SO, WHAT ELSE IS NEW?

Ford Fiesta Vignale What should I know?

It’s our frst go in the ‘premium’ Fiesta, kitted and priced to give Ford a toehold in the posh supermini haus of Polo, Mini, and the DS 3 (remember them?). Our test car was a 1.5TDCi, for niche diesel interest...

Should I care?

Not on the engine front – it’s a smooth derv, but blunts the Fiesta’s cornering keenness. Vignale still feels like an odd Ford. The quilted seats are so soft, but £19.5k? No. Get an ST-Line X for £18k.

Hyundai i30N 250PS What should I know?

You’ve read about how mega the i30N is with its £3,000 Performance pack fitted (p48). This is the base car, sporting 25bhp less and a £24,995 price.

Should I care?

Stick with the i30N Performance. Without its diff and sports exhaust, the N loses some of its sense of fun. It’s still a thoroughly engineered fast hatch, but the £3k pack also adds heated sports seats, bigger 19in alloys and more serious tyres. It really is a bargain for the attitude it brings.

Subaru WRX Final Edition What should I know?

It’s time for WReX-it. The AWD, winged Scooby that rose from the ashes of the Impreza rally brand is being binned from the UK line-up. This special edition with 19-inch rims, bigger brakes and cleverer diff is Subaru’s parting gift for fans.

Should I care?

Not if you’re spoiled by modern hyper hatches: the Final Ed “only” has 296bhp, so a Focus RS will lunch it. But there’s joy to the old-school, analogue, get-stuck-in character of the WRX. Just 150 will be made, £34k each, then that’s that. RIP.