Category Archives: Business

Business, Motoring, News

Work starts on City clean air scheme

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Pictured left to right: Councillor Waseem Zaffar , Councillor Ian Ward the Leader of Birmingham City Council, Mark Jones from Motorpoint and Laura Shoaf MD Transport West Midlands

Team appointed to lead scrappage initiative

Work has begun on Birmingham’s e Clean Air Zone Vehicle Scrappage and Travel Scheme. Motorpoint, the UK’s largest independent car retailer, which has branches in Aston and Oldbury, was recently selected by Birmingham City Council to help deliver the £10m scheme.  

People who work in the zone and earn less than £30,000 per annum, will now be able to scrap their vehicle with Motorpoint. In exchange, they will receive £2,000 credit towards a compliant vehicle from Motorpoint or £2,000 in a ‘mobility’ credit to use on public transport via a Swift Card with Transport for West Midlands (TfWM).

The Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone goes live on June 1, 2021. From this date the owners of vehicles that do not meet the emission standards of the Clean Air Zone will be subject to a daily fee of £8 to enter the zone.  The Clean Air Zone is an area of Birmingham city centre inside the A4540 Middleway (but not the Middleway itself).

Kevin Cartwright, General Manager of Motorpoint Birmingham and Oldbury, said: “We’re delighted to see the Clean Air Zone Vehicle Scrappage and Travel Scheme go live and with it the opportunity to further reduce the levels of nitrogen dioxide emissions in the city. 

“Motorpoint has hundreds of low mileage, nearly new vehicles all under warranty available at its branches across the city – every one of which is Clean Air Zone compliant. Plus, with our Sameday Driveaway service, people can choose, test drive and buy, all in the space of a couple of hours. We would definitely recommend anyone thinking of taking advantage of the scheme to go online and start their car buying journey at motorpoint.co.uk or alternatively pop into their nearest Motorpoint branch.”

Cllr Waseem Zaffar, Birmingham City Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and the Environment, added: “Every year, up to 1,000 people in Birmingham are dying prematurely from conditions linked to air pollution including cancer, heart and lung disease.  This is an unacceptable situation.

Clean air should be a basic right, not a luxury and just because it is invisible it does not mean we should ignore it. The Clean Air Zone will help improve air quality within our city and the Vehicle Scrappage and Travel Credit Scheme helps tackle the source of the problem by removing the most polluting vehicles from our roads.”

Motorpoint currently has over 6,000 low mileage, nearly new cars and light commercial vehicles available from over 30 different manufacturers. Every vehicle from Motorpoint comes with the balance of manufacturer’s warranty backed by the Motorpoint Price Promise. This means Motorpoint will refund the difference to any customer within seven days of their order if they find the same car cheaper from a competitor. As a bonus, it will also give the customer £50 worth of Amazon vouchers to spend. 

Plus, as part of the company’s on-going COVID-19 safeguarding processes, all vehicle collections will be completed in specially designated areas to always guarantee social distancing while an online portal means the car buying experience is completely paperless with customers able to sign for their new car using their mobile phone. 

The full eligibility criteria and terms and conditions for the scheme are available at www.brumbreathes.co.uk. 

Business, Entertainment, Food and Drink, News

Thai time for new restaurant

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The typical interior of one of the The Giggling Squid’s 35 UK restaurants

Chain set to open in Sutton Coldfield

A specialist Thai restaurant chain, which prides itself on its tapas-style simplicity and ethical approach to business, is to open its doors in Sutton Coldfield.

A spokesperson for Giggling Squid, which offers ‘simple, rustic, fresh Thai food,’ confirmed the company is set to move into Mulberry Walk in Mere Green.

It will join a diverse group of restaurants operating in Mulberry Walk and Mere Green, with a specialist offering of Thai food.

It will take over the former Gustos restaurant which closed last year, subject to planning approval.

Giggling Squid opened its first restaurant in 2009 and currently operate over 35 restaurants, including an establishment in Harborne, Birmingham, employing around 900 employees who are all directly employed rather than agency staff.

The brand founded by husband and wife Andrew and Pranee Laurillard,  prides itself on serving ‘staggeringly good Thai food.’

Pranee said: “My husband and I sat in the basement of a tiny, tiny fisherman’s cottage (now our Brighton restaurant!) way back in 2002 and pulled together our first Thai Tapas menu.

” Our idea was to cook simple, rustic, fresh Thai food. We wanted a menu that people could eat like they do at home. In Thailand, mealtimes are all about lots of dishes that everyone shares.”

The opening date has not been confirmed yet, but all of its other venues will open for dine-in guests on Monday 17th May. A typical selection of what it offers can be found here

An interesting presentation of what to expect and Gustos, which has now closed

The group say it is proud to its ethical manner and works to key values such as integrity, quality and treating everyone fairly and this ethos runs through our business decisions including employment policies and supply chain management.

In a statement on its website, Giggling Squid says: “We have long-standing, close relationships with suppliers and prioritise quality and provenance. We continue to monitor suppliers that we believe may present high modern slavery risks in our supply chain.

“We are committed to continuously improving our practices to eliminate any slavery and human trafficking in the supply chain and to act ethically and with integrity in all business relationships.

“Over the course of the next financial year we will be implementing new policies, training and key performance indicators to help us identify, prevent and mitigate any risks of modern slavery or human trafficking in relation to new and existing suppliers and in relation to our own operations.”

A statement from Gustos said COVID-19 has had a significant impact on its business, like many in the industry, and it had to make the incredibly tough decision to close four of its restaurants in order to protect the future of Gusto.

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Business, Lifestyle, pubs

Pubs back in business … mostly

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Clare Moran outside the Crown on Walsall Road which has been doing a roaring trade

Sutton Coldfield opens up as restrictions lifted

“While the new ways of working have been a little challenging, the rewards have far outweighed the negatives.”

Those are the optimistic words of a Sutton Coldfield pub manager whose premises enjoyed a better than expected return to business than anticipated.

For Clare Moran, manager at The Crown in Four Oaks, it’s so far so good.

But into the second week of latest lifting of lockdown restrictions and it would appear the glass is half full, certainly as far as the pubs in Sutton are concerned. With many keeping their doors shut and those that are open operating with restricted hours.

While many celebrated better-than-expected business thanks mainly to the fine weather, which is expected to continue, pubgoers returned to release months of pent-up demand, eager to get out for a meal or just a couple of pints during the continuing fine weather. Things appear to have slowed after the initial rush during the Easter break, but pubs are still busy.

Clare is delighted to be back in business. She said: “We were over the moon when Boris announced his roadmap out of lockdown and that we could begin to serve the great folks of Four Oaks again.

“It has certainly been busier than we anticipated and I think this is down to the nation’s confidence in the vaccine scheme and the measures we have in place to protect our team and guests. People trust their local, it’s ‘home from home’.

“It’s important to remember we are publicans not politicians, we must follow and enforce the guidelines, which we do, but we still have to ensure our guests enjoy our hospitality, albeit safely.”

Clare with customers enjoying the sun at The Crown

“Initially, the company I work for, only had plans to open around 200 pubs, but as we are proving more and more successful, they now have plans to open more pubs before the re-opening of our indoor areas.

“I’m optimistic that lockdown life is over, I have faith that the majority of people know and will follow the guidelines set for us.”

The boost in trade could also have been helped by the number of pubs that remained closed, with many choosing to sit it out until the next round of restrictions are lifted next month.

Many are also geared to to providing carvery-like menus which mean customers would not be allowed onto the premises to serve their own food.

A straw poll of the general area around showed up to half of pubs remained closed.

The reopening of non-essential shops, pubs, hairdressers and gyms and other venues was blessed with fine weather as those businesses appeared to being doing a roaring trade.

One barber shop owner in Four Oaks, Graham Whitehouse, said he was snowed under with demand. He usually took booking a couple of days in advance, but was fully booked initially.

Graham, who has been at the premises at Walsall Road for nearly 50 years, said: “It was manic. We had loads of bookings in the first week, but in the second week it levelled off again.

“Everyone was keen to get haircut.”

But retail business was also on a roll with one observer describing the re-opening as a carnival atmosphere and the first day reminiscent of VE Day celebrations.

The next round of lifting restriction is due on May 17, Covid cases permitting, when people will be allowed back inside hospitality venues.

Business, News, Roads

Lidl a step nearer to completion

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The view from what will be the car park for the new Lidl in Mere Green

Work is gathering pace on the new Lidl supermarket being built in Mere Green.

The roof is now on with brickwork in place, filling in the steel skeleton of the new building. The car parking area, seen from the picture above is now laid with just final resurfacing before the opening of the store in a matter of weeks.

The store looks to be on schedule for completion by the end of the spring, but the German owned store are tight-lipped about the opening date and how many jobs will be created.

The new supermarket will on the site of the former industrial site in Mere Green Road, which has lain derelict for more than 10 years.

The store has not met with universal approval with fears of traffic chaos, further exacerbated by new of a new Aldi store set to be built on the old Waitrose site on Belwell Lane.

It does seem inevitable there will be a big increase in traffic on the busy stretch of road, with Mulberry Walk virtually fully open with gym, shops like Poundland, bars and restaurants, together with existing supermarkets Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer. With a busy garage also at Mere Green island, it looks like delays will be on the way.

Business, Food and Drink, Lifestyle, News

Raising a glass to the great outdoors

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The Butlers Arms has created a marquee which will complement the decking areas
Pubs and hospitality venues show versatility for big reopening

As hospitality venues in Sutton prepare to tentatively come out of lockdown on April 12, pubs and restaurants are coming up with some ingenious solutions to the problem of eating and drinking outside.

From that date hospitality venues will be allowed to serve people outdoors and there will be no need for customers to order a substantial meal with alcoholic drinks and no curfew, although customers must order, eat and drink while seated (‘table service’), as before the last hospitality closure in October. 

Wider social contact rules will apply in all these settings to prevent indoor mixing between different households.

It will be a welcome return to business for hospitality venues, with many having gone to the wall and others surviving through grants, loans and the use of the Job Retention Scheme (furlough).

Now they hope to be back for good with a return to full opening on May 17, providing there is no further surge in Covid-19 cases.

Clockwise, from top left, the outdoor area at The Town House, two views of The Bracebridge, and The Crown

To cope with this, pubs in particular are adapting their premises to allow groups of people to drink and dine together when the weather is poor

These include these of shelters, which look like kiosks used at the Birmingham German markets, seen at the Crown at Four Oaks and the Hardwick Arms at Streetly and strengthened open marquees, like at the Butlers Arms on Lichfield Road, covered outdoor areas, like The Bracebridge in Sutton Park and some, turning their gardens into the equivalent of a German beer garden, like the Town House in Sutton Coldfield Town centre, similar to those seen at Munich’s Oktoberfest.

It is anticipated there will be a huge rush and many venues are contacting customers through the use of apps to invite them back and book a table where available.

The team at the Bulters Arms said on their Facebook page: “Have a sneak peak at our menu for The Butlers Outdoors… We’re not taking bookings for outside tables. Tables will be available on a strictly first come, first serve basis. We can’t wait to welcome you all back on April 12th (hopefully 🤞).”

Other indoor locations to open on May 17 include indoor entertainment venues such as cinemas and children’s play areas; the rest of the accommodation sector, including hotels, hostels and B&Bs; and indoor adult group sports and exercise classes.

 The government will also allow some larger performances and sporting events in indoor venues. In the largest outdoor seated venues, where crowds can be spread out, up to 10,000 people will be able to attend.

By that point hospitality in Sutton and across the country will be hoping to be fully back in business by June 21. All dates are subject to change, depending on any sign of a further wave of coronavirus infection.  

Business, Lifestyle

Wedding fayre launched

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Sutton Coldfield Town Hall to host virtual event

Sutton Coldfield Town hall is to launch a virtual wedding fayre to help locked down engaged couples plan their big day.
The online event, to be streamed from 10.30am this Saturday 27 March, is part of a relaunch of wedding services at the town hall, which received a business grant in 2020 to develop wedding services during the pandemic. The £40,000 project included a £30,000 grant from Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership. Under the ‘Pivot and Prosper’ scheme, it was able to decorate key areas, upgrade digital marketing and install wedding streaming cameras as well as pay for sales and planning staff to improve services.
The virtual fayre, streamed and then stored on the venue website, will be hosted by Jane Dayus-Hinch, local wedding expert and host of the Canadian series ‘Wedding SOS’, which is currently being streamed on Pluto TV and YouTube.
There will be advice and features from Midlands Wedding Caterer of the Year – Caviar and Chips and Midlands Asian Wedding Awards winner, The Juci Luci Cake Company. They will be joined by Sutton experts Floral Jazz and bespoke celebrant Carol Joy.

Included in the 30 suppliers featured will be specialist in South Asian weddings, Arum Javed from Sovereignty Event Management and local five-star company Nothing But Wedding Cars.
The Town Hall’s Hannah Matthews has produced the project, and as a wedding dress and tailoring specialist, she will be giving tips for all members of the wedding party. Filmed by digital specialist Cormac Wade, it marks the official launch of the venue’s new services. A sales team, led by Leyanne Jarvis and Judith Howard, is already receiving renewed interest in the venue, particularly for key  dates in summer 2022.
Hannah has been working with local suppliers in the run up to the event. She said: “We have over 30 local, reputable suppliers and professionals, and after a complex and turbulent year for the wedding and events industries, we’re proud to be using our funding as a springboard for some of these fantastic businesses in the West Midlands.

 “We’re ensuring that the fayre is accessible until restrictions begin to lift, and these companies are then able to start to trade at a more normal pace, as any additional business we can direct to them will help make for a far more positive 2021.”
 To access the stream, visitors can pre-register via the venue’s Facebook events, or visit scth.org/fayre-registration, and on the day take part via the website scth.org/wedding-fayre.
Photos: Mike Wade.

Business, Food and Drink, News

Store wars in Mere Green?

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Aldi set to build new store a former Waitrose

Store wars could be breaking out in Sutton Coldfield when a second discount supermarket takes over a former Waitrose store in Mere Green.

A new Aldi will soon join the new Lidl supermarket currently under construction in Mere Green, the discount rival bringing a fourth supermarket into Mere Green, together with Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer. Include Poundland, which also sells food and groceries, and there will be five.

While building work progresses on Lidl at the former Lucas site on Mere Green Road, rival German firm Aldi has secured the Waitrose store on Belwell Lane and could convert the premises into its third store in Sutton Coldfield.

Top, work progressing on the new Lidl and above, Poundland and M&S in Mere Green

It would not be the first Waitrose store to have been snapped up by Aldi as the John Lewis chain has struggled with falling sales over the years. It bought up a former Waitrose in Camden, London in 2018.

The store in Belwell Lane, which has been an upmarket grocery store feature for four decades, is part of the Atlas House block which also houses the Flints bar and various offices with a large car park to the rear.

It is thought to have been snapped up for just £1. A spokesman for Aldi would not confirm nor deny this but said:  “We are always looking for and considering sites for our future stores network.”

The move could spark more anger with local residents as traffic would certainly increase again in and around Mere Green island adding to fears of traffic chaos with the new Lidl coming on line in the next couple of months.

The last time there were more than two supermarkets in Mere Green dates back to before the construction of Mulberry Walk, when the area hosted an Aldi, which is now Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and a Safeway store which was demolished as part of the new development.

Business, News, Transport, Travel

Cautious Sutton welcome for travel fund boost

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A multi-million pound funding boost to promote active travel, including walking and cycling in the Sutton area, has been given a cautious welcome.

It comes as Sutton residents were taking part in a month-long cycling initiative which is due to go Midlands-wide next week.

Birmingham City Council has been awarded nearly £4.5m as part of the second tranche of funding from the Department for Transport’s Active Travel Fund. 

A Sutton councillor says full consultation with all local interested parties over the new transport funding, must be open and inclusive.

Councillor Maureen Cornish also criticised the council for the installation of a cycle scheme on Brassington Avenue in Sutton town, since removed, for launching a proper consultation.

The new funding comes from a £13 million allocation to Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). 

An engagement programme with residents and businesses on how they would like to see the funding used in their communities is already underway.

Cllr Waseem Zaffar MBE, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment at Birmingham City Council, said: “This second tranche of funding gives Birmingham a real opportunity to continue transforming our transport network, reduce air pollution, and provide our citizens with more opportunities for active travel.

“We want to focus on supporting a green recovery and will seek community input at every stage, with future schemes being delivered throughout 2021.”

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “We all know that cycling and walking are good for our physical health and good for the environment, especially as we face up to the climate emergency in the region.

“Many have taken to two wheels throughout the pandemic, but some are not yet confident enough because they do not believe the right infrastructure is in place. That is why the money we have secured from Government for the Emergency Active Travel Fund is so important, and I look forward to seeing what improvements Birmingham City Council are going to propose for Sutton Coldfield.

“With our West Midlands Cycle Hire scheme trial already up and running in the royal town, and the full scheme launching next week, these are really exciting times for cyclists in Sutton.”

Councillor Maureen Cornish

Councillor Cornish, who represents Four Oaks ward on Birmingham City Council, said: “I would support reducing pollution and encourage active travel including cycling and walking, but proactive consultation is the key.

“This is essential for all wards across the city particularly in Sutton Coldfield. Sutton Town Council, the B.I.D, and local residents must be allowed sufficient time to absorb all plans.

“The previous installation of a cycle route, without full consultation within Brassington Avenue, Sutton Coldfield, resulted in its removal. This was inappropriate use of tax payers money.

“This could have been avoided if consultation was implemented well in advance of installation. Information provided states that consultation will commence later this year, therefor we need to keep a close eye on all aspects of the procedure .”

The Active Travel Fund supports the improvement of active travel (cycling and walking) provision and safety in towns and cities.

Formal consultation on the proposals will take place later this year after lockdown restrictions have eased to ensure inclusive, meaningful engagement with communities and key stakeholders can be carried out.

The plans support the Council’s vision for a cleaner, greener city – as set-out in its Route to Zero Action Plan, which was approved last month.

New bike stands have appeared at Sutton Park as part of the new cycle hire scheme in the town. 

The stands have appeared at the park’s Banners Gate and Boldmere Gate entrances as well as Sutton town centre and customers will hire the bikes via an app at a cost £1 to unlock a bike and 5p per minute after that. This means a 20 minute cycle will cost £2 and an hour £4.

The Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, has welcomed the initiative. He said: “I know the people of Sutton will be itching to get involved now they can see the docks and bikes, and I look forward to seeing the first residents of the royal town trying the bikes out when the scheme launches to members of the public on March 8.”

Business, News

Garden tributes for Sutton families

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Chance to celebrate lives of loved ones at St Giles Hospice special memorial this spring

Gavin and Angela Farley with Gavin’s mum Sheila and top, the Celebrate Lives Lived Gerberas

Families in Sutton Coldfield can remember their loved ones and celebrate the lives they lived at a special St Giles Hospice memorial garden this spring.

Relatives and friends are being invited to dedicate a unique Celebrate Lives Lived orange Gerbera peg, which is personalised with the name of their loved one, in return for a donation which will help to fund the work of St Giles supporting patients living with a terminal illness.

The Gerbera pegs will then be placed in one of the beautiful memorial gardens created at the hospice sites in Sutton Coldfield and Whittington.

Gerbera is also commonly known as the African daisy in yellow, orange, white, pink or red colours.

For 2021, St Giles has also set up a special virtual garden display for people who are self-isolating or who do not wish to visit in person, with the name of your loved one displayed next to an orange Gerbera in an online memorial display which can be viewed at any time.

The Whittington and Sutton Coldfield gardens will create a colourful display of Gerbera pegs dedicated to the memory of loved ones, whether they have been cared for at St Giles Hospice or not, which will then be open to visitors throughout May, following the current Government COVID-19 guidelines.

Chloe Herbert, Head of Fundraising at St Giles Hospice, said: “Celebrate Lives Lived offers a special way to remember your loved ones each spring and everyone is welcome to join us as we commemorate those we have lost.

“The orange Gerbera represents ‘sunshine of life’, which makes it a beautiful, fitting tribute to the memory of your loved one.  

“Your Gerbera peg will be placed in the Celebrate Lives Lived garden of your choice throughout May, creating a wonderful display of celebration and remembrance in the beautiful display of Gerberas. You can come along to visit the garden in a safe and socially-distanced visit and at the end of the month you can take the Gerbera home as a special keepsake or to plant in your own garden.

“By taking part in Celebrate Lives Lived you are also helping to fund the vital support St Giles Hospice offers to local families. We need to raise £850,000 each month to pay for our services and because we’ve had to close our shops and cancel fundraising events during the COVID-19 pandemic we’ve never needed your help more than we need it today.”

Lichfield police officer Gavin Farley (52) is supporting Celebrate Lives Lived this year in memory of his mother Sheila Watson, who died at St Giles Hospice last June (2020) at the age of 74.

Sheila with nurses at St Giles Hospice

Sheila, from Sutton Coldfield, who had leukaemia, was admitted to the hospice in January 2020 just weeks after her husband Jim, who had dementia, passed away on Christmas Day.

Gavin said: “When she first arrived it was a difficult time because Mom was grieving for my stepdad and wanted to go to his funeral, but she wasn’t well enough to go.

“But the staff did everything they could to help. I went to the funeral and filmed it all and they set up a screen in the chapel and people came back to St Giles rather than going to a wake and we replayed it there for Mom and did another service for her.

“Obviously it was a very sad occasion, but Mom was absolutely beaming – she was so glad that she was able to see the funeral after all and that her friends could be with her. It was so special because she knew that she probably wouldn’t see many of them again.

Gavin added that although most people see going into a hospice as marking the end of life, for his mother St Giles was the beginning of a new phase of her life. “Despite her illness she enjoyed being there and made so many new friends,” he said. “It wasn’t just a place of sadness, it was a place of joy as well.

“Everyone is so caring and nothing is too much trouble. To mark VE Day, the hospice held its own celebrations and the staff did my mum’s hair and makeup, which she really appreciated. Plus, when they found out that Monsters Inc. was her favourite film, they set it up on a laptop so that she could watch it in her room. It’s these little things that made such a massive difference.

“The staff at St Giles really went above and beyond what they had to do for their jobs – they were carers but became friends to us all, because they were as thoughtful and supportive to the families just as much as their patients.

“We’ll definitely be supporting Celebrate Lives Lived this year, not only to thank St Giles for the way they looked after my mum, but as a way of celebrating her life and memory too. Despite the sadness of her passing, St Giles has so many good memories for us.”

To dedicate your Celebrate Lives Lived Gerbera, visit http://www.stgileshospice.com/celebrateliveslived or call 01543 432538.

The closing date for Celebrate Lives Lived dedications is midday on Friday 16th April.

For more information about St Giles Hospice and the expert care it provides, please visit http://www.stgileshospice.com

Business, Motoring

Yaris a groundbreaker again

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Toyota Yaris Hybrid 

By Bill McCarthy

It should come as no surprise to see Toyota breaking new ground again with hybrid technology. Its expertise is built on more than 20 years’ experience since the introduction of the first Prius back in 1997.

The firm has now sold more than 14 million hybrid vehicles worldwide – including 2.5 million in Europe. The Yaris has more than played its part, first going hybrid in 2012, and selling half a million in Europe, but the latest model is a quantum leap forward.

Yaris has gone all-in hybrid, together with it being built on the firm’s small car  Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA), which, says Toyota, has improved dynamic performance together with class leading safety measures.

The new petrol engine/electric motor setup  has a 15 per cent increase in combined power and a more than 20 per cent increase in fuel efficiency and can be switched a the touch of a button to electric for a fair amount of time in urban areas, delivering zero emissions. The system also uses a new lithium-ion hybrid battery which while being more powerful, is 27 per cent lighter than the nickel-metal hydride battery it replaces.

It also looks good, one of the best looking superminis, that is both practical and perfect for tackling the challenges of city or congested driving areas. As ever its even more compact size means it is highly manoeuvrable and a breeze to park in tight streets, aided by standard parking camera.

Starting at a hefty price tag of a smidge under £20k you get plenty for your cash with even the entry Icon, featuring electric windows and door mirrors, 16-inch alloys, a seven-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a reversing camera, auto headlights and wipers and air-con.

The goodies increase though Design, Dynamic to the  Excel, with the likes of 17-inch wheels, eight-inch screen, button starter, dual zone climate control, parking sensors and for added safety, auto-braking. This limited edition model had a few more cherries on the top head-up display and premium sound system.

For a small car it has striking looks, being shorter, wider and lower than the outgoing model. It features a sporty wedge shape, with sculpted door panels, deep grille and air scoop flanked by cats-eye-like headlamp clusters, with LEDs which double as indicators.

To the rear, classy touches include privacy glass and discrete black spoiler.

This limited edition range topper also included striking two-tone red with black roof paintwork, body-coloured door handles and front bumper, piano Black upper front grille, privacy glass, red insert on boot door and piano black door belt moulding.

Inside there are plenty of soft touch materials with piano black finish and a more compact steering wheel, while the instrumentation is clearly and logically laid out. The centrepiece is the multi-media screen which is the brains of the car, together with a TFT multi-information display in the instrument binnacle which can help monitor EV activity.

 The 10-inch touchscreen on this model controls infotainment and smartphone connectivity, but, oddly, there was no navigation. However hooking up your smartphone can add navigation through the screen.

Despite its more compact shape, interior space is barely compromised, with headroom remaining the same, although tight in the rear, while the firm’s GA-B platform offers a low centre of gravity which helps deliver an enjoyable and stable drive. 

It offers sharp, agile  handling and direct steering for bombing around town, while the growl from the three-pot engine is not unpleasant. It is equally at home on the motorway, with plenty of grunt available, while road and wind noise, although noticeably present, are reasonably well suppressed.

The 1.5 litre petrol engine is supplemented by two motor/generators – MG1 and MG2. MG2 is linked to the front wheels and can be used as the power source to drive the vehicle. MG1 is deployed to start the engine and to generate power to charge both batteries (hybrid and 12V).

 Mated to the CVT transmission, the combo delivers excellent economy, with the claimed 68-odd mpg proving to be pretty close to the mark. A bonus is the brisk acceleration which propels the car to 60mph in under 10 seconds, while at the same time delivering low carbon emissions. 

While the car’s handling delivers an engaging drive, the ride however, feels slightly compromised with 17-inch alloys on this top end model and stiffer suspension allowing for some discomfort over rougher surfaces. It could be the case that the 16-inch alloys could offer a more settled ride.

Stowage capacity is a reasonable 286 litres, so long as you are not planning a camping trip, but if you are, rear seats fold in hatchback fashion to open up extra capacity.

One of the safest small cars around, engineered to be the world’s safest small car says Toyota, it is packed with safety kit and including a full complement of airbags, including  a centre airbag for the first time, stability control, intelligent adaptive cruise control and lane assist, pre-collision warning, pedestrian detection, steering control and a host of other features to keep families safe.

Factfile

Toyota Yaris Hybrid Launch Edition

Price: £ 24,005

Mechanical: 1490cc, 114bhp, three-cylinder petrol engine and 85kW electric motor driving front wheels via electric CVT auto transmission

Maximum speed: 109mph

Acceleration: 0-62mph in 9.7 seconds

Economy: 65.6 mpg

Insurance group: 14E

CO2 emissions: 92-98g/km

Warranty: Five years/ 100,000 miles