing plant at Valenciennes in northern France, using engines built at Toyota's existing factory in Deeside, north Wales.

AUTO FACTS:

Toyota Yaris 1.0 VVTi GLS

PRICE: £9,495

INSURANCE GROUP: 2E

FUEL CONSUMPTION:

Urban 40.9 mpg

Extra Urban 55.4 mpg

Combined 49.6 mpg

COMFORT: Excellent

LUGGAGE SPACE: 7.2 cu ft

DIMENSIONS: Length 142.3in

Width 65.4in

TOP SPEED: 95mph

FUEL TANK: 9.9 gallons

Story date: Wednesday 17 November

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.