the contenders

BMW 5 Series

The BMW 5 Series is so riddled with tech, you’d expect to see James Bond driving it. It all starts with a remote key fob: there’s a touchscreen built in to it, allowing you to drive the car remotely. Its 360° cameras can also be remotely accessed. Oh, and it’s semi-autonomous too, aiding you with steering duties mid-cruise.

Land Rover Discovery

The Land Rover Discovery is the best on- and off-road SUV. Though it looks more urban than ever, it’s a weapon off the black stuff, with Terrain Response 2 optimising throttle and gears to suit. It also comes with waterproof wrist band-cum remote key fob, which can be worn when you’re, presumably, hitting the surf.

Volkswagen e-Golf

If you want dependable, affordable and forward-looking, then the e-Golf is a sure fire hit. Effortless to drive thanks to its instant power and lack of gears to worry about, the e-Golf offers up to 186 miles of fossil-free motoring, and it’s packed with modern-grade infotainment and driver assistance features.

Toyota C-HR

The futuristic-looking C-HR could be on this list based on looks alone - it’s like a Batmobile for the middle-class. This radical newcomer joins one of the hippest sectors right now - the crossover segment – bringing not only its whacky looks, but a choice of modern 1.8-litre hybrid or frisky 1.2-litre petrol turbo powertrains.

Ford Fiesta ST

Ford’s sporty small car has grown up dramatically over the years. But despite refinement and lots more power, it still holds its small and racy core values. It goes like stink, but is never difficult to drive thanks to beautifullyweighted steering, a torque vectoring system and three-stage traction control.