Can BYD beat Renault? £26k Dolphin G PHEV takes on Clio

For a market segment that emissions and safety requirements were supposed to have driven into oblivion by now, the European supermini class seems to be in rude health.

Four superminis in particular retain spots in our continent's top 10 best-sellers chart, which is proof that the appetite of European drivers for compact, efficient, well-priced cars, fundamentally straightforward in outlook and primarily petrol-fuelled, is ready to withstand almost anything.