The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

ABARTH 500

Pricey pocket rockets, all powered by 1.4-litre turbos in various stages of steroidal overcompensation. Divine details, dodgy dynamics VERDICT Like a small yappy dog: noisy, excitable and likely to give you a headache

ALFA ROMEO MITO

Decent engines but generally rubbish to drive, Alfa’s soggy-handling, hard-riding premium mini is crucified by the real thing and Audi’s A1 VERDICT At least it’s got its looks. No, wait. It’s an ugly Alfa. It’s got nothing

GIULIETTA

Looked like a credible Golf rival for a while but now the game has moved on. Keen prices, but rivals are roomier, classier and more fun to drive VERDICT Miles better than a Mito. Miles better than a 4C, even. Miles behind a Golf

4C 4C SPIDER

Sexy carbon two-seater over-promises and under-delivers on a double-your-dong-length web-scam scale. Spider a step in right direction

VERDICT Shoots for the moon, hits itself in the foot. Lotus Elise more fun, Porsche Cayman a better bet

GIULIA

Good grief – an Alfa Romeo we can finally recommend that you buy. Auto-only 3-series rival has sharp steering, sultry looks, great driving position. Bellissimo! VERDICT Note to dealers: don’t cock it up

STELVIO

Either we’ve collectively entered another dimension or Alfa has just built two excellent cars in a row. Now we just need everyone to start buying them again VERDICT Worth the risk at least once in your life

GIULIA QUADRIFOGLIO

Like a regular Giulia doped up by Lance Armstrong, this 191mph, 503bhp rocket is a quadruple shot of espresso for Alfa’s long lamented soul. At last VERDICT The closest you can get to a four-door Ferrari. Really. That good

ALPINA D3 B3

Twin-turbo petrol and diesel stonk and smooth auto ’boxes mated to a quality chassis, but watch for some questionable OAP-spec interior finishes VERDICT Try an xDrive D3 Touring – it’s what the M3 wants to be when it grows up

D4 B4

Same blend of fast and frugal as above but slotted into slinkier 4-series shell. ZF auto not as snappy as M4’s twin clutch, but much smoother VERDICT 53mpg and 62mph in 4.6sec? And you’re alright with this, BMW?

D5 B5

Twin-turbo B5 petrol V8’s 590lb ft could de-forest the Amazon while planet-loving D5 doesn’t let meagre 155g/km prevent 174mph max VERDICT You can’t have a real M5 Touring, but this comes close

B7

BMW doesn’t make an M7, but Alpina does. Twin-blown petrol V8 delivers ‘bahn-busting performance that’s best enjoyed in Germany VERDICT Niche Merc S63 AMG alternative hamstrung by the ugliness of the raw materials

XD3

X3 35d-based high-rise hot-rod delivers 350bhp, 516lb ft, and the horizon through your windscreen. Spoiled by a rock-hard ride

VERDICT Another niche BMW that Munich leaves to Alpina, maybe because the Porsche Macan is better

ARIEL ATOM

Only the Pope’s lips get more up close and personal with the tarmac than an Atom driver, but there’s zero protection when the heavens open VERDICT Spectacular toy. Great on track, barmy on road. Chassis doubles as a clothes airer, which is just as well…

NOMAD

Not content with terrifying on tarmac, Ariel now o¦ers the o¦-road Nomad. Gains a rollover structure but still no doors VERDICT Don’t forget to put the hot water on – you’ll be needing a bath when you get home

ASTON MARTIN VANTAGE V8 GT8

Ageing entry-level Aston has ace steering, but make sure you go manual: plodding semi-auto is as dynamic as a Ron Dennis interview

VERDICT ‘Monica Bellucci’ on the desirability/ age scale; madcap GT8 tactile but not as fast as it looks

VANTAGE V12 GT12

Cramming a huge V12 into the V8-sized engine bay was apparently the easy bit; it took years for Aston to add a manual gearbox. Worth the wait VERDICT Chassis finally has the stick shift it deserves. Buy it no other way

DB11

First genuinely new Martin in a decade gets slick aero slinkiness, belting V12 turbocharged charmer and, crucially, Merc help with the wiring VERDICT Finally the right blend of much needed new stu¦ and classic Aston charm results in a cut-above GT. Eat your heart out, Europe!

VANQUISH S

Not quite funeral parlour dressing but lipstick and sorted underpinnings come too near the end of the Vanquish. DB11 is both fresher and cheaper. Oops VERDICT Instant respect, even though you’ve bought the wrong Aston

RAPIDE

Take that, Panamera! Aston shows Porsche how to make a supercar/saloon cocktail. Forget limo pretensions, though: it’s a four-door 2+2 VERDICT Pretty, but interior more dated than a New York socialite and as hard on your wallet

ALPINE ALPINE A110

Desirable, cleverly packaged and driving dynamics to die for. A bit pricey and the interior lacks wow factor but one thing’s for certain: the Porsche Cayman should be worried VERDICT Reborn Alpine has smashed it out of the park

AUDI A1 HATCH SPORTBACK

Posh Polo does it all, from 1.0 miser to S1 micro rocket. Not cheap, even before you’ve splurged on options; £30k is a mouse click away VERDICT Classy Mini rival that doesn’t turn into Quasimodo when you tick the 5dr option

A3 HATCH S’BACK SALOON

Midlife update adds exterior angles, three-pot engine and optional digi-dash. Still king of quality in this sector, but adrenalin isn’t among the standard kit VERDICT Brilliant hatch and not much financial gulf to a Golf. Try sporty S-line on supple SE chassis

A3 CABRIOLET

Premium sun-grabber without macho sportscar posturing. A bit tight in the back, but pretty tight in the bends too. Try a 1.8 TFSI with Sport trim VERDICT Asexual droptop for sensibleshoes types. Worth the £2k premium over Golf

RS3

The superhatch/saloon for those lacking in imagination and/or driving talent, RS3 struts its stu¦ best in a straight line. But 4.1 to 62mph is well weapon VERDICT Only feel a little bit ashamed for wanting one

A4 SALOON AVANT ALLROAD

Captain Obvious in every way: lighter, smarter, better to drive than the last one – and only microscopically dierent to look at VERDICT As you were, except inside, where tech obsession os elegance. Rivals remaining calm

RS4

Estate-only hot A4 ditches free-revving V8 for RS5’s twin-turbo V6. Covers ground with impressive pace and ease and just a tiny bit of proper driver involvement VERDICT An RS5 in a parka and Timberland boots

A5 SPORTBACK

More tech and even better quality doesn’t compensate for a lack of personality. Better looking, then so is Dorking after eight pints. You could buy worse but you’ll definitely get bored VERDICT It’s better to live in than to drive

A5 COUPE CABRIO

Deceptive bunny boiler – looks normal until you realise it’s killed a TT and is wearing its face. Cue B-road mayhem. Not really VERDICT Even more of an A4 in a frock than the last one, but still better to drive

RS5

Like a bouncer in a tailored suit, the hot A5’s power bulges through the creases in its bodywork. Twin-turbo V6 has full-bodied soundtrack and quattro provides grip in spades VERDICT A composed four-seat express that has power to spare, but it’s not the most involving sports car

A6 SALOON AVANT ALLROAD

Demure big Audi an unsung hero, refined and cheap to run. Allroad an SUV for agoraphobics; twin-blown 309bhp BiTDi a proper mischief maker VERDICT Base models short on wow, but a solid alternative to betterhandling Jag XF

RS6

For wealthy mentalists who think the S6’s 444bhp isn’t enough, RS6 delivers 25% more and gives the R8 V10 a hard time at the lights VERDICT Beautifully finished all-weather family wagon that scares supercars silly

A7 SPORTBACK

Think a more stylish A8 rather than A6 spino. Capable of incredible wafting ability and grippier than Spider-Man covered in superglue. Petrol properly refined but diesel will make better sense in the UK VERDICT Stylish GT with sensible engines, but not quite a sports saloon

RS7

Pricier, less practical RS6 with fastback rear, same guts, but gets clever rear di as standard for oversteer here, there and everywhere, given room VERDICT An Aston Rapide for the AAgoraphobic, but we’d have the naughtier RS6

A8

Audi exec car in ‘good to drive’ shock. Ingolstadt’s limousine packs enough tech to worry Skynet and avoids being wooden behind the wheel so convincingly you’d think it had a dierent badge on the front VERDICT The new king in the exec tech arms race

Q2

Odd-looking small SUV is like a Countryman that’s lost a battle with a set-square. Nice enough to drive but still a nerd to the Mini’s prom queen VERDICT The Q doesn’t stand for Quasimodo. Probably

Q3

Dumpy dinky faux field forager is a yummy mummy fave. Forget 4wd and the diesels and go for light, zippy, 1.4 TFSI VERDICT So much better to drive than it looks. Which it’d have to be, right? Unless it was an Alfa

RSQ3

Audi’s first tall-boy RS model. Hearing of the £45k price or unleashing that 335bhp five-pot both elicit same incredulous gasp VERDICT Who needs this stu? Short people in a rush? Better than a GLA45 AMG

Q5

A4-MLB2 in Barbour, Q5 ups the comfort, tech, looks similar to the old one… textbook Audi v2.0 in other words, but still something you’d want on your drive VERDICT Expect to be swearing at one soon

Q7

German heavy metal turns techno as Mk2 Q7 sheds weight despite megaload of extra gizmos. High-performance SQ7 TDI mindbendingly adept VERDICT They thought of everything but the charm

TT COUPE ROADSTER

Brilliant coupe gets virtual dash and sharper handling. Try 2.0 FSI. Boot big, but the rear seat’s for handbags only VERDICT A proper real-world sports car – but the same money buys an early R8

TT RS

At the outer limits of the TT’s dynamic envelope, a 17% power hike ekes 395bhp from five pots and targets wounded Cayman VERDICT Audi springs the oside trap, rounds the keeper, but hits the bar. So close!

R8 V10 V10 PLUS

Friday-afternoon restyle meets Mondaymorning mechanics. New R8 oers no V8 for now, but V10 is back with 533bhp or Lamboequalling 602bhp VERDICT A Lamborghini Huracan for £50k less. Friendly but ballistic; playful chassis a joy

BAC MONO

Single-seat racer that took a wrong turn out of the pits. Pushrod suspension, Cosworth-tuned 2.3 Duratec and bath-like driving position VERDICT Sublime track tool with a six-figure price that’d net you a Porsche Cayman GT4 and an Ariel Atom

BENTLEY BENTAYGA

Cynics will say it’s a Q7 in expensive jewellery, but The World’s Fastest SUV matches 187mph top speed with superb chassis. We flambéed the brakes, btw VERDICT Super-lux options include £110k Breitling clock. Or spend the same on a two-bed semi in Crewe

BENTAYGA DIESEL

They said it would never happen, but we knew it would. Still fast, still heavy, still thirsty but now you get to use the dirty pumps and only need to stop every other minute VERDICT You might have to lie at the golf club or they’ll make you use the tradesmen’s entrance

CONTINENTAL GT COUPE CABRIO

The repmobile of millionaires. Reliable, well built and full of VW bits. Death Starsmooth W12 sounds more rebellious, while twin-turbo GT V8 S is joyful VERDICT More of a sports car than hefty GT image suggests

FLYING SPUR

Current Spur is sharper to drive, sharper to look at, softer to sit in, and feels less like a stretched Conti. Fridge and iPads essential options for rear-seat recliners VERDICT Think of it as a bargain Roller rather than a pricey A8

MULSANNE

Huge, hand-built anachronism, with twinturbo V8 born in the ’50s, bued to perfection, and a field of cows sacrificed for your arse’s pleasure VERDICT Buy the Speed – any less outrageous display of consumption is just poor form

BMW 1SERIES

Only rear-driver in its class. Good for handling, not for cabin space. Facelift made it 3% less grotesque. 118i petrol a brilliant all-rounder

VERDICT Want a roomy, well-appointed hatch that’s great to drive and look at? Then buy an Audi A3

M140i

Bavaria’s hot hatch shuns four-pot power and front-drive for sonorous 335bhp 3.0-litre straight-six nuke and power to the rears. About

as practical as shorts in a Canadian winter but you won’t care VERDICT An absolute riot, just don’t have kids

2 SERIES COUPE CABRIO

Boot-faced booted 1-series is a Mustang with a couple of A-levels. 218d is 8.9 to 62mph and 63mpg; 4-cyl 228i a cut-price, cut-down M235i VERDICT Plainer than a margarine sarnie, but TT and RCZ can’t touch its space/pace combo

M240i

Still hard to look at without squinting but sweet six-cylinder is even more grunty. The perfect 2-series if you pretend the M2 doesn’t exist VERDICT Ignore the Golf R temptation and keep it rear

M2

2-series coupe with M4 chassis and 365bhp turbo six – that’s some crowbar they’ve got at M division. All of the fun, all of the time VERDICT Best M car since the E46 M3. Buy with manual ’box and stacks of tyres

2 SERIES ACTIVE TOURER

BMW in front-drive MPV shock. Decent drive, great interior. Need to cart OAP relatives around? Get the 7-seat Gran Tourer. Boom boom! VERDICT The ultimate driving (to the park/crèche/post o¡ice) machine

i3

One of BMW’s best cars is home to its finest cabin. Electric version has short range; hybrid is noisy and has a fuel tank like a flea’s hip flask VERDICT Carbon-chassis supermini, electric power and £30k price. Did we wake up in 2045?

3 SERIES SALOON TOURING

Celebrating four decades of overpriced, undersized family cars. New modular engines make it better than ever, 320d (now sub-100g/km) still top choice VERDICT Jag XE is treading heavily on its twinkling toes

4 SERIES COUPE CABRIO

3-series in a shellsuit subtly better to drive, but same great engine choices and almost as practical. Shame about the carryover cabin VERDICT Crushes Audi’s A5. Folding hardtop cabrio weighty but worth it

4 SERIES GRAN COUPE

Pretty and practical, like a bikini car wash, hatchback GC costs £3k more than 3-series but has standard leather. Five belts but four seats VERDICT Smart and useful, much more than a niche exercise. But why isn’t this the 3-series?

M3 M4

Competition Pack breathes some life into this staid M-car duo. £3k more = 444bhp and lightup seat badges. Classy VERDICT Buy an M2

5 SERIES

BMW’s second most important car gets the full treatment, with new chassis, slightly forgettable exterior and massive tech injection. Smart, semi-autonomous and still the best in class VERDICT Spirit-crushingly good

M5

G30-generation V8 bruiser sends shove to all four wheels now but you can still drift it like Ken Block. The sharp-suited and refined yet ballistically quick autobahn prowler VERDICT Rest easy, BMW fans – all-wheel drive hasn’t ruined the M5

6 SERIES COUPE CABRIO

Anonymous big GT best enjoyed with mighty 40d diesel power. Plenty of room for four – if you fire your passengers into the back via a wood-chipper VERDICT Under-the-radar GT bruiser, short on sex, but not on appeal

6 SERIES GRAN COUPE

Coupe? It’s a bloody saloon! And £20k more than a same-engined 5-series! BMW must chuckle at every sale. Still, rather nice VERDICT Desirable enough to leave the 6-series coupe in the shade/showroom

M6

Six-figure old-M5 in a shiny suit. Two-door looks good value beside Mercedes’ S63 coupe, but can’t touch a Porsche 911 GTS for kicks

VERDICT M6 Gran Coupe almost makes M5 redundant, but at £100k/18mpg you’ll need two jobs

7 SERIES

So high-tech BMW must have ram-raided Google’s R&D bunker, confident the ‘carbon core’ construction would enable it to drive back out VERDICT Gesture control, remote parking, active anti-roll – it’s got it all. But not quite the kudos of the Merc S-Class…

X1

Ugly old one sold by the bucket load; all-new replacement is miles better to look at and to drive. It’s a proper mini-SUV now… VERDICT It’s even based on the front-wheeldrive Mini platform. Swallow that bile now

X2

A sportier and more stylish X1 – who’d have thought it? Avoid M Sport X trim if you don’t want your SUV to look like Jaws from the Bond movies VERDICT Great to drive and well-built inside

X3

Studiously un-gangsta SUV shuns petrol power – and M Power – options for solid diesel-only blend of handling and handiness. Looking better post-facelift VERDICT The BMW SUV we don’t hate ourselves for liking

X4

Blame the Evoque and people who bought the X6 for this carbuncle. Priced at £4k-£5k more than an X3, but better equipped and annoyingly better to drive VERDICT Depressing X3 spin-o¡ for grown-ups who still dream of being a footballer

X5

One-time Premier League fave looking more like League 1 beside better-driving and -looking rivals. Skinflint sDrive 25d is a rwd four-banger VERDICT Still impresses with engines and quality, but thanks to Landie it’s lost its lustre

X6

All the impracticality of a coupe and all the wasteful high-centred mass of an SUV. Genius. If you must, X40d gives best price/punch/ parsimony VERDICT Pointless pimp wagon. Buy a Porsche Cayenne or even an X5

Z4

Sports car for post-menopausal women in lemon trouser suits. Coupe-cabrio roof hits boot space when folded. Base 18i spec sub-Wartburg VERDICT No match for Boxster. Stick with mid-spec trim

i8

Carbon-constructed 3-cyl hybrid supercar that’s fun for four, as fast as an M3 and does 40 real mpg. Minor demerit: looks like it’s crimping o¡ a 911 VERDICT Fascinating and fabulous futuristic sports car

BUGATTI CHIRON

‘The Veyron was okay but why couldn’t it have 30% bigger turbos and 300bhp more power?’ Bugatti answers the question nobody asked – and answers it loud VERDICT A riot

CATERHAM SEVEN

Still the benchmark for bobble-hatted TerryThomas wannabes and the track-curious, the adaptable Seven comes in flavours from 160 3-cyl to mental road racers VERDICT 80bhp 160 underpowered, 310bhp 620R lethal, 180bhp 360 model just right

CHEVROLET CORVETTE

Farm machinery meets Spacelab in fabulous 460bhp V8 symphony of composite materials, leaf springs and pushrods. Shame it’s left-hook only VERDICT £60k for a bargain berserker. £20k more for the 650bhp Z06

CITROEN C1

Trying hard to escape the clutches of its sister cars from Toyota and Peugeot, the C1 can have a funky Airscape cloth roof and half-hearted personalisation options. 1.0-litre has most pep

VERDICT Good, solid proletarian urban fare rather than hipster cool

C3

Citroën produces a great small car by looking up its own Wikipedia entry and remembering what it’s good at; spacy, compliant and di¡erent VERDICT Are Citroëns cool again? They’re certainly getting there

C3 AIRCROSS

Funky mattress on wheels takes C3’s style and puts it on stilts. Thankfully retains C3 Picasso’s super-spacious interior and flexi seats VERDICT The Vauxhall Crossland X’s much more characterful Gallic sibling

C4

Recently refreshed C4 has all the edginess of a Hush Puppy deck shoe. But it’s useful, anodyne transport, and sub-100g/km BlueHDi models are very economical VERDICT Nobody would hate you – or notice you – if you bought one

C4 CACTUS

An architect’s wet dream. Sloppy to drive but otherwise a roomy family car with kid’s toy colour combos. Airbumps will stop it kicking o¡ in the car park VERDICT Cheap yet brilliant. Why can’t the French be this good all the time?

C4 PICASSO

Defiantly anti-cool family shifter. Touches like lower rear windows and sprogwatch mirror make mums go weak at the knees for its peaceand-bloody-quiet ambience VERDICT Drives like a shed. Who cares, if it makes Satan’s brood shut up?

BERLINGO MULTISPACE

Recently refreshed with SUV aspirations, but still essentially a wipe-clean tin lifeboat for cagoule-wearing Thermos-sipping birdwatchers. Rattles and drives like a van. Is a van VERDICT Dogging cheap seats for aspiring Bill Oddies

DACIA SANDERO

Cheapest new car on sale, not the worst. Yoghurt-pot plastics and pre-Glasnost styling can’t detract from a spacious sub-six-grand runabout with Renault engines VERDICT Austerity rocks. Right, Greece?

LOGAN

Estate looks like a Sandero that’s reversed into a phone box. Cavernous boot, but dreadfully unrefined thanks to all the brittle plastic and tin VERDICT You put things in it. It will carry them for you. You can take them out. Job done

No-nonsense SUV that’s ideal for wannabe peacekeepers on a ridiculously small budget. Buy the boggo 4x4 diesel in white for the full UN e¡ect VERDICT The Neighbourhood Watch will never be the same again

DS DS3 HATCH CABRIO

Best-selling DS gets robo-croc snout and Apple CarPlay as standard but ‘premium’ claims got lost in translation VERDICT Like Prince William’s bonce covering, the Gallic charm is wearing thin

DS4 CROSSBACK

Range now split between regular hatch and jacked-up Crossback. Softer set-up and fewer buttons a plus; rear windows still don’t open VERDICT Medium rare luxy-Frenchness. Germany reportedly not worried

DS5

O¡ice joker in testosterone world of Serious Business Men. Quite appealing, with a lovely aerostyled cabin. Diesel Hybrid4 is a good idea not executed properly VERDICT Bland ubiquity will always beat charming quirkiness

DS 7 CROSSBACK

France’s idea of a premium SUV. Sharp-looking interior and plenty of tech to boot, but looks like an Audi Q5 in half-baked drag VERDICT Neatly done, but not quite there

ELEMENTAL RP1

As expensive as a used Porsche Cayman GT4, but more refined than any Caterham – and it’s an absolute weapon on track VERDICT Crazy, but worth it

FERRARI 488 GTB

We were worried the turbos would ruin it, but while we’ll miss the 458’s 9000rpm wail, the 488 is more playful and even easier to drive. A stunning achievement VERDICT Even the looks grow on you after a while. Rivals better dust o¡ their gracious-loser faces

CALIFORNIA T

L-plate Ferrari first of Maranello’s new turbo cars. Boost management mimics naturally aspirated engines. Looks better, sounds worse VERDICT Forget the unfair 488 comparisons, it’s an SL65 rival and well worthy of the badge

FERRARI 812 SUPERFAST

Proof that Ferrari can still make truly epic GT cars that fly the naturally aspirated V12 flag with pride. The screaming 800hp engine is matched by laser-guided handling VERDICT GT? Supercar? Either way, it’s astounding

LAFERRARI

>1000bhp hybrid hypercar where the electric bits exist to save tenths not icecaps. 499 to be built and all sold despite the £1.2m asking price VERDICT The greatest single supercar of all time – except maybe the FXX K track version

GTC4 LUSSO

Looking even more like a Z3 M Coupe battered by a giant spatula, this updated FF gets four-wheel steering to go with its improved four-wheel drive and 680bhp V12 VERDICT Closest Ferrari has got to an SUV

GTC4 LUSSO T

Deleting four cylinders and a driven axle sneaks the GTC under the psychologically distressing £200k barrier, not that the news will sell thousands more VERDICT Less is a little bit more, while also still very much a lot

FIAT TIPO

Fiat has another crack at the C-segment, this time sensibly playing the value card. Dull, yet still the best Fiat hatch since the last Tipo – and that dates from 1988 VERDICT Only consider buying Fiats with numbers, not names

124

MX-5’s step-sister, seemingly intent on undermining said darling hairdresser’s star turn with its punchier 1.4 turbo blow-dryer. Awkward style, for an Italian To drive, this is the MX-5 you’ve been waiting for

PANDA

Spacious city car with ‘squircle’ obsession, as roly-poly as its blobby looks suggest. Two-pot TwinAir willing but thirsty VERDICT VW Up costs less, drives better and is nicer inside

500 C

Delicate job, modernising a retro cash cow. Fiat’s approach pairs a korma-grade facelift with updated tech and even more colour palette kitsch VERDICT Fashion victims rejoice! The cupholders actually work now

500L MPW

Bloated supermini-sized people carriers, desperately attempting to cash in on city car’s chic. Seldom has the point been so massively missed VERDICT In-car co¡ee machine option the only purchase excuse

500X

Compact crossover is the Arnold Schwarzenegger of the 500 range – steroidal and somewhat limited in its range of abilities, but actually rather likeable VERDICT Worthy Nissan Juke alternative works the 500 thing surprisingly well

PUNTO

Been facelifted more times than Joan Rivers but is somehow still alive. Now reduced to barebones range and budget price. We still wouldn’t VERDICT You might be tempted. Don’t be

QUBO DOBLO

Postman Pat’s wheels? Don’t be daft, Pat’s retired to the Caribbean and is living o‡ the royalties. Drives a red Bentley VERDICT Van-based MPVs. Practicality first, people second

FORD KA+

Hits the city car target bang-on by being the complete opposite of the old Ka (good to drive, decently spacious), but misses by being less sexy than Borat. And Plus? Plus what?

VERDICT Ahead of its time, and in danger of being overshadowed by newer arrivals, but still pretty good as far as it goes

B MAX

B-pillar-free Fiesta-based mini MPV gets rear sliding doors for maximum practicality but not the sliding rear seats of some rivals. Firm ride VERDICT Buy with a 1.0 EcoBoost triple and Zetec trim for maximum school-run fun

FIESTA

Still a peach to drive and now has an interior design that isn’t from the dark ages, even if material quality is still a bit i‡y. ST-Line suitably sporty but Vignale too expensive to justify VERDICT You can thank the heavens they haven’t ruined it

FIESTA ST ST200

Bargain banzai hot hatch shreds that tricky gyratory complex with style to spare thanks to torque vectoring voodoo. ST200 costs £5k more than base; misses point spectacularly (if not the apex). Softer suspension now VERDICT This is the one that you want

FOCUS HATCH ESTATE

Shows Ford’s chassis engineers know their stu‡ VERDICT Great to drive but the VW Golf is a more polished destination for your money

FOCUS ST RS

Chip-controlled 4wd RS is an overclocked 345bhp mix of outrageous drift angles and limpet traction. And we used to think the front-drive ST was impressive VERDICT In bhp/£ stakes, both are mega value. But only the RS does donuts

MONDEO HATCH ESTATE

Huge space and you can even have the plucky little 1.0 EcoBoost engine VERDICT Everybody wants them new-fangled SUVs these days, but this is a great family car

KUGA

The best-handling mid-sized crossover, but that’s not saying much VERDICT If you must

EDGE

Stupidest Ford name since Maverick, but looks good and drives like a Ford – a big, ponderous Ford, hamstrung by 2.0 diesels and slower than continental drift VERDICT Comfy, refined, irrelevant amid premium rivals

ECOSPORT

Ford’s half-arsed stab at a crossover sold in droves despite being crap first time round. We’re more comfortable recommending it, since it now looks half decent and isn’t built out of melted wheelie bins VERDICT Better, but still isn’t the best

C MAX GRAND C MAX

More a roomier Focus than full-blown MPV, C-Max delivers driving pleasure to blot out family pain. Seven-seat Grand version gets rear sliding doors VERDICT Rivals are roomier, but none is better to drive

S MAX

Exploits latest Mondeo’s undercrackers to full e‡ect. Pricey, but still the best of the seven-seaters to drive. Toys include electric everything and speed-correcting cruise control VERDICT Harder to beat than FC Barcelona

MUSTANG

GI Henry’s finally been posted to Europe and he’s cutting in on the TT’s dance. At last gets multi-link rear end, but rear space could be better VERDICT EcoBoost 4-cyl torquey but tedious; it’s the V8 you want, if not its 18mpg thirst

GALAXY

Goose to the S-Max’s Maverick, current Galaxy is based on the same Mondeo-derived platform. Just as high-tech, but more spacious

VERDICT Great if you need a big seven-seater as it fits adults in all rows with no human rights violations

GT

A very expensive hardcore supercar from Detroit that proves a global mega-seller can still cut it against Ferrari when it wants to. EcoBoost V6 is hugely fast if devoid of character

VERDICT ‘Race car for the road’ translates into ‘brilliant fun but a bit coarse’

GINETTA G40

Pint-sized road-legal racer. Two models: G40R (civilised version, with carpets) and GRDC (actually a race car with number plates) VERDICT Tiny, twitchy and top fun. Pick the £35k GRDC and get free entry to race series

HONDA JAZZ

Brilliantly packaged supermini with typical genius mismatch of brain and social skills. Ordinary performance, more refined than before VERDICT If a Skoda Fabia had seats this smart, other superminis would call it a day

CIVIC

The might of Honda’s engineering prowess delivers more space, clever new engines and an exterior that looks like it was drawn on a bus on the way into school VERDICT Easy to admire, loving requires recreational drugs

CIVIC TYPE R

Its many angles hide a much more rounded hot hatch than ever before. Driving one day to day much easier now but its speed and agility can still take your head o‡ VERDICT All the ills of the old FK2 have been resolved; it’s fast, practical, agile and easy to live with

HR V

It took Honda 10 years to build a second HR-V, and you’re left wondering why they bothered. Almost wilfully generic VERDICT Platform’s magic packaging the only saving grace

CR V

Roomy but unremarkable SUV with a choice of two- or four-wheel drive. Unlike most Hondas won’t need ear defenders to drown out road noise VERDICT Ford Kuga has the chassis, Nissan Qashqai has the style, but neither is as practical as a CR-V

NSX

‘We’ve blown all our development cash on an insanely complex hybrid drivetrain. Do you think anyone will notice if we fit an interior from a Civic?’ VERDICT Like a 918 for half a mil’ less – mind-blowing to drive, crap to sit in

HYUNDAI i10

Five-door city car that balances mature driving experience with strong value – even if it’s not as cheap as it was. Five-year warranty, too VERDICT Basic motoring done not just well but with a dash of style. Mid-spec 1.0 our choice

i20 HATCH COUPE ACTIVE

Update adds Active crossover to 5dr hatch and 3dr ‘coupe’; suitable for somnambulant warranty fiends only. Turbo triple lumpy VERDICT Fur-lined tartan slippers, Horlicks and early to bed; repeat

i30 HATCH TOURER

Where the current crop of Hyundais got serious – which means it’s now in need of a facelift as the mainstream moves ahead again VERDICT Tries hard but lacks imagination

i30N

Ex-BMW M Division head Albert Biermann has worked his magic – Korea’s first proper hot hatch is very good indeed, and cheaper than a Golf GTI VERDICT An intergalactic leap ahead

i40 SALOON TOURER

Vast Mondeo rival with huge boot and lots of kit. Facelift resembles a lizard with an Audi grille for a mouth VERDICT Nearly-but-not-quite mainstream alternative plays value card well

iX20

Compact MPV and Kia Venga’s ugly step-sister; roomy but ultimately forgettable VERDICT Sorry, what were we talking about?

KONA

Hyundai does a Nissan by trying to make a forgettable crossover less so by over-styling it. Rear space and boot tight but plenty of kit VERDICT You’d have to like the looks to pick it over countless others

TUCSON

Promising initial impressions of shiny-looking ix35 replacement tarnish quickly VERDICT Dull to drive, duller inside, unrefined

SANTA FE

Biggish SUV has always led Hyundai’s assault on the European market from the front. Comfortable, self-assured and easy to live with VERDICT A Hyundai you can choose without shame. Looks fresher than Waitrose parsnips

i800

Massive van-based people carrier that’ll seat eight and still have space for their luggage. Ideal for part-time airport minicabbers VERDICT It is what it is: a van with seats in. But it’s a nice van

GENESIS

Luxury saloon hamstrung by unsuitable petrol engine and they-must-be-joking price tag VERDICT Start of Hyundai’s move upmarket. Well, it worked out well for Infiniti. Oh, wait…

IONIQ

Korean take on the Prius minus Gwyneth Paltrow smugness and drawn-in-the-dark exterior. Hybrid, EV or upcoming PHEV – something in all shades of green VERDICT Challenges neither pulse nor helmsmanship

INFINITI Q30

It’s an A-Class in an alternative frock – a slow A-Class at that. Suspension and seats comfy, just don’t look too closely at the dash VERDICT The fat goth of the premium hatchback segment

Q50

US-aimed Japanese premium product that’s mostly forgettable. Sport Tech model has stonking V6 VERDICT The hot one is a surprise but it’s not a car that will worry BMW or Merc

Q60

Shapely coupe has quirkiness in spades. Tech overkill includes slightly odd drive-by-wire steering while porky weight dulls performance VERDICT Capable and direct, but those words don’t scream ‘fun’, do they?

Q70

Does it look like a rubbish Maser QP, or a slightly cooler Daewoo Leganza? VERDICT Worth considering over a 5-series, but only if Harald Quandt ran o‡ with your wife

QX50

Once more with feeling, eh Infiniti? Mid-size SUV looks good, has plenty of kit and clever variable compression engine tech. Lack of diesel/hybrid version may make interest wane VERDICT The best car Infiniti makes

QX70

Striking jumbo jeep comes with more kit than a Knight Rider convention but the lavish cabin is too small and the fuel and tax bills anything but VERDICT Taxi for Infiniti! Porsche’s Cayenne has this one covered, old timer

JAGUAR XE

Straight-bat styling hides exotic aluminium chassis and class-leading handling. Bit tight on space, though, and engines not a high point VERDICT Rivals are better packaged but this is the driver’s car in the class and a proper little Jag

XF

Bigger inside, smaller outside, still a great steer VERDICT Diddy diesels moo more than a dairy; insert your own cats/cream joke

XJ

Questionable styling but unquestionably an excellent steer – although passengers may mutiny. Interior looks luxurious but lacks intelligence, even if it’s fitted with the latest infotainment VERDICT Hollywood baddies’ limo of choice. Flawed

XJR

Absurdly track-ready limo builds on already ballistic XJ Supersport, but bumps power up to 543bhp and tightens chassis at expense of ride VERDICT Spectacular – if you’re sitting in the front

F TYPE COUPE ROADSTER

Posh pauper’s Aston Martin sounds superb,

and goes well too. Forget the basic V6 and choose from V6S and mental V8S. Now with manual and 4wd options VERDICT So nearly sublime, but Cayman/Boxster duo cost less, entertain more

F TYPE R

Supercharged 543bhp almost too much fun in rear-wheel-drive form (but still less knife-edge than V8S); 4wd available if you’ve left bravery pills at home VERDICT All this drama or an ‘ordinary’ 911? Tough choice…

F TYPE SVR

JLR’s SVO black ops division delivers a 567bhp all-wheel-drive F-Type that goes and sounds like an elephant on MDMA VERDICT Quilted leather and 200mph – but terrible hi-fi for a car that costs twice the entry V6

E PACE

No, not the electric one, the baby F-Pace one. Wears the Evoque’s undercrackers and can be had with same engine as the 4-cyl F-Type, so there’s a solid baseline for it to sell in the bazillions. Top spec incredibly expensive, mind VERDICT Handsome and filled with tech but lacks polish

F PACE

Jaguar’s first SUV is a road-biased Porsche Macan botherer. Built light to be nimble; body control brilliance and pokey engines prove family DNA VERDICT Macan remains most sporting choice, but more rounded F-Pace has plenty of bite

JEEP RENEGADE

Strange but true: junior Jeep is built in Italy alongside Fiat 500X that donates its platform. Even stranger: it’s not terrible VERDICT Only the top Trailhawk cuts it in the rough

COMPASS

Qashqai rival misses the mark. Looks imposing and Trailhawk very good in the rough, but smaller Renegade more charming VERDICT Almost as forgettable as the previous Compass

CHEROKEE

Gimlet-eyed Discovery Sport rival looks like the banjo-playing inbred from Deliverance. Despite generous kit, we’d leave it on the porch VERDICT Feels too cheap to be premium, too pricey/ugly to beat Qashqai

GRAND CHEROKEE

Proper o«-road credentials and sensible running costs, but it feels cheap inside. Ludicrous SRT8 version demolishes 0-62mph in five seconds dead VERDICT Makes sense at $30k in the US, but doesn’t drive or feel like a premium car

WRANGLER

Incredible o«-road, and better than a Defender on it, but that’s like saying Pol Pot was more benevolent than Stalin VERDICT When North Korea nukes us, this cold war cast-o« will be all that’s left moving. Replacement unveiled but still some way from the showroom

KOËNIGSEGG AGERA

Evolution of Lex Luthor’s original CC8S supercar features carbonfibre wheels and twinturbo 5.0 V8. R version even runs on E85 biofuel VERDICT Yahoo! Yin to Volvo’s yang keeps Sweden’s car output balanced

KIA PICANTO

Now has an angry face and there’s a feisty turbo triple. GT Line comes with amped-up looks VERDICT Accomplished; avoid base 1.0

RIO

Long on space, short on enjoyment, life with a Rio is no carnival. Diesel refinement will have you driving to a favela in the hope of a carjacking VERDICT White-goods car gets the basics right but there are many better rivals

STONIC

Her name is Rio and she’s put on a bit of weight. Kia’s first stab at a bestseller has a hard ride but it’s much more practical than a Juke VERDICT Looks good but just as forgettable to drive as any other baby crossover

CEED HATCH SW PROCEED

Golf wannabe is big on equipment and not bad to drive. Ceed is five-door, Proceed gets three, SW is the wagon VERDICT Now with downsized turbo engines. Europe still ahead. Just

SOUL

Improved second-gen chunky spunky SUV better to drive but ride and noise suppression poor. Petrol version rubbish, but much cheaper VERDICT A Korean with character but other SUVs are more rounded (in both senses)

OPTIMA

Sexless Mondeo clone cobbles together some mojo via the addition of sharp-suited Sportswagon and a plug-in hybrid VERDICT All the car you’ll ever need, but not the car you want

VENGA

Weird sit-up supermini-cum-MPV packs Focus space into near-city-car dimensions. Hard to get comfy though. 1.4 petrol best VERDICT Too pricey and too ordinary to drive for us to care

CARENS

Big, versatile, value-packed seven-seater. Go diesel – 1.6 petrol is wheezier than emphysemariddled asthmatic with a punctured lung VERDICT For all its pseudo-premium Euro aspirations, this is the stu« Kia still does best

SPORTAGE

All-new, all-turbo SUV truly handles and rides but somehow a picture of Mr Potato Head’s face got mixed up with the final blueprints VERDICT Improved, except to look at

SORENTO

Ambitious new flagship SUV reckons it’s a real Land Rover rival. Now bigger than ever, and so is the price: up to £40k. Only engine is a 2.2 diesel VERDICT Impressive, but lacks the badge and performance of genuine premium o«-roaders

STINGER

Handsome four-door grand tourer has a mountain to climb to win over German exec buyers but it’s comfy and a head-turner. Interior not as well-finished or techy as rivals VERDICT A solid first e«ort; V6 GT-S is playful

KTM X BOW

22nd century Ariel Atom mixes carbon construction with hardy Audi turbo’d 2.0 four VERDICT Big money, big grins, but single-seat BAC Mono gives more race car-like experience

LAMBORGHINI HURACAN

Way more accomplished Gallardo successor, twinned with new R8. Dual-clutch gearbox mandatory, 602bhp V10 flicks Vs at turbos VERDICT Beats 488 for aural and visual thrills but nothing else. So we’ll have the Spyder

AVENTADOR S

Aventador hits the sweet spot: old enough to sort the gripes from new and young enough to not yet be the subject of 31 run-out limited editions. Semi life-a«irming VERDICT Pose to talent ratio heading in right direction

AVENTADOR SV

The F12 may be better in every respect, but this is what a supercar should look like. Limitedrun Aventador SV closes that gap with shocking power and agility VERDICT SV is the one to have. Sub-7min ’Ring lap makes the hybrid hypercar crew look stupidly expensive

LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SPORT

‘Educated, professional luxury SUV desperately seeking decent diesel engine.’ Ingenium replied. Happy ever after? VERDICT Comfy silence a promising start. We’ll know it’s love when they get the interior decorators in

DISCOVERY

Gen-5 Disco can climb mountains and social strata with equal equanimity; this is Land Rover in the 21st century. Worryingly close to Range Rover, slightly frustrating engine choice

VERDICT The best seven-seat party wagon money can buy

RANGE ROVER EVOQUE

Posh mum’s SUV, now also a convertible, solving the interior’s claustrophobia-triggering tendencies. Ingenium engines commendably hushed VERDICT Pricey, but perfectly pitched

CT IS RANGE ROVER VELAR

Sport-lite or Evoque-plus? Either way, Land Rover’s centrally placed SUV is handsome, capable, well finished and worthy of its name VERDICT The new benchmark Range Rover

RANGE ROVER SPORT

As luxurious as a Rangie, as practical as a Disco, better looking than an Evoque and could follow a Defender cross country. Add in impressive handling and ballistic SVR and diesel versions VERDICT Nobody likes a show-o«

RANGE ROVER

A benchmark in luxury SUVs. V6 diesel perfectly acceptable, supercharged V8 petrol hilarious VERDICT The perfect car for smuggling cash to Switzerland, skiing, turning up at a ball, game shooting and being smug

LEXUS

Pig-ugly premium Prius a mix of decent handling, woeful performance and a ride so poor it makes a black cab feel like an S-Class VERDICT Wouldn’t merit a single sale if company car tax bills were less CO2-focused

Sharp-suited, well-specced 3-series rival finally gets decent rear space. Good chassis, but 250 V6 irrelevant, and frugal hybrid hobbled by nasty CVT VERDICT So close. Give this a proper auto ’box and it would be right up there

GS GSF

Twin-pronged petrol hybrid cooking range now spiced up by GSF 5.0 V8. Lack of turbos admirable but like hunting M5 bear with a peashooter VERDICT 300h makes company car sense, wilfully di«erent GSF good fun

LS

Monstrously expensive, very refined VERDICT Built for those in the back, while the S-Class makes every seat count

NX

Trumps Audi Q5 with a fabulous interior and arrest-me (for persecuting curves) exterior design. Fwd or 4wd with electric motor at rear VERDICT Doesn’t work as a driver’s car, so take the NX300h hybrid over faster, costlier NX200t

RX

Looks like Lord Vader’s helmet with wheels on, but interior opulence and general tranquillity make up for idiosyncratic infotainment issues VERDICT Build quality and refinement to save the galaxy, even if the hybrid tech won’t

RC RCF

RCF’s old-school unblown V8 completes charismatic package that shocked M4 in our Giant Test. Elegance of regular range can’t overcome lack of diesel option VERDICT Deserve more success than they’ll likely get

LC500

A serious sports car from the most serious of car makers gets clever hybrid or tasty V8, 10-speed automatic and less bovine acoustics. It’s even quite sexy VERDICT It’s no longer the Japanese Mercedes

LOTUS ELISE

Reminds just how connected cars used to be. Slothful base 1.6 reminds how they used to go, too, so pick 1.8. Alfa 4C is a pricey, pale imitation VERDICT Still sensational, but a 10-year-old example does the same job for half the price

EXIGE

Gym-bunny Elise with supercharged V6 retains beautifully connected unassisted steering. Superb new 350 Sport turns up the wick VERDICT The Lotus our tyre-frying Ben Barry would buy. Make of that what you will

EVORA 400

Thoroughly refreshed Evora loses its looks but gains easier access and thumping supercharged 400bhp VERDICT The chassis and steering are Lotus at its sparkling best. Sublime, but you’ll still buy a Cayman

McLAREN 540C

The world’s first decontented supercar is still worth donating a ball to put on your driveway. Entry-level doesn’t get any better VERDICTThe work of a very focused company somewhere near the top of its game

570S 570GT

Base McLaren ditches carbon body and super-trick suspension, but keeps carbon MonoCell and twin-turbo 3.8-litre V8. Now available with glass hatchback, too VERDICT S and GT performance near identical; both make 911 Turbo S feel too normal

720S

Big Mac’s 650S replacement turns the wick up and is measurably better in every way than a 488. Maranello won’t be pleased VERDICT Obscenely fast and engaging – we just wish it was louder

675LT

Upgraded 650S with 666bhp, stiŠer suspension, faster gearshifts, quicker steering and 100kg less weight. Whatever deal Woking’s done with the devil, it’s worked VERDICT VERDICT This the McLaren you’ve been looking for

P1

£1m hybrid hypercar with aero straight from McLaren’s F1 brains. All sold, and if you haven’t got one you can’t have track-only GTR either VERDICT Astounding, but LaFerrari feels more special (as it should for £400k more)

MASERATI GHIBLI

The small exec you wish you owned still drives great, still looks the business, still doesn’t have the four-cylinder diesel that will get it on your shopping list. A shame VERDICT An alcohol-free Quattroporte

QUATTROPORTE GTS

Because Ferrari doesn’t ‘do’ saloons you can have a brilliant blend of Maranello turbo V8 wrapped in some gracefully ageing Maserati bits. Remains the coolest four-door car money can buy VERDICT It won’t let you in unless you’re in a suit or chinos

GRAN TURISMO GRAN CABRIO

Four genuine seats a rarity in this class, but fill them and you’ll regret choosing the weedy 4.2 over the 4.7 at the first sniŠ of a hill VERDICT Podgy, pretty, practical GT for folk who hate four-door faux coupes. And luggage

GT MC STRADALE

Defies hulking 1770kg mass (and that’s after a 110kg diet) and modest 444bhp to deliver an engaging driving experience. Epic noise VERDICT Massively underrated. A GT3 for an Italian lothario with a ’Ring season pass

LEVANTE

Maserati’s long-awaited SUV is better than the Ghibli. And the UK is getting petrol, after initially being threatened with diesel-only line-up VERDICT Far from flawless but it’ll show you a good time

MAZDA 2

Shot-in-the-arm supermini packs good value, handling and looks, leaving sweat marks on the shirts of the VW Polo marketing team VERDICT Under-radar Fiesta threatener gatecrashes the top table

3 HATCH SALOON ESTATE

Another Mazda that’s great to drive and cheap to run. You like shifting gears? You’ll love the 118bhp unblown 1.5. If not, go diesel VERDICT Don’t buy a family hatchback until you’ve tried one. Oh, a Golf? Apart from that

6 SALOON TOURER

Boss won’t let you have a BMW 3-series? This makes an impressive alternative. Handles well but rides like the tyres have DTs VERDICT Swoopily styled, tax friendly, entertaining alternative to po-faced VW Passat

CX 3

Late arrival to the compact crossover party, but worth a look thanks to smart cabin and crisp, engaging drive. Pity about the firm ride VERDICT Pricey, but better than most and well equipped. Ideal MX-5 social life support truck

CX 5

How an SUV should drive. Better than ever, still unfairly ignored over inferior rivals VERDICT It’s the closest you’ll ever get to a five-seat MX-5

MX 5

Shorter than the ’89 original, and in real terms half the price. 1.5 sweet but a little slow; 158bhp 2.0 quicker but charismatically challenged VERDICT Brilliantly uncomplicated budget sports car. Dink the GTI for this

MX 5 RF

When a folding fabric roof above your head is just too common to contemplate, pay more for the heavier and more complicated RF and never fold the bloody roof down anyway VERDICT Right car in the wrong spec

MERCEDES A CLASS

Midlife refresh has softened the A-Class, but it’s still a little tasteless VERDICT Expensive and cramped – A3 and 1-series do it better

A45 AMG

Mad turbo four-pot now makes 367bhp and 350lb ft. Goes like a banker who knows the game is up; almost as expensive VERDICT Option the Dynamic Plus pack with LSD as well

B CLASS

Posh MPV big brother to the A-Class misses out on the looks and the charisma, but is far more homely and just as technically savvy VERDICT So boring the BMW 2-series Active Tourer actually begins to make sense CLA SALOON SHOOTING BRAKE CLS clone based on the A-Class, now with swoopy Shooting Brake estate. Lacks gravitas of former and sex appeal of latter VERDICT Just because you can make something smaller doesn’t mean you should

C CLASS SALOON ESTATE

Latest C impresses with mini-S-Class looks and almost all the same on-board tech. Denies muttering it wishes the 3-series would drop dead VERDICT BMW still better to drive, but if you want a relaxing techno cocoon, this is it

C CLASS COUPE

All-new sexpot version of latest C-Class (no shrinking violet itself) now 10cm longer and available with air suspension. Still tight in the back VERDICT Much more of an event than the 4-series, but new A5 right back in the game

C63 AMG

Sounds madder than ever despite switch to bi-turbo 4.0 V8; coupe gets unique 12-link rear suspension for sharper responses VERDICT Saloon, estate or coupe, you get mega traction and one of the best turbo engines ever

E CLASS SALOON ESTATE

It may look like a fat C-Class but this techno tour-de-force thinks it can drive better than you. Exceptional interior out-luxes all comers VERDICT New 4-cyl diesel so smooth it churns motorway miles into butter

E CLASS COUPE

Swish, clever and satisfyingly capable, as long as there’s six cylinders up front. Like coupes used to be before everyone decided they needed to be ‘Ring-meisters VERDICT Middle age has never been so appealing

AMG E63

Only AMG would oŠer the E63 with an all-wheel-drive system that you can switch oŠ in Drift Mode. Which is exactly why you should buy one, and possibly open an account at Kwik Fit VERDICT Go S or go home

CLS SHOOTING BRAKE

The word ‘coupaloon’ is banned from these pages. Which is fine, because we’re all slightly in love with the glamorous Shooting Brake VERDICT Second-gen version of the original four-door coupe continues to lead the pack

S CLASS

Enormously technically accomplished, with camera-guided ride quality and stacks of safety kit. Maybach and Pullman variants immensely flash VERDICT Makes 7-series/A8 seem like toys. Captains of industry should insist on it

S CLASS COUPE CABRIOLET

Over 5m of barking mad indulgence; Coupe carries it oŠ like Errol Flynn on a bender but, like a model-turned-MP, will regret going topless VERDICT Howard Hughes would approve, but he went crazy in the end

S63 S65 AMG

Twin-turbo 577bhp V8 and 621bhp V12 S-Class variants, because being richer than the world isn’t enough and you need to out-drag it, too VERDICT S63 V8 is bonkers, S65 V12 utterly certifiable. Does your chauŠeur deserve it?

GLA

Confused A-Class on stilts with lifestyle pretensions and unnecessary surplus of interior air vents. GLA45 AMG is entertaining but simply unnecessary VERDICT An A-Class for the bewildered. Maybe you thought you were ordering a GLC?

GLC

GLK replacement project, now available in right-hand drive. Sounds like you shouldn’t care, but the interior might just make you moist VERDICT Rivals are cheaper, better to drive – GLC makes you feel special inside

G CLASS

Cold War relic that’s so solidly built it could ram raid a bank vault. Obscene special editions a growing – literally – Mercedes obsession VERDICT You shouldn’t want one, but… Will outlast any Defender. And possibly the planet

GLE GLE COUPE

Rebadged M-Class is heavy, ponderous and depressingly cheap inside. Plug-in hybrid plays the tech card, new Coupe an alternative to X6 VERDICT As you were: it’s perfectly adequate in a class dominated by the outstanding

GLS

Luxo-monster seven-seater lacks Range Rover panache but it’s comfy and refined, and the infotainment doesn’t come from Poundland VERDICT Active anti-roll essential, but otherwise it’s a brilliant bus

SLC

Buy the SLC43 AMG and it’s like an uglier but cheaper F-Type with a nicer interior. Buy any other SLC and you’ve lost your mind VERDICT Come back 718 Boxster, all is forgiven

SL

The plastic surgeon was worth every penny: post-facelift SL is far more MILF than Morph. Turning up the sporty makes the most of the super stiŠ structure, too VERDICT Think twice about that Ferrari California. No, seriously

AMG GT

SLS replacement is smaller (just), cheaper (considerably) and blessed with a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 VERDICT It’s got the muscle but maybe not the finesse

AMG GT C ROADSTER

Roadster delivers extra buzz without massive compromise, at massive expense VERDICT Current GT sweet spot, for five minutes at least

MG MG3

Tough-looking, spacious supermini has handling that lives up to the promise of that badge. As does the woeful build, crap engine and concrete ride VERDICT The Chinese are coming! But so far they’ve only got to Tajikistan

GS

Spacious, duck-faced SUV hamstrung by coarse 1.5 turbo petrol, shonky gearboxes and shoddy interior. Handles okay, if you can hack the firm ride VERDICT Cheap, but not suŠiciently so. Dacia will sleep well tonight

ZS

Was called the ZS, then XS, then ZS again. Also looks a lot like a Chinese knock-oŠ of a Mazda CX-3 and has the knock-oŠ driving dynamics, build quality and price to match VERDICT It’s quite an achievement to come stone dead last in the most competitive car sector out there

MINI HATCH CONVERTIBLE

Bigger and less charming, but lovely engines are smooth and peppy, while ride has improved without ruining handling. Five-door in danger of being practical VERDICT Better than ever to own, even if you love it a little less

COOPER S JCW

Upsized BMW 2.0-litre four-pot-powered 228bhp JCW most powerful Mini ever. Terrific turbo’d fun, if a tad overwrought and synthetic VERDICT Beware the cost of the options list

CLUBMAN

Replace circus-freakery of old one with full complement of portals, add longer wheelbase, bigger boot; now bake VERDICT Loaf-alike maxi-Mini freshness, the grown-ups’ choice

COUNTRYMAN PACEMAN

Countryman has been replaced for 2017, but the three-door Paceman is still spun oŠ the old, far inferior, Countryman VERDICT Vastly improved Countryman now a strong SUV

MITSUBISHI MIRAGE

Facelift can’t hide the Mirage’s catastrophic lack of style or charm. As well suited to the small car segment as a Sopwith Camel is to executive short-haul flights VERDICT Want your kids to stay oŠ the roads? Buy them one

ASX

Box-ticking small SUV feels like it was designed on a spreadsheet. At least it’s relatively cheap and well kitted VERDICT Best bought on the internet

ECLIPSE CROSS

The last of the old Mitsubishis or the first of the new Renault-Nissan ones? OŠ-road ability says former, but cushy ride and renewed interior quality says latter VERDICT Petrol-CVT combo sounds wrong but it’s civilised and looks sharp

SHOGUN

Great-value old-school workhorse for those whose workplace is covered in mud, oil or bomb craters. Big, noisy diesel, chunky underpinnings and reliable, with hose-down cabin VERDICT If you don’t think you need this car, you don’t need this car

OUTLANDER

Midlife overhaul brings sleeker looks and lifts cabin ambience by miles. Diesel still a bit of a tractor but PHEV comfy and refined VERDICT The UK’s best-selling plug-in hybrid finally makes sense

MORGAN 3 WHEELER

As comfortable as riding over Niagara Falls in a barrel and equally sane. Not as quick as it feels, but quick enough for a three-wheeler on bike tyres VERDICT Brilliant Caterham alternative without the macho trackday posturing

AERO

Droptop was first of the new-era Morgans and goes it alone since Aero Supersports, Coupe and SquiŠy Perkins bought it at the Somme VERDICT Two worlds collide. And with 367bhp they may not be the only ones doing the colliding PLUS 4 FOUR FOUR ROADSTER

Entry-level Mog still with ‘traditional’ ash frame and ‘traditional’ (ie, awful) dynamics. Four-seat 4/4 is surprise eco champ: 44mpg VERDICT Cheap, considering the craftsmanship, even at £33k, but if you want an old car, buy an old car

PLUS 8

Don’t be fooled by tally-ho styling, 8 is built on ‘modern’ bonded and riveted Aero chassis. Fidgety like a child with worms VERDICT Classic Morgan style, modern BMW V8 poke, manners like a five-term borstal veteran

NISSAN MICRA

So much better than the old car, the current Micra is on Wikipedia right now deleting all mention of its predecessor. Proves that a car designed by Europeans will appeal to Europeans, amazingly VERDICT Bigger and better, and now providing a serious alternative to the latest Ford Fiesta

JUKE

Mould-breaking compact crossover; you think it would look like that if the mould hadn’t broken? Cheap interior and so-so dynamics belie the hype VERDICT Does it still count as ‘di›erent’ if everybody’s got one?

NOTE

Like a Honda Jazz with middle-age spread, this is a small, practical MPV-hatch with limited aspirations to greatness VERDICT An automotive cardigan: deeply uncool but good at what it does

LEAF

Less gawky then the pioneering first generation and promises better range to boot. Shame about the dull and unintuitive interior VERDICT Version 2.0 of people’s EV now far more… normal

PULSAR

So dull it can only be explained by a conspiracy theory claiming it owes its entire existence to a long-range Qashqai sales-boost strategy VERDICT Buy a Focus. Or a Golf. Or a Ceed. Or an Auris. Okay, maybe not an Auris…

QASHQAI

Crossover for the masses gets more luxury and a facelift VERDICT It’s no Volvo XC but still has huge family appeal

X TRAIL

The X-Trail used to be a rough, tough o›roader designed on an Etch-a-Sketch. Now it’s a Qashqai put through a photocopier at +10% VERDICT It still ain’t exciting. But it’s probably going to sell a lot better

GT R

Now with a slightly thicker veneer of luxury (and another 20bhp) – but still basically a hardcase moments from rage VERDICT Drivetrain sounds like a drum kit falling down the stairs; leaves your brain feeling much the same

PAGANI HYUARA

Spectacular cottage industry supercar with active aero, AMG-built 720bhp twin-turbo V12 and an interior more decadent than a Roman orgy VERDICT Want one but they’re all sold

PEUGEOT 108

Pug-faced city car. Go for 82bhp 1.2: the 68bhp 1.0 is so slow we were all monkeys when it set o› and it still hasn’t hit 60mph VERDICT Reasonable no-frills city car but boot and rear space tight. Skoda Citigo is better

208

Refresh more than just a prettier face as dynamic update adds handling chops to 208’s interior chic VERDICT Pug’s recovered that VaVaVoom from the back of the sofa. No, wait – that’s the other lot

308 HATCHSW ESTATE

Hushed 308 at its best when eating motorway miles, or when you’re watching it out of the window of your Golf. Fiddly touchscreen VERDICT Hatch isn’t up to scratch, but roomier SW wagon is worth a look

308 GTi

Discreet styling hides playful proclivities; LSD keeps things tight up front while fantastic chassis delivers lively rear VERDICT 250 and 270 variants both great, but 270 gets more kit

508 SALOONESTATE

Little-seen XL Pug with unconvincing cod German accent. HYbrid4 gets 4wd via 37bhp ’leccy motor on rear wheels VERDICT RXH is poor man’s Audi Allroad. Rest of range is padding on your company car list

PARTNER TEPEE

Spacious, versatile Tepee so useful it could almost be a van. Funny, that. More practical than a regular MPV, drives okay VERDICT Make your own clothes? Live in a yurt? This is the car/van for you

2008

Welly-wearing 208 gets a facelift which hits on the idea of actually resembling an SUV, and at a stroke makes a decent car more credible

VERDICT Not so much leaping on the SUV bandwagon as hitching a ride… but it’s an attractive hitchhiker

3008

Tell friends you’ve bought one and they’ll laugh until they see it. Sharp to look at, surprisingly good fun to drive and not too weird VERDICT Just make it clear you’ve not bought the old one

5008

Edgy design inside and out hides genuine practicality and, in the 5008, seven seats. Rejoice as Peugeot demonstrates it really has got its act together VERDICT Annoy the Germans and buy French

PORSCHE 718 BOXSTER

The turbo revolution continues as Boxster bins the six for a brace of faster forced-induction fours. Updated face now flatter than Brian Harvey’s VERDICT Whole lotta lag; chassis still a stairway to heaven

718 CAYMAN

E›iciency march means sublime outgoing model ditches choral flat-six for punchy but industrial turbo four. Gets uglier in the process, still handles like you wish all cars would

VERDICT Better by the numbers but... know any nice 981s for sale?

CAYMAN GT4

Junior GT3 is first Cayman to get more power than current 911: 380bhp, manual ’box, LSD and a grin wider than a Glasgow smile VERDICT Porsche finally admits that the Cayman and not the 911 is its real sports coupe

911

991.2 may not look much di›erent but under the skin lurks a whole new range of turbocharged engines. The most grown-up 911 yet VERDICT Rear-engined appeal lives on. Proper Turbo now utterly ferocious, Turbo S unhinged

PORSCHE 911 GT2 RS

As close to a racing-spec 911 you can get and still deserves its Widowmaker nickname; raw, blisteringly quick and sounds truly evil VERDICT Is it REALLY worth £100k more than the GT3?

911 GT3

Yes, another brilliant 911, but you didn’t really think Porsche would get this one wrong, did you? Optional manual ‘box makes car nerds everywhere weak at the knees VERDICT More accessible, more fun and more GT3-ish

911R

The 911 that Porsche secretly wants the 911 still to be. It’s an anti-991.2: a non-turbo 4.0 bruiser in retro disguise, with 493bhp and manual ’box VERDICT Supple, poised, supreme fun. But we’d still have a Cayman GT4

918

Epic 4wd hybrid can waste GTis with 6sec 0-62mph electric mode, then slay Lambos by adding 600bhp V8. Superb electric steering, too VERDICT Almost overshadowed in the P1-LaFerrari posturing war, but easily as good

MACAN

Baby Cayenne is even better than dad – and better than the rival Evoque too. Base car with Golf GTI 2.0 makes no sense when S and S Diesel are pennies more VERDICT GT3 RS for trackdays, Cayman GT4 for weekends, this for everything else. Sorted

CAYENNE

Porsche’s cash-cow is masterclass in how to make a big SUV handle and slick Panameraderived interior is great place to sit and be. Turbo brutally fast, too, but whole thing feels anally retentive VERDICT Impressively capable but Macan more engaging

PANAMERA

>The Mk1 was just throat-clearing; this Mk2 is the opera. Drips with tech, innovation and better dynamics – and it looks perfect >VERDICT A lesson in making nonsensical niches make perfect sense

RADICAL SR3 SL

Properly type-approved (street legal) SR3 gets a 300bhp blown Ford 2.0 instead of a motorcycle engine, a heater and even a 12v socket. It’s almost lavish VERDICT Toned down for occasional road use but still hairier than a cave man with hypertrichosis

RXC TURBO

Play out those Le Mans fantasies on the commute with this Peterborough-built Polaris. Sequential gearbox welcome in town like an EDL demo VERDICT When you’ve outgrown your Caterhams and 911 GT3s, here’s the answer

RENAULT TWIZY

Part electric scooter, part social experiment, it’s easy to love the doorless Twizy, especially on balmy evenings along La Croisette. Grimy days in Doncaster a tougher ask VERDICT Transportation of the future, if it’s never wet in the future and you like chatting at trašic lights

ZOE 40

Splendid Zoe solves range anxiety by clever new battery with more power, potentially induces wealth anxiety instead with £4000 price premium. Unless you’re smart and lease it of course VERDICT At least you can guarantee the emissions are genuine

TWINGO

Rear-engined rwd runabout isn’t as nippy as it sounds, but is roomy, with clever smartphone connectivity. More cheeky than sister Smart, and cheaper VERDICT Lower-power version with ’80s F1 Turbo paintjob the way to go

CLIO

>Welcome return to form for the five-door Clio with even boggo ones looking handsome, a well sorted cabin and sprightly driving qualities. Three-cylinder turbo petrol a (slowish) hoot

VERDICT Fiesta more fun, Clio more stylish

CLIO RS

Remember when Clio RS was king of the hill? No? Probably for the best, because even new, more powerful RS Trophy can’t ošset awful auto gearbox VERDICT Brings its own Trophy but still doesn’t win. Rumoured RS Wooden Spoon version is pure speculation

CAPTUR

It’s a Clio on stilts – but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. No 4x4 pretensions means focus is on personalisation. Good engines. It’s no Juke to drive VERDICT Technicolor clown car if you’re not careful with the spec, otherwise okay

MEGANE

All-new French Golf looks like a foie-grased Clio outside and a low-rent Tesla inside. Is thus an instant improvement over the old one VERDICT Renault Sport-fettled GT with rearwheel steering a keen drive, too. Sacré bleu!

MEGANE RS

Sport is a credible hot hatch all-rounder but it doesn’t thrill like the pokier Cup. Go for a manual Cup version and you have a properly sorted Civic Type R rival VERDICT Hurrah! They haven’t ruined it like they ruined the Clio RS.

SCENIC

Fourth-generation compact MPV trades the practicality that made your wife want one for an exterior sharp enough that you’ll consider having more kids, although the stiš ride could see you arrive too early VERDICT Console your manhood with the fact that 20s are standard

KADJAR

Nissan may rue the day it left the parts store door ‘Kadjar’, as Renault’s take on the Qashqai bests the original in every way VERDICT Aggressive pricing, smooth ride, great refinement, squishy seats

KOLEOS

A five-seat-only X-Trail that took a gap year living at a French vineyard and has come back with an accent, more stylish clothes and an avant-garde view on life. Façade doesn’t hide its Nissan roots VERDICT Neither great nor rubbish – c’est bof

ROLLS ROYCE GHOST

A Phantom for millionaires not billionaires VERDICT Perfectly built, highly individual

WRAITH

A 624bhp twin-turbo V12 sporting vehicle that drives like no other. Dismisses distance but would never lower itself to squealing through bends VERDICT Whisper it, but Rolls has produced an amazing driver’s car ROLLS ROYCE PHANTOM Enough opulence to make Blenheim Palace look like an abandoned warehouse yet just the right amount of tech and personalisation to keep start-up tech billionaires happy VERDICT By far the world’s best luxury car

DAWN

Wraith with the roof cut oš – although actually 80% of the exterior panels are new. Best-looking Roller, it rides like a liner and costs more than a VW software decision VERDICT Nothing between the stars and the stars

SEAT MII

Tedious-looking city-box is far less funky than Renault’s Twingo but roomier and good to drive. You don’t look at the mantelpiece, and all that

VERDICT VW Up is more desirable, pretty Skoda Citigo is cheaper. Siesta time in Seat’s prod dept?

IBIZA

Angular Spanish supermini nabs A0 platform before VW, thoroughly grows up in the process. FR versions irritatingly don’t look that sporty any more VERDICT Ibiza by name, but no longer by nature

IBIZA CUPRA

Update to 189bhp 1.8 turbo with manual ’box makes this a brilliant budget blast. Great interior, finessed details, tempting choice VERDICT Fiesta ST for thrills, this for everything else

TOLEDO

OAP special whose sole interesting feature is that while it looks like a boring saloon, it’s actually a boring hatch! Massive interior VERDICT This and identical Skoda Rapid duke it out for UK’s dullest car. Czech please!

LEON HATCHESTATE

Mid-life evolution for Leon means new engines and tech, plus non-surgical facelift. Will still be shunned for a Golf VERDICT Eminently likeable, just by too few buyers

LEON CUPRA

Much to the amusement of tyre manufacturers everywhere, the front-wheel-drive Leon Cupra now has 297bhp. GTI who? VERDICT Ballistic, and best bought with a manual transmission

ATECA

Spanish latecomer to the SUV party gets the dress code right, isn’t the life and soul but neither will it bore you into leaving early. Another sangria please! VERDICT SE, petrol, Manuel (‘I am from Barcelona!’)

ALHAMBRA

Subtlest of subtle facelifts belies 15% ešiciency improvement. Still a big box with slidey doors and seven proper seats; put your family first for a change VERDICT Genetically identical to the VW Sharan, but nearly £2k less

SKODA CITIGO

Skoda’s all but identical version of the VW Up and Seat Mii. Pick your badge – they’re all well packaged but too noisy and slow VERDICT Cheaper than the Up, but not by much. Hyundai i10 also worth a look. Yes, actual advice!

FABIA HATCHESTATE

Very mature little supermini with bodywork creases a Corby trouser press would be proud of. Estate version ideal for Jack Russells VERDICT Roomy, well made and unexciting – like a low-rent VW Polo. Which is what it is

RAPID HATCHSPACEBACK

Long, narrow notchback hatchback. Big boot. Spaceback is shorter, more ‘stylish’, still dross VERDICT Unless you’ve got a lot of potatoes and no other way to carry them, just don’t

OCTAVIA HATCHESTATE

Basically the same as a Golf and A3, but bigger, cheaper and more functional. Hot vRS versions old-school ballistic fun. 4x4s practical VERDICT It’s a lot of car for the money

SUPERB SALOONESTATE

So vast inside it echoes. Sharp lines, stacks of kit, double the number of umbrellas. Shame about dull interior and stiš price VERDICT All the family car you’ll ever need. Only bigger

SKODA KAROQ

>A miniature Kodiaq: practical, sharply-styled and comfy in a good value package. Shame it’s not as likeable as its predecessor VERDICT RIP Yeti

KODIAQ

Commendably vast SUV takes the Octavia’s approach by bulking out on a shared platform, but unfortunately doesn’t share its dazzling personality VERDICT The most comfortable place to die a little inside

SMART FORTWO

Wider than the last one, with a much better ride, higher quality cabin and slicker auto VERDICT A brilliant city runabout

FORFOUR

Renault/Merc tie-up means ForFour is accomplished with a classy cabin, although ludicrous pricing seem at odds with budget city car buyers VERDICT Its sister car, the Renault Twingo, is more than two grand cheaper. Work that out

SSANGYONG KORANDO

Borderline rubbish to drive but more practical than the Teflon-coated trousers you’re probably wearing if you’re giving it serious consideration

VERDICT Huge, handy and hellish value, but we’d have a pre-reg Nissan Qashqai or Mazda CX-5 any day

REXTON

SY’s poshest SUV yet, which admittedly isn’t saying a huge amount. Think old Discovery and you’re not actually that far oš VERDICT Far less rubbish than the last one

TURISMO

Less odious than the old Rodius, but every bit as practical, this giant seven-seater is slower than the Crossrail boring machine VERDICT Has minicab written all over it, or soon will, which will handily help disguise the ugliness

TIVOLI

There’s no getting away from it: Korea’s also-ran car maker has built a contender. Great value, spacious and – shock – well-finished inside VERDICT Dross heritage now under threat

SUBARU IMPREZA

Yes, it still exists beyond WRX and STi. No, you don’t want one. Boggo Impreza reduced to a 1.6 petrol hatchback only with optional CVT. Shudder VERDICT Have you got a brand new combine harvester? It’s probably a better drive than this

WRXSTI

Sorry WRX, I’m breaking up with you. It’s not you, it’s me. No, it is you, it’s definitely you and your crashy ride, nasty dash and inflexible engine VERDICT Brilliant, on its day, in its day. But that was yesterday, so let’s call it a day

LEVORG

Impreza estate with a silly name. Single choice of 1.6 petrol with CVT auto and 4wd means it’s got a silly drivetrain too VERDICT Levorg is grovel backwards; dealers may need to. Niche, as is all too common with Subaru

XV

We admire the engineering that goes into the XV but you have to pay through the nose for it and you’re limited to a petrol, all-wheel-drive and CVT powertrain VERDICT Another very niche Subaru

FORESTER

Appealingly functional square-rigger is the kind of crossover that existed before we had ‘lifestyles’. Good on road, great oš it, but not cheap VERDICT A solid old-school Subaru, honest and charming. Tweed cap, pipe, sheep flock optional

OUTBACK

The unloved Legacy’s only UK legacy is this Allroad-style crossover. It’s huge inside and the 4x4 look isn’t all for show VERDICT Dependable, not desirable

BRZ

>Gloriously simple but under-nourished reardrive boxer coupe, crying out for a supercharger. Toyota GT86 twin marginally more fun

VERDICT Loveable car we wanted them to make but you don’t want to buy

SUZUKI CELERIO

Braking-phobic city car otherwise spacious, full of kit and cheap. Three-cylinder petrol only plus all the handling vim of a B&Q Value wheelbarrow VERDICT Dowdy and rowdy. Be glad you’ve got DAB and a cupholder

SWIFT

An unsung hero, and not just the excellent 134bhp Sport. Handles well, spacious and cheap. Upgraded Dualjet motor sweet VERDICT Buy one and challenge anyone who questions your choice to a fistfight

SX4 S CROSS

The cheap way to clone a Qashqai. Won’t score any points for style, in fact you might hide it at the back of the school car park. Diesel is the best bet VERDICT A crossover to be cross over

JIMNY

A box with four-wheel-drive bolted onto the bottom, and a 1.3-petrol engine hanging out front. There are seats too VERDICT Simple

VITARA

Two-tone cross-dresser to rival the Juke, with a handsome body and usefully economical diesel engine. Cabin could do with some work, though VERDICT Rutting rhinos and pink paint are a thing of the past: it’s a serious family car now

TESLA TESLA MODEL S

Electro-rocket gets a new face and in P100D guise kidney-thumping amounts of acceleration. The future, with a cabin from the recent past VERDICT Crush supercars, emit nothing

TESLA MODEL X

You can scare the bejeezus out of your six passengers by reaching 62mph from zero in 3.1 seconds. Ešective, albeit in one dimension VERDICT Musky

TOYOTA AYGO

Cramped city car with a characterful three-pot motor is as cheap to run as it feels. See also Citroën C1, Pug 108 – basically the same car, with details and dealers the only dišerences

VERDICT As ‘Up’hill struggles go, battling VW with this is like climbing north face of the Aygo

TOYOTA YARISGRMN

Standard hatch is soulless, while clever but costly hybrid slashes fuel bills (and boot space). Feisty GRMN limited edition is fun in a raw kind of way but ludicrously expensive – and sold out in any case VERDICT GRMN is the only one that makes any kind of sense

AURIS

Most Aurises sold are hybrids, mainly because the rest of the range is pants VERDICT Only

worth picking as company wheels if you have a Starbucks-like aversion to paying tax

PRIUS

Prius v4.0 boasts entirely new structure, improved suspension, and is no longer totally joyless to drive VERDICT A Toyota hybrid that handles. Electric-only range still pathetic

MIRAI

Weird on the outside, Star Trek on the inside and a hydrogen fuel-cell underneath. Drives just like a very refined regular car VERDICT We’re convinced by the tech, but there’s nowhere to refuel it yet

AVENSIS SALOONTOURER

Does little well – despite using diesel engines from BMW. Tourer marginally more stylish than saloon VERDICT White goods

VERSO

Safe, stodgy seven-seater with snore-worthy chassis and a big-selling 1.6 diesel that feels like half its horses are asleep too VERDICT Inferior to Ford C-Max and Citroën Picasso

CHR

Compact crossover that’s stylish outside, huge fun and kooky inside too VERDICT Buy one and Toyota will never make another dull car. Possibly

RAV4

Was a soft-roader pioneer back in ’94 but has settled for flu–y slippers in its old age. Trump card is boot big enough for a casino table VERDICT Roomy, reasonable, unremarkable. More dynamic SUVs deserve your dosh

LAND CRUISERV8

Both bare-knuckle ladder-frame brawlers that wouldn’t know a latte if you spilt it on their rigger’s boots VERDICT Rough, but if we were stranded in the desert we’d trust it over a Rangie

GT86

The slowest fast car you can buy is slightly better than before thanks to new aero, revised suspension and better cloth trim. B-road heaven VERDICT As pure as Jon Snow. Both of them

VAUXHALL VIVA

It may look like it was dropped before it had set, but it’s comfy, roomy and refined for a city car, and comes with plenty of standard kit VERDICT More generous than it may appear at first glance. We’d still buy an Up, though

ADAMADAM ROCKS

Obese Fiat 500 wannabe with huge options list and comedy naming shtick. Adam S warm hatch worth a thought; Rocks crossover flaccid VERDICT Revitalised by new 1.0-litre turbo triple. Buy a paper bag and try it

CORSA

Made-over Corsa looks like a candidate for When Plastic Surgery Goes Bad, but it is more refined and better to drive. 1.0T a good motor VERDICT Vauxhall keeps trying, but Fiesta still cheerfully waving from way out in front

CORSA VXR

Luton’s hooligan now smoother round the edges. Unless you pay extra for the slippy di– and hardcore suspension VERDICT Better but still not best. Lacks Ford Fiesta ST’s sparkle

ASTRA HATCHESTATE

Massive step forward in terms of driving dynamics and interior design, plus added techno-charm VERDICT In hatchback grandmother’s footsteps, Focus and Golf turn round to find Astra standing right behind them

ASTRA GTCVXR

3dr stylish enough to stand comparison to Scirocco. VXR fearsomely fast but moody VERDICT The sexiest Vauxhall. Let’s hope replacement doesn’t lose its mojo

CASCADA

Brave attempt to take on German compact cabriolets, but chassis has less integrity than Sepp Blatter. Good value if you don’t mind the image (What image? Exactly!) VERDICT Marty McFly wouldn’t. Doc Emmett Brown just might

INSIGNIA GRAND SPORT

Lack of inspiration makes it too close to how you’d hope an Insignia isn’t VERDICT Fine if you’re given one

CROSSLAND X

Practical Meriva replacement sits beside the Mokka X for size. Designed to be the more pragmatic choice VERDICT Genuinely practical if as dull as Luton’s skyline to drive

GRANDLAND X

It’s a Pug 3008 in disguise, but di–erent enough to appeal in its own right. Not exciting, but a very good family crossover VERDICT Up there with the Astra as Vauxhall’s top car

ZAFIRA TOURER

Large MPV with slick seating arrangement. Struggles in the face of S-Max greatness VERDICT Accomplished but out-flanked by crossovers’ rise to dominance

MOKKA X

Facelift filed under ‘about f***ing time too’, Mokka gets a better cabin, some new engines and pointless su–ix. Driving misery reduced by half VERDICT X marks the spot where the ball was – about five years ago

VXR8

577bhp Aussie import that’s £20k cheaper than a BMW M5. Optional automatic gearbox’s bid to add sophistication is akin to serving lager in cut crystal glasses. But who gives a 4X? VERDICT Big, brutish charm

MALOO

Never before have so many stereotypes been incorporated into a single vehicle. Spectacularly fast, absurd, useless, Australian and brilliant all at the same time VERDICT The fastest way to stick it to the taxman

VOLKSWAGEN UP

Box on wheels is the kind of city car the Japanese have been building for years, except this is much better quality and has a VW badge

VERDICT Not a revolution but a spacious small car with a strong, appealing image

UP GTI

Pokey engine, near go-kart level dynamics and great value for money all play second fiddle to the simple fun this little tyke provides by the skipload VERDICT A compelling mini hot hatch package

POLO

Mini-Golf isn’t that mini any more. It’s practical, has a sharp interior and well built… but so’s the Seat Ibiza VERDICT Accomplished but lacking the fun factor

POLO GTI

Baby GTI right down to the tartan seats. Responsive engine, sorted chassis, OTT electronic aids. Wait for the manual VERDICT The new Fiesta ST should be nervous

GOLF HATCHESTATE

What every rival would like to be if only it could get away with charging this much. Tweaked and preened but perpetually desirable, made for a life of Waitrose car parks VERDICT Never knowingly undersold

GOLF GTDGTIR

GTD is your dad in running shoes. GTI is your dad when he was wild, young and free. R is your dad having a midlife crisis. All are ace VERDICT After seven generations, VW has this hot-hatch thing nailed

GOLF SV

The artist formerly known as the Golf Plus. And by ‘artist’ we mean medium-sized MPV. The car you always knew the Golf would grow up to be VERDICT Not a bad choice, but now the BMW 2-series Active Tourer is breathing down its neck

BEETLE HATCHCABRIO

Although better to drive it lacks the design purity of its predecessor and the charm of the original VERDICT Even hipsters are, like, so totally over this cynical marketing exercise, man PASSAT SALOONESTATE Interior design and refinement so good it shames some limos, cutting-edge kit and elegant looks. If only it wasn’t so dull to drive VERDICT Mega mile-muncher for the undemanding. Aesthete to Mondeo’s athlete

ARTEON

Here we go again: Volkswagen tries to be properly premium and almost pulls it o–. Great interior, huge boot and there’s standard safety tech aplenty, but it’s a bit dull VERDICT For SUV-resistant saloon fans… or those who can’t a–ord a BMW

TOURAN

It’s still more Millets than House of Fraser, but the current Touran does family stu– well VERDICT MPV meets MQB, nearly goes VIP

SHARAN

Large seven-seater sliding-door people carrier VERDICT Nice enough but made to look silly by all-but-identical and cheaper Seat Alhambra

TIGUAN

Accomplished but predictable. Have Seat or Skoda made more of the platform with their versions? VERDICT No sex please, we’re VW

TOUAREG

The people’s Porsche Cayenne. Do the people still want their own Cayenne? Well, it is nearly £10k cheaper… VERDICT Big, comfy, competent SUV. Great on and o– road

TROC

Golf-sized SUV aimed at hashtagging, selfie stick-wielding millennials. Massive tech options list and scope for personalisation make up for brittle interior and hefty price tag VERDICT VERDICT The funkiest VW

VOLVO V40

Smart Swede in a sector dominated by Germans. E–icient D4 engine and impressive kit, but it’s a bit bloated in seat, suspension and steering feel VERDICT Sitting uncomfortably between Golf and A3. A rock and hard place

V60

A Frenchman who can’t cook. A Jackson who can’t dance. A Volvo estate which can’t carry much. Why? VERDICT Handsome, safe, e–icient estate hamstrung by one issue…

V90

Sacrilegiously abandons the boot-space race for style while prioritising comfort and refinement over German machismo. Lovely inside; five-door version of the S90. A genuine alternative to the 5-series, E-Class and A6 now

VERDICT If there’s such a thing as Swedish zen, this is it; much more successful in its class than the 60 is in its

S90

Smart-looking, well-crafted and adepthandling exec saloon dances a merry jig on the grave of unloved outgoing S80; four-door version of the V90 VERDICT Loudly purring Swedish cat enters the 5-series/E-Class pigeon enclosure

VOLVO XC40

No thriller to steer but fetching premium crossover has sharp look, practical interior and charming personality VERDICT Feels good to be in and it’ll look after you

XC60

It’s now a shrunken XC90, which is no bad thing. Calming isolation chamber on wheels VERDICT Surprisingly good to drive now and super safe

XC70

A V70 in breeches, with raised ride height and 4x4 option. Awd starts at less than 40 grand, which is good value if you find SUVs crass

VERDICT If you don’t like having a dozen brace of shot pheasant in your boot, don’t buy one of these

XC90

It was worth the wait for Volvo to evolve the XC90 this far: luxurious seven-seat interior, clever safety tech, e–icient 4-cyl and plug-in drivetrains, refined drive VERDICT One of the most complete cars on sale, of any style, at any price