New Suzuki Splash - first pics

The high-seating position allows passengers – and drivers – to get in and out with comfort

This is the new Suzuki Splash – the Japanese company’s first ever mini-MPV.

The all-new Suzuki Splash is 3.7m long and comes with a choice of an 82bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine and a 72bhp 1.3-litre diesel engine – which manages 62.8mpg on the combined cycle and has an annual tax bill of £35.

Inside, the high-seating position allows passengers – and drivers – to get in and out with comfort, with silver trim and a unique dashboard with a large diameter speedo and a rev-counter which sits on top of the dash in its own housing.

Elsewhere, passengers will find lots of little storage areas, while the 178 litre boot can be expanded to 573 litres.

But underneath the practicality, Suzuki has built the new Splash on the same platform as the Suzuki Swift, which means the ‘relatively tall-bodied’ model should handle with good composure.

The new Suzuki Splash is offered in four guises – 1.2-litre petrol and 1.3-litre diesel GLS, 1.2-litre petrol GLS+, and the 1.3-litre diesel DDiS.

Standard equipment on the Suzuki Splash includes six airbags and electronic stability (ESP), while the GLS+ - which is identical to the DDiS – gets 15-inch alloys, front foglights, CD tuner with MP3 player, leather-trimmed steering wheel, air conditioning and an information display.

The new Suzuki Splash will come with a standard 3 year/60,000 mile warranty.