AVIS UK, spurred by increasing customer demand for city cars, has introduced a 'small car' category, covering models such as the Ford Ka and Fiat Cinquecento to its tariff. The move is part of a reorganisation of the company's car groupings, which follows calls for the rental industry to ensure logical groupings of vehicles.

A British Vehicle Leasing and Rental Association spokesman said problems had arisen as a result of the growing sub-section of so-called superminis which fell below the traditional Group A size. Some companies had ended up calling these Group X or Group Y cars. There were also discrepancies between companies over the group classification of larger vehicles.