With fuel prices continuing to rocket, even the most hardened petrol heads are being forced to think twice about their choice of car.

If you spend a lot of your time driving short distances and/or around town, then large, fuel-efficient cars are not a particularly sensible choice.

Many would still argue that small hatchbacks are just too, well, small. Surely they don’t have the space, comfort, equipment or turn of speed to make then genuinely versatile vehicles capable of longer journeys as well as a quick dart to the supermarket?

I think I fitted into that bracket before I got behind the wheel of the new Nissan Micra but was pleasantly surprised.

The first box to tick with this car is that it has adopted more conservative styling. Gone are the bulbous headlights and squat behind in favour of a neat, modern design that, while unremarkable, is inoffensive and somehow less “girlie” — another negative label that can be attached to many contemporary small cars.

Inside it takes about 30 seconds to acquaint yourself with the Micra. Its strength lies in its simplicity with a stylish pod housing the heating and ventilation controls, while the dashboard housing speedometer and tachometer is easy to read.

The pedals are large — a bonus for male drivers with bigger feet — but the clutch offers little resistance and the five-speed gearbox is light yet positive. A continuously variable automatic option is also available to make urban driving even easier.

But what I really enjoyed was the performance of the 1.2 litre three cylinder engine. The response was instant and the car was really nippy, eager to be driven from point to point with no fuss.

Backed up by pin-sharp handling, this made driving through Oxford fun (almost) and the car was able to whip around obstacles such as potholes and parked vehicles with panache.

Only when the car had three passengers on board and set out on a longer journey did the engine run out of steam a little on hills, but as far as cruising at the legal limit is concerned, then it is quite capable and motorways pose no concerns.

While the Micra may be small on the outside, I was impressed with its interior space.

I managed to travel with two teenagers and two adults on board and none of them complained about being cramped. When quizzed about space in the rear seat, they said there was plenty of room for all of them.

It just did not seem that big and I almost felt like checking in the boot to see if Dr Who had suddenly transformed the Tardis into the Micra.

Talking of the boot, it was big enough to take a heavy load of shopping or a couple of overnight bags. The rear seat on this Acenta model also split and folded, offering plenty more capacity should it be needed.

The seats were comfortable enough, although a little firm for my taste, although that may partly have been to do with the fact I couldn’t find the adjustment for the back rest for a couple of journeys. Like everything else with the car, it’s simple to use once located.

And if drivers are worried about the lack of gadgets then the Micra was surprisingly well-equipped.

This mid-range model came with Bluetooth telephone technology, climate control, cruise control and front fog lamps. The top of the range version adds rear parking sensors and measurement, panoramic glass roof and satellite navigation. There aren’t many luxury saloons that can offer more than that.

So, to return to the paragraph listing what a larger car driver has on their wishlist. When it comes to space, comfort, equipment and even turn of speed then the Micra ticks every box.

All that needs to be overcome is the “small car stigma.” A real driver just doesn’t want to be seen driving a little hatchback do they?

But it doesn’t take an accountant to work out that in terms of economy, tax and insurance the Micra presents a convincing argument when it comes to protecting the bottom line.

And increasingly drivers will be ruled by their wallet rather than their heart in future.

Model: Nissan Micra 1.2 Acenta Performance: 0-62mph: 13.7 seconds, top speed 106mph Economy: 56.5mpg (combined) CO2 emissions: 115g/km Price: £10,850 Car supplied by: Westway Nissan, Oxford Motor Park, Kidlington Contact: 0844 387 4881 Web: www.westwaynissan.co.uk