It's an expensive business, building cars - let along trying to make any money out of them. PSA stablemates Peugeot and Citroen teamed up with Toyota in the toughest area of them all - the competitive city car segment - and came up with joint-engineered triplets which in theory saw each manufacturer bringing its greatest talents to the table. Platform sharing has gone on for years, but this is the most extreme example yet.
The Peugeot 107 was pitched a little way above Citroen's budget C1, but beneath the funkier and slightly more premium Toyota Aygo. It was intriguing to see how different manufacturers could try to put their stamp on what essentially the same car, using just a family face, clever marketing and some sticky-backed plastic.
The cars represent the ultimate in downsizing, though, providing some of the cheapest motoring you can manage once you've factored in the measly running costs. The economy is highly impressive on all the models, and the CO2 emissions are tiny. That said, all three are starting to feel their age against ever more capable competition.
The Peugeot is perhaps the least successful of the three, styling-wise, because it has been the recipient of Peugeot's dreadful family face from the noughties - thankfully this will be changed on future models. The cars are recognisably the same between the front and rear ends, the interiors are identical save for the different badges that have been stuck on the steering wheels.
The 107 feels solidly-built inside, if down to a price. A lid for the glovebox costs extra on the base model, which shows you what you're dealing with. Space is decent up front, but rear seat space is cramped and the boot is very small - it'll just about cope with a supermarket shop. Like any city car it's not an ideal prospect for motorways, the stiff ride and lack of noise insulation get irritating after a while. This is essentially a car for a singleton who only occasionally gives friends a lift, or a second vehicle.
The 1.0-litre engine is great, fitting in perfectly with the car's character. It is plenty peppy enough for the city and returns impressively high fuel consumption figures. The handling will provide some fun too, making light work of city traffic. The 107 is great at what it sets out to do - it would be wrong to expect any more of it than it can give.