Introduction

The Mii is the smallest Seat and a very close relative to the Volkswagen Up and Skoda Citigo. So close, in fact, that effectively there’s no difference beyond badges and front grille designs, so what can be said for the Up and the Citigo can equally be said for the Mii. In an already price-sensitive end of the market, then, the Mii’s desirability depends greatly on its cost relative to the Skoda and Volkswagen.

Did you know? The name Mii actually comes from Nintendo, where it’s a generic term to describe a digital figure that can be altered to become unique to a specific player.

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Verdict: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (7.4/10)

Good things really do come in small packages, and the Seat Mii kind of proves that by being a small thing with good packaging. Arguably, it’s not as desirable as the VW-badged Up, but it really is basically the same car, usually sold at a slightly more affordable price and is just as enjoyable and engaging to drive. Tiny and agile around town, it’s also not flustered by longer journeys on big roads, and it’s more than sufficiently economical.

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Design & Exterior: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (7/10)

Small, cute and just a touch pugnacious, the Mii has a fairly simple design philosophy. It’s basically shaped like the box the car came in, but with slightly rounded edges. If that sounds a little dull, then it shouldn’t as the Mii has surprising design character for something so essentially straightforward. With the wheels pushed right out to the corners, it looks ready for action, and you can gussy up the styling with all manner of optional stickers and stripes, so there’s personalisation potential aplenty.

Seat’s image could still do with sorting out, as it lacks the affordable-premium nature of Volkswagen, or the straightforward-value proposition of a Skoda. Caught slightly in the middle, the Mii doesn’t have the sporting capacity to live up to Seat’s aspirational sporting nature, so you’re going to buy it based on either value or convenience of dealership. That only gives the Mii a narrow margin in which to work.

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Interior & Comfort: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (7/10)

The Mii actually has one of the best city car cabins, because, not only is it really well made, and well appointed, but it has one of the most comfortable driving positions of any small car. That’s because the front seats are set a little lower and further back than they are in most rivals. Which means that instead of feeling as if you’re perched up on a bar stool, you’re sitting down in a comfy chair, much as you would be in a larger car.

The interior is also well made, well put together and very hard-wearing, although it’s not perhaps the most modern-looking dash with its absence of an in-built touchscreen and simple instrument binnacle. Beware of three-door models though, as the mechanism that tips the front seat forwards to let people in and out of the back is fiddly, and doesn’t always return the seat to its original position, which is frustrating.

Practicality

This is a small car, and with those low-set front seats, you just have to accept a certain diminution in rear seat space. If the front seat occupants are not especially tall themselves, then all will be reasonably OK, but if they’re lanky then those in the back will start running out of space very quickly indeed. There is plenty of good oddment stowage space around the cabin though, with good deep door bins and a decent glovebox.

The boot holds a mere 251 litres, but that does expand, with the back seats folded flat, to either 959 litres for the five-door or 951 litres for the three-door model, so the Mii should be practical enough for the needs of a small family, and certainly for singletons.

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Technology & Connectivity: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ (6/10)

The Mii’s level of connectivity depends on what you’ve got in your pocket, as the only way to fit it with a touchscreen is to use your smartphone as one. Basic Miis simply come with an AM/FM stereo with a CD player, SD card reader, and a USB socket, although it does get six speakers. Design and FR-Line models come with smartphone integration, which consists of a dashboard-mounted phone holder, Bluetooth, and the DriveMii app. The latter integrates TomTom satnav and trip computer functions into your own phone, which then effectively becomes the car’s infotainment system. It’s a neat idea, which cuts down on cost and complication, but it does mean that you’re reliant on the quality of your own device to act as part of the car. Music fans can upgrade the stereo to a six-speaker-plus-subwoofer system, with a 300-watt amplifier.

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Performance & Handling: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (7/10)

It’s pretty hard to make a car as compact and light as the Mii less than fun to chuck around, and so it proves – the Mii has nicely weighted, accurate and precise steering (far better than many of its major rivals) and a sense of agility and manoeuvrability common to the class. But it also has a big dose of ‘big car’ feel, thanks in no small part to that grown-up feeling driving position. The Mii is decently refined for one so small, although obviously you have to expect some compromise compared to a larger car, and it tackles motorways and main roads perfectly happily, not even being overly disturbed by side-winds or truck-draughts. It’s a shame there’s never been a proper FR or even Cupra version, actually, so good a base for handling and road-holding does the Mii possess, but perhaps part of the appeal is getting the most from its tiny petrol engine.

Fitted with a 999cc three-cylinder unit, you can have your Mii in either 60hp or 75hp forms. There’s no difference at all on environmental performance, so you’re either going for the cheapest option (the 60hp one) or the 75hp one that will give you a few more options when it comes to longer journeys involving main roads, and which can scamper to 62mph a full 1.2 seconds faster than the basic 60hp version (although neither is what you’d call quick). Given its extra flexibility and zero running cost penalty, it’s only logical to go for the 75hp, unless you’re on a very restricted budget.

Recommended engine: 1.0 75hp

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Safety Features: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8/10)

The Mii has, technically, never been individually tested by Euro NCAP, but the Volkswagen Up has been, and NCAP decided that, seeing as there was so little difference between those two (and the Skoda Citigo) that all three should be awarded the same five-star rating. That score includes an 89 per cent adult occupant protection score, 80 per cent for child occupant, 46 per cent for pedestrian protection, and 86 per cent for safety assist.

All models come with four airbags, a front passenger airbag cut-off switch, electronic stability control, hill-hold brakes, ISOFIX points in the two rear seats and tyre pressure monitoring. Design models have LED daytime running lights while Design and FR-Line models can be equipped with automatic headlights and rain-sensing wipers. There’s also the option of a Safety Assist system that uses a front-mounted laser scanner to trigger autonomous emergency braking at speeds of up to 19mph.

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Specs and Trim Levels: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ (6/10)

Colours

There are three non-metallic colours available – Tornado Red, Sunflower Yellow, and White. Then there are four metallic options – Blueberry, Tungsten Silver, Deep Black, and Chester Blue. Buyers can specify contrast black or white roof colours and there are black and white styling packs for the exterior details. The interior can be fitted out with gloss white or gloss black dashboards, and contrast stitching for the seats, as well as an optional Alcantara finish for FR-Line models.

Trim Levels

A basic Mii SE comes with 14-inch steel wheels with a tyre repair kit (a space-saver spare is an option), halogen daytime running lights, body coloured door handles and mirrors, air conditioning, height adjustable driver's seat, and remote central locking.

Design Miis add to that with 14-inch alloy wheels, the black or white exterior detail pack, tinted rear windows, LED daytime running lights, electric and heated door mirrors, a colour screen for the radio, Bluetooth, smartphone integration pack, leather steering wheel and gear knob, the gloss white dashboard panel, and front electric windows.

FR-Line models get 16-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights, Atom Grey exterior mirror caps, special graphic stickers, sports suspension, a gloss black dashboard, aluminium door sill trims, and special floor mats.

There’s also a 'Mii by Cosmopolitan' edition that comes with 15-inch alloy wheels, special ‘Violetto Metallic’ paint, a special door mirror finish, leather and Alcantara upholstery, and unique floor mats.

The options list is commendably short and includes DAB radio, a driver pack that includes cruise control and rear parking sensors, and a Convenience Pack that includes LED daytime running lights, automatic headlights, coming and leaving home headlight function, rain-sensing wipers, and a roof grab handle. The Safety Assist system comes bundled with that pack. You can also have a panoramic glass sunroof and ‘adventure pack’, which includes roof bars and a bike rack. Additionally, there’s the option of a rear spoiler, and you can even have an in-car espresso maker if you like.

Size and Dimensions

The Mii is utterly tiny. Really, only a Smart Fortwo is any serious amount smaller and if the Mii won’t fit on your driveway then, technically, that sounds like you actually have a doorstep, not a driveway.

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Running Costs & Fuel Economy: ★★★★★★★★★☆ (9/10)

The Mii really is exceptionally cheap to run, which is just as well as that really is its raison d'être. Both engines have identical mpg and emissions figures, with official combined cycle economy of 64.2mpg emissions of 102g/km. Pleasingly, the Mii should get pretty close to that figure in daily driving, even if you’re spending a good bit of time on the motorway, which is normally a spoiler for small cars. The small 35-litre fuel tank does limit your range a little on longer hauls, though.

Reliability and servicing

The Mii has been recalled three times, for faulty airbags, and a faulty child lock. Seat has an excellent reputation for reliability, despite that, and that’s backed up by a standard three-year, 60,000-mile warranty that can be optionally extended to five years and 90,000 miles. Seat also offers fixed-price service plans.

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Pricing: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8/10)

Here’s the thing with the Seat Mii’s price – the crucial thing to ask is how it compares to the Volkswagen Up, because clearly what’s the point in buying a car with the less desirable Seat badge if the Volkswagen costs the same or less? Which at first glance puts the Seat in an awkward spot, as the Volkswagen appears to have the lower price point, by around £600 for the basic 60hp three-door model. Ah, but it’s not that simple. Remember, the Seat comes with standard air conditioning, whereas you’ll have to upgrade to the High Up model to get air conditioning. That leaves the Seat with around a £400 advantage. Of course, much also depends on special offers, finance packages and more, so you kind of have to take the rating here as a starting point and then keep a close eye out for what’s available.

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