Best Small Cars 2022
Are you looking for a small car to potter around in? At GB Vehicle Leasing, we understand that choosing your new car can be a big decision and you want to ensure you’re making the right choice. Therefore, we’ve put together a selection of the best small cars to lease, offering affordability, practicality and low running costs.
Kia Rio
The Kia Rio is a versatile hatchback offering good value for money and practicality. A worthy competitor in the supermini class, this Kia model has a stylish exterior design, along with flexible interior options. Also, the Rio is very easy to drive with smooth controls, making it ideal for your first Kia lease deal.
If you’re budget conscious, this hatchback is highly efficient and cost effective. In particular, we rate the 1.0-litre T-GDI petrol engine as it’s quiet and economical. In terms of boot space, the Rio has 325 litres of luggage capacity. Although this isn’t class-leading space, it’s bigger than the Vauxhall Corsa and remains adequate for many people.
Ford Fiesta
Arguably one of the best Ford cars available in the leasing market, the Ford Fiesta offers excellent affordability and reliability. Over the years, the Fiesta has won numerous awards and built a strong reputation as an excellent all-rounder small car.
Ford clearly made safety paramount when designing the Fiesta, closely followed by ensuring there’s a range of highly fuel-efficient engine options. Despite having strong competition from the likes of the Volkswagen Golf and Vauxhall Astra, the Ford Fiesta remains one of the UK’s best-selling cars. For sportier styling, then you might consider leasing the Ford Fiesta ST-Line.

Volkswagen Polo
The Volkswagen Polo is highly rated in the supermini class for its low running costs and high-quality interior. The VW Polo offers a competitive boot size and interior space for its class. It also provides a comfortable and safe drive, making it a desirable small lease car.
Some people would say that the VW Polo gets overlooked due to its popular sibling, the VW Golf. However, the latest Polo offers a spacious interior and better drive than previous generations. Combine this with being cheaper than the VW Golf and we feel the Polo is a great lease option.
Kia Picanto
The Kia Picanto is ideal for drivers looking for a small, affordable city car. Now in third generation form, the latest version offers improved styling and a better equipped interior than the previous version. For a sportier body styling and a vast number of stylish features, you could opt for the fantastic GT-Line model. The Kia Picanto is also an ideal small car for young drivers as it combines reliability and affordability, along with sporty looks which give it a youthful appeal.
Low running costs makes the Picanto an excellent small car for city driving, where congestion is likely to occur. It’s a good all-rounder and attractively priced, making it strong competition for its rivals – the Toyota Aygo and Hyundai i10.
Hyundai i10
The latest Hyundai i10 is a small, yet comfortable car with improved tech and an incredible new design. Ideal for city driving, the compact size of the i10 makes driving in tighter spaces easier. Also, it has a versatile boot capacity of 252 litres, making it one of the best in its class.
Available in four trim levels, the Hyundai i10 SE is the entry level trim with a 1.0 MPi Petrol engine providing 67bhp and 56.5 mpg combined. Alternatively, for a sportier version, you might opt for the Hyundai i10 N Line. Depending on the trim level you choose, this Hyundai's insurance grouping ranges from 4 to 10 which is great for new or young drivers.
Electric Fiat 500
If you’re looking for the perfect small electric car, then look no further. Although this has only recently become available to order, we expect the all-electric Fiat 500 to be strong competition for the MINI electric and Peugeot e-208. The base model for the electric Fiat 500 is called the 500 ‘Action’ and offers up to 115-mile range. Alternatively, you might prefer to lease a higher spec model with a longer range and the choice of either a hatchback or convertible.
As for the design, we think Fiat has done a fantastic job of maintaining the iconic style of the original 1957 model. It's instantly recognisable due to its shape and side arrows. However, the electric Fiat 500 has a modern, renewed look which will appeal to potential EV drivers.
There you have it, our selection of best small cars. In this tough class, you have an extensive collection of small cars to choose from and these are just some of our favourites. To discuss your leasing options and see how we can assist you further, please call our car leasing experts on 0161 667 5338 or email us at sales@gbvehicleleasing.co.uk. Whether you're looking for a Ford, Kia or even an Audi, we can help find the ideal small car for you. Alternatively, click here to discover our selection of best small SUVs 2021.