The Fiat 500e makes you smile. Whether as a driver, a passenger, or even a spectator this little retro nod to the 1950s cinquecento is, simply put, a huge hit, as I have discovered driving the car in and around London on a fine September weekend.

The face is friendly, almost cheeky, the proportions petit and the form curvy without being cutesy. The design neither intimidates nor irritates. Which, considering its lean-emission pure-electric set-up, seems to me to be an ideal expression for an urban commuter in the modern era.