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Compact cars, which to choose in a shrinking market

Dimensions around four metres and thermal, hybrid or electric engines

by Simonluca Pini

15 December 2025

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Do compact cars still exist? The ones that allow you to find a parking space without having to drive around in front of your house for an hour, the ones that if you have a garage built in the 1960s you can get in but above all get out of the door, the ones that have four doors and at least four seats and allow you to take your children to football, the ones that are real cars and not microcars and in summer you don't risk fainting from the heat because you don't have air conditioning, the ones that cost the right amount but have all the safety devices and on-board equipment such as Abs and Airbags? Because if until a few years ago finding a compact car at a fair price was a fairly simple task, today it is no longer so. The cause is the combination of regulations on equipment, Adas, emissions, crash tests, increased raw materials, and higher energy costs to produce that have made cars more expensive to build. Goodbye, then, to the Fiat Panda km0 as in the pre-covid days, but above all goodbye to the many models under four metres that have disappeared from the market. Scrolling through the Il Sole 24 Ore list, the under-four-metre cars range from thermal, hybrid and electric models, perfect for city use even on motorway trips.

https://listino.motori24.ilsole24ore.com/auto-prezzi/

Byd Dolphin Surf

Going in alphabetical order, with cars close to 4 metres in length and priced at under 25,000 euros, the electric Byd Dolphin Surf opens the list with a length of 3.99 metres, consumption of around 15.5 kwh/100 km and a price starting at around 19,500 euros for the version with a 30 kw battery and 80 horsepower.

Compact cars, Dacia Spring and Dacia Sandero.

With the arrival of the 2026 version, the Dacia Spring retains its affordable price but introduces new, more powerful engines (70 hp and 100 hp), a new reinforced platform, a 24.3 kWh LFP (Lithium-Iron-Phosphate) battery and technological improvements such as a 10" infotainment system and DC fast charging up to 40 kW, with a Wltp range that remains at 225 km, making it more versatile and performing while remaining decidedly economical thanks to its starting price of around 18,000 euros. If you prefer the tranquillity of the thermal, the Dacia Sandero is just over 4 metres long, starts at around 14,000 euros for the 1.0 Sce 65 hp version and claims a mixed consumption of 5.3 litres per 100 kilometres

Fiat compacts: 500, Pandina, Grande Panda

Fiat's range of compact cars is wide. The new Fiat 500 Hybrid is a mild-hybrid version of the electric 500, produced in Mirafiori, which combines the efficiency of the 12V hybrid system (1.0 Firefly engine with 65 horsepower) with the design of the electric 500. Characterised by dimensions perfect for the city, starting from a length of 3.63 metres, average consumption of 5.3 l/100 km, it is on sale from around 20,000 euro. Same motorisation but lower prices for the Fiat Panda, now known as the Pandina, also powered by the 1.0 Firefly and on sale for around 16,000 euro. Slightly larger dimensions, at 4 metres, for the Fiat Grande Panda, on sale from around 17,000 euro in combination with the 1.2 100 horsepower engine

Hyundai compacts: i10 and i20

The Hyundai i10 is an A-segment city car with a length of 3,670 mm. It is available with 1.0 Mpi 63-horsepower and 1.0 T-Gdi 90-horsepower petrol engines, also with automatic transmission. It offers good safety and infotainment equipment for its category. The starting price on the Italian list is around 18,500 euro. Larger dimensions for the i20, just over 4 metres long, with a range that also includes a mild hybrid version. Prices are around 20,000 euro for the 80 bhp 1.2 Mpi version with fuel consumption of 5.3 litres/100 km.

Kia Picanto

The Kia Picanto is a compact city car with dimensions of around 3.60 metres long, 1.60 metres wide and 1.48 metres high, offering 255 litres of luggage space (expandable to 1,010 litres), with a list price starting at 17,300 euro for the 1.0 petrol version with 68 horsepower and fuel consumption of around 5.3 litres per 100 km.

Lancia Ypsilon, Peugeot 208, Opel Corsa

These three B-segment hatchbacks share the Stellantis group's CMP modular platform, while maintaining distinct characters in terms of styling and positioning. The dimensions are very similar: Lancia Ypsilon about 4,080 mm long, Peugeot 208 about 4,055 mm and Opel Corsa about 4,060 mm. The reference engine is the 1.2 three-cylinder petrol, available in various power ratings, also with automatic transmission. The declared average consumption in the WLTP combined cycle is indicatively between 5.0 and 5.4 l/100 km for the petrol versions. Starting prices on the Italian market are differentiated by brand positioning: Lancia Ypsilon from around 24,900 euro, Peugeot 208 from around 20,500 euro and Opel Corsa from around 19,900 euro, making the latter the most affordable on an equal technical basis.

Mazda 2

B-segment hatchback, with an approach more oriented towards comfort and perceived quality. The length is about 4,050 mm. In Italy it is offered mainly in the 1.5 Hybrid version, shared with Toyota, which guarantees declared average consumption of around 4.0-4.3 l/100. The starting price is around 25,000 euro,

Seat Ibiza

B-segment hatchback characterised by a good balance between compactness and roominess. The length is 4,059 mm, with a generous wheelbase that favours interior space. The reference engine is the 95 horsepower 1.0 Tsi petrol, available with manual or DSG gearbox. Average consumption declared for this version is around 5.2-5.4 l/100 km in the WLTP combined cycle. The starting price on the Italian market is around 16,000 euros.

Toyota Yaris

A compact 100 per cent hybrid, its length is approximately 3,940 mm, a dimension that makes it agile in the city but also adequate for extra-urban use. The reference engine is the 1.5 Hybrid full hybrid, which combines a petrol engine with an electric unit. The declared average consumption in the combined cycle is around 3.8-4.0 l/100 km. The starting price is around 24,500 euros.

Renault 5 E-Tech

At 3.92 metres long, the Renault 5 E-Tech is offered in two different versions and three engines that differ in engine power, battery capacity, range and charging speed. The price list starts at around 24,900 euros for the basic 95-horsepower version in Five trim with a Wltp range of over 300 kilometres.