Daihatsu's new Charade will arrive in February 2009 but boy, will it be worth the wait with an astonishing CO2 figure of only 99g/km, making it the cleanest car in Britain, and putting it into the no-charge Band A company car tax bracket. Wow.

Designed to optimise interior space, the Charade is longer and wider than its predecessor with ample front and rear legroom for adult occupants. The boot is small yet will accommodate the daily shopping bags and even the kids’ school paraphernalia. The Cha­rade will even be available with a fuel-saving, engine start-stop option and will comfortably compete with Citroen's C1, Peugeot's 107 and Toyota's Aygo.

Daihatsu plans to launch a five-door version first, followed by a three-door model. Basic versions will be priced at around £7,000. Debuting an all-new platform, the Charade will be larger than its predecessor, with more space for rear passengers.

It gets an all-new body which evolves the current car's chunky look with bigger headlights, a fresh nose and sculpted wings. Inside, there's improved material quality and more equipment - including knee airbags and ESP as standard.

Under the bonnet is a development of the existing model's 58bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine - the same unit used by the C1/107/Aygo trio - with power boosted to around 70bhp. And Daihatsu is attempting to clear showroom floors in anticipation of the new Charade.