What's surprising is the proportion of buyers opting for the range-topping manual T3 Spirit. R137 320 for a 1.3-litre car measuring just 3.75 metres seems almost ludicrous, until you consider just how much good stuff has been packed into this tiny space.

For starters, the Yaris takes the cab-forward design philosophy to the extreme, the result being an interior that at least matches or beats most rivals when it comes to outright space, while even the boot can swallow an almost class average 272 litres.

Yaris also knows some tricks in versatility with rear seats that can slide forwards or backwards within a range of 150mm, or tumble completely flat, Corolla Verso style.

The interior design is quite radical by Toyota standards and its flamboyant colour scheme and centrally-mounted instrument pod certainly divides opinion. Build quality is good, but perhaps not as rock solid as we'd expect from Toyota. The interior will score big points with object hoarders — there are plenty of nooks and crannies throughout.

While practicality alone can't quite justify the asking price, the T3 Spirit's standard features list certainly sweetens the deal considerably. For starters, you get almost every luxury and aesthetic feature that you possibly could in this class, including satellite audio controls on the leather-covered, fully adjustable steering wheel.

When it comes to safety, it's also the only Yaris model that fully meets its five-star Euro NCAP rating, with a full complement of airbags, including side curtain and driver's knee airbags.

The Yaris is powered by one of the most modern 1.3-litre engines on the market — it has 16 valves as well as 'intelligent' variable valve timing. Problem is, you could choose between many 1.6-litre cars in this price bracket, albeit not as well equipped.

Off the mark, the Yaris 1.3 proved surprisingly eager, getting from 0-100km/h in 11.6 seconds, almost matching many 1.6-litre rivals. The car is clearly geared for brisk town driving, but it lost the plot a little at higher speeds. In fact, taking 15.95 seconds to accelerate from 80 to 120km/h in fourth gear, it fell below many 1.3- and 1.4-litre rivals on our test table, although in the real world you would change down to third when overtaking.

Putting this car to the test on a raceway circuit left us impressed with the Yaris' handling ability. While body roll and understeer became prominent at the very limit of the car's adhesion, it still proved safe, predictable and agile on turn-in. There was also very little to fault in terms of ride quality and shock absorption.

If you want a small car with absolutely everything in it and top safety credentials, Yaris T3 Spirit will be an expensive but rewarding buy. However, if you can live without some of the extras, the lower-specced models can be had for considerably less.