SMART received the full support of its owners, who voted the brand top of the city car category and number one for ownership costs, in the recent Top Gear Magazine survey.

The survey involved 37,000 motorists were beign quizzed on every aspect of their car's reliability, running costs, driving experience and treatment from dealers.

One hundred and twenty models were covered from 33 manufacturers.

The smart city-coupe and cabrio took overall third place in the survey thanks to praise from owners for running costs, versatility and reliability. The cars were also commended for build quality and driving experience, with the company being voted as second manufacturer overall.

James Mills, deputy editor of BBC's Top Gear Magazine, said: “This survey provided us with unbiased, spin-free information direct from those people who know their car best. Smart might be tiny, but owners have voted it brilliant to live with. Being voted best city car and taking third place overall ahead of some seriously satisfying competition is pretty good going for a brand that is only two years old in the UK.”

Prices of the smart city-coupe start from £6,265, on the road, and standard specification across the range includes ABS, the TRUSTPLUS electronic traction control system, driver and passenger airbags, electric windows, remote central locking, rev counter, clock and RDS radio cassette.

Customers can get more information about smart by calling the freephone number 0808 000 8080, by visiting the web site at www.thesmart.co.uk or by contacting their local smart sales centre.