The world’s greatest small luxury cars

We tend to associate luxury cars with names like Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Mercedes-Benz. Big cars with big price tags, often owned by the rich and famous. However, as you’ll see from our list of small cars, it’s possible to enjoy a little slice of luxury in a significantly smaller package.

Expect swathes of leather, fine detailing and maybe a bit of wood. Proof that the best things come in small packages. We include guide prices for used examples in the UK:

Here’s a luxury small car you can buy new (if you can find one right now), although you’ll save a few quid by opting for a used example. The Ford Fiesta Vignale Edition, formerly the Fiesta Vignale, is an even more upmarket version of the plush Titanium trim.

The 17-inch, 10-spoke alloys look resplendent in a Luster-Nickel finish, while the quilted leather seats wouldn’t look out of place in a car costing ten times the asking price. You also get heating for the seats and steering wheel, a long list of Vignale cosmetic upgrades, plus a set of oh-so-plush velour carpet mats.

Introduced to the UK due to a cancelled Japanese order, the Peugeot 205 Gentry is rarer and more exclusive than the acclaimed 205 GTi. Just 300 were available in two colours: Aztec Gold and Sorrento Green. Highlights include a detuned 1.9-litre engine from the 205 GTi, air-con and leather trim. The comfort suspension and automatic ‘box puts paid to any thoughts of bagging a GTi on the cheap, but the most luxurious 205 is arguably just as appealing as the hot hatch. But get in quick: just 19 are left on UK roads.

Nobody does poshed-up small cars like the French. Known as the Renault 5 Baccara in its domestic market, the 5 Monaco was the ultimate posh Renault supermini. That’s assuming sir (or madam) didn’t fancy the racy 5 GT Turbo. Highlights included a bodykit, Connolly leather, brown carpets and one of the best three-spoke steering wheels of the 1980s. There are thought to be around 25 on the UK roads, but they crop up from time to time. Magnifique!

Lady Diana Spencer may have driven an Austin Metro 1.0 L, but she surely deserved a Vanden Plas. Launched in 1982, a year after the future Princess of Wales took delivery of her Metro, the Vanden Plas was powered by a 1275cc A-series engine producing 60bhp.

Highlights included Hydragas suspension, bronze tinted glass, cosmetic upgrades, velvet upholstery, wood door cappings. Leather was added as an option in 1984, while the ‘500’ limited edition (pictured) came with a bottle of Moet & Chandon champagne. You’d have to supply your own pretty cabinet.

The BMC 1100/1300 (ADO16) was a hugely significant car for the British motor industry. At one point, it represented a massive 14.3 per cent of the UK car market as it established itself as one of the best-selling cars of the 1960s. The Vanden Plas versions were launched after Fred Connolly, of leather fame, requested a Morris 1100 with special paint, bespoke polished wood interior and a new radiator grille.

Such was the response to the car, a decision was made to put the Vanden Plas version into full production. A surprisingly large number – 200 or so – live to this day, nurtured as these miniature Bentleys should be.

Arguably the first Jaguar, albeit indirectly, the Swallow was the result of William Lyons’ vision of a rebodied Austin Seven. With the ability to create a more fashionable take on the Seven recipe, the Swallow featured a stylish two-tone exterior, a feature reserved for larger and more upmarket vehicles. It certainly played a part in setting the scene for future Jaguar models.

Launched 60 years ago in October 1961, the Riley Elf and Wolseley Hornet were an attempt by BMC to take the Mini in a different direction. Turning the Mini into a small saloon transformed its character and increased the price, with BMC chasing a different clientele. Today, they tend to be cheaper than the standard Mini, not least because the bonnet design and notchback styling removes some of the Mini’s playful character. The Elf is a touch more upmarket than the Hornet, thanks to its full-width wood veneer dashboard.

How much you’ll pay for an Elf or Hornet depends on the condition and seller. Our guide prices should be enough to put you on the ladder, but it’s not uncommon to find a Riley or Wolseley for £20,000 at a classic car dealer. One reason for choosing the Hornet over the Elf could be the illuminated grille badge; the Riley makes do with an enamel version.

When it was new, the Clio Baccara was more expensive than the Clio Williams 2. Today, the roles have reversed, so while you’ll need to speak to your bank manager before playing with the Williams, a grand should be enough to secure a Baccara. Plush leather seats, wood trim and a suit carrier beneath the parcel shelf were just some of the highlights. The Clio Baccara is more valuable in France, but the UK market has been slow to take the posh Clio to its heart.

‘The Peugeot 208 XY is a softer take on the full-fat 208 GTi and, surprisingly it’s oddly appealing.’ We rather liked the XY when we first drove it in 2013. Today, it puts us in mind of the 205 Gentry in the respect that it’s like a luxury take on the GTi recipe. Handsome alloys, metallic detailing and a panoramic sunroof grabbed the headlines. Alcantara seats came as standard, but ‘Club Nappa’ and leather with quilted Alcantara inserts were optional.

It’s always been possible to get your mitts on a more upmarket Mini. Back in the day, that meant speaking to specialist coachbuilders like Wood & Pickett or Radford, while today it means going mad with the Mini options catalogue. In 2011, Mini launched the Inspired by Goodwood, complete with Rolls-Royce Diamond Black paint, heated lounge leather seats, cashmere roof lining and lambswool foot mats. It cost £41,000; today you can buy one for half that. Just 1000 were built.

Launched in 2018, the latest A1 adds a touch of premium quality to the supermini sector. Granted, it’s more premium than luxury, but the level of standard specification is highly impressive. Even the entry-level Technik model comes with a 10.25in digital instrument cluster, 15in alloy wheels, LED headlights, LED rear lights with dynamic indicators, multi-function steering wheel, automatic headlights and rain-sensing wipers.

The cheapest car on our list and probably the one most likely to succumb to terminal corrosion. There’s always a risk when a budget car gets ideas above its station, but the Ford Ka Luxury won us over with its painted bumpers, mesh grille stylish alloy wheels and leather upholstery. There are around 4000 left in the UK, so you can afford to be picky.

You can’t afford to be picky when searching for a Lancia Y10 in the UK. Not only was it a relatively rare sight, even when the car was on sale between 1985 and 1993, but rust has seen off most of the surviving examples. Known in some markets as an Autobianchi, the Y10 boasted many upmarket features that were unheard of in the small car sector. Avantgarde styling and the lure of the Lancia badge – what more could you want?

The Chrysler Ypsilon, a rebadged Lancia built in Italy, was all about space and luxury. Closely related to the Ford Ka and Fiat 500, it sat on the longer wheelbase of the Fiat Panda, which meant better practicality than its rivals. Flimsy-looking hard plastics aside, the interior is a plus point, with superb leather bucket seats for the driver and front-seat passenger. It also boasts an attractive central instrument cluster. Yours for as little as £2000.

Launched in 2012, the original High Up – so called because of its position in the range – brought big car features to the city car market. Standard-fit sat-nav and heated seats were a big deal in a small car. The city car went up a notch in 2016 when VW added a turbocharged 1.0-litre engine to the mix and retained the likes of air-con, Bluetooth, heated front seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The dated tablet-style device was ditched in favour of a smartphone mount and 5.0in colour display.

The Vauxhall Adam was all about personalisation. It was also about some of the most cringeworthy paint names we’ve ever had the misfortune to come across. Who can forget the likes of Saturday White Fever, James Blonde, Purple Fiction, White my Fire and I’ll be Black? An Adam Glam with the optional Style Pack is your passport to luxury. You’ll certainly stand out.

Not a luxury car in the traditional sense, but the launch of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class in 1997 saw one of the world’s pre-eminent luxury car manufacturers entering the small car market with both feet. At its heart was a new bodyshell based on the sandwich principle, with a cavity between the passenger compartment and the floor plate. This improved safety while providing space for future drive systems. The A-Class also boasted the space of a family saloon.

The Cygnet might be the smallest Aston Martin you can buy but it isn’t the cheapest. In fact, a used Cygnet could cost more than a DB7 or DB9. With prices starting from £35,000, Cygnet prices are higher now than they were when the car was new in 2012. A lot to ask for a Toyota iQ with a glass-like paint finish, hand-finished interior, and a suite of Aston Martin details? That’s for you to decide, but the prices for it now seem to suggest the Cygnet still has its fans.

We could have ended with an Initiale versions of the Twingo or Clio, but we don’t get many opportunities to mention the Renault Modus. The Initiale trim offers ‘kitchen sink’ levels of features and equipment, including leather upholstery, climate control, xenon headlights, cruise control, headlight washers, cornering lights, 16in wheels and metallic paint. It cost around £15,000 when new.