The i3 was never an ordinary small car. BMW built it around a carbon-fibre passenger cell, which let them drop the centre pillar altogether: the rear-hinged coach doors open up the whole side of the car, so fitting a child seat or letting a passenger out on a narrow street is easy.

This is the facelifted (LCI) model, with full-LED headlights and the wide 10.25-inch navigation screen, and it sits on 19-inch BMW i Turbine alloys. Inside is the Lodge interior, with seats in leather tanned using olive-leaf extract alongside a wool-based cloth. It makes for a warm, calm cabin.

The 170 hp motor drives the rear wheels and gets to 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds, and strong regenerative braking means you can drive most of Malta's traffic on one pedal. The 33 kWh battery is WLTP-rated at up to about 250 km per charge. A tight turning circle makes light work of village streets and car parks. Road licence is €10 a year.

Come and see it at our Ħal Lija showroom, or book a test drive.