The overrun

Small but perfectly formed reviews. The best of the rest from this month’s drives

AUDI RS5 SPORTBACK £67,505

FOR Foolproof handling, nicely styled, luxurious

AGAINST Punchy but forgettable engine, the subtlest of updates Bigger infotainment screen, tweaked grille, an RS mode shortcut button on the wheel. That’s the new stuff on this RS5 Sportback, updated a year after it was introduced. The rest is as you were, so a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 that can seriously shift, and safe, secure handling. We’d go for the identically endowed RS4 instead and enjoy not having to worry about bootspace. If you insist on something swoopy, take this over the Coupe.

FORD FOCUS ST MOUNTUNE m330 £569 (+ Focus ST)

FOR Uncannily smooth torque boost, simplicity, value

AGAINST ST’s nemesis, torquesteer, is back with a vengeance Mountune’s upgrade adds deeper oceans of torque to this already muscular hatch, without making it peaky or tricky to drive, and it will still average 30mpg. Problems? The ST is back to its arm-tearing torque-steering ways, and a one-year Mountune warranty replaces the dealer’s three-year one. But the exhaust crackles a little louder, and if you like your fast Fords with more bite, this pack restores what the ST’s engineers dialled out.

KIA XCEED 1.6 GDi PHEV £30,695

FOR Another impressive interior from Kia AGAINST Immeasurably slow, drivetrain easily confused Kia makes some fantastic electrified cars, but the XCeed plug-in isn’t one of them. With a hefty battery under the boot floor and rear seats it’s far less practical and considerably worse to drive. Bootspace drops from 426 to 291 litres and you’ll feel the extra 115kg. The drivetrain and 6spd DCT often fluff the electric/petrol switch, with no paddles for you to take control. Its saving grace? Yet another classy Kia interior.

SUZUKI SWIFT SPORT HYBRID £21,570

FOR It’s a charming car, fun to drive and in a solid spec AGAINST But why is it quite so expensive? An emissions-themed update for the Swift Sport – as if a turbo wasn’t bad enough, now there’s a mild hybrid set-up to save fuel and CO2. It’s an entertaining drive, even if a little edge has been lost in transition, and the high standard spec offers some decent kit, such as adaptive cruise control, LED lights and keyless entry. No, what really kills the mood is the price – thinking of what else you could buy will stop you right in your tracks.