If only everything in life were this simple. Small wheels, small engine and tiny fuel bills on a vehicle so compact that you could get half a dozen into the average parking bay. Get it home and it will fit under the sink.

Chic, cute, oozing Italian style, this is Vespa’s teen-catcher, the Vespa S. In Italy, where youngsters start riding scooters at 14, the Vespa S has been winning teenage sales for 40 years. In the UK, Vespa hopes to attract not only teenagers but city commuters desperate to avoid rush-hour jams, congestion charges and public transport.

For £2,650, you get a machine that Vespa claims cuts cross-town commutes by half, averages 100mpg and creates a quarter of the CO2 exhaust emissions by a car. Daniele Bandiera, Vespa’s general manager, said: “A moped is easier to park, faster in town and cheaper to run than a car.”

Instruments are basic, consisting of a speedo (which on my test bike was not working), fuel gauge and warning lights. Controls are bicycle-like, with two levers for front and rear brakes. Turn the key, press the starter, twist the right-hand throttle and you are off. Under the seat is space to stow a crash helmet and behind the front fairing are a couple of pockets for a mobile phone, gloves or MP3 player.

With a top speed of about 57mph and barely 10hp to play with, the single-cylinder 125cc four-stroke Vespa S will keep up with town traffic. Anyone used to a motorcycle will find it light (only 110kg), with vague steering and bumpy suspension. But for town riding, it is nippy and the brakes are strong enough for the engine’s performance.

Style rather than performance, and ease of use, will sell the Vespa. The step-through design and protective bodywork mean that it can be ridden without resorting to the leathers associated with motorbiking. Vespa also plans a range of “funky” clothing for added street cred.