One full-suspension mountain bike (the Empire MX6-EVO, pictured) that we mounted had to be positioned in a way that left questionable clearance of the front wheel. This meant the wheel had to be placed inside the vehicle – not ideal by any means. Most hardtail and road bike frames should go on without issue though. The peaky three-cylinder petrol powerplants fitted to these vehicles aren’t exactly ideal for towing use and so it’s hardly a surprise that towbars aren’t readily available. You can get roof-mounted cycle carriers, but lifting and securing a bike onto the roof of a vehicle at the end of a big ride isn’t too much fun – particularly a downhill bike. So basically, those who want to travel with a bike in one of these cars are going to face difficulty, particularly if they want to do so with friends. Thankfully Westfalia, the company that devised the original towball type towbar, has produced its own bike carrying solution for the C1/Aygo/107/8. Bolting to the underside of the car’s chassis, the Westfalia kit leaves two semi-permanent fixings below the number plate into which two removable arms are then inserted; these join together to form a sturdy A-frame structure at the rear end of the car.

Changes in vehicle design are making it less viable to carry cargo on the roof, too. Many SUVs have surprisingly low maximum roof load limits, as do cars with multiple sunroofs, which are becoming popular. And long gone are the days when gutters, or raised roof rails, meant that a set of roof bars would fit most vehicles. Now, when you change your car, a new set of model-specific bars is almost always required.