DECEMBER

JANUARY

Ford Focus

MARKEDLY less dramatic looking than its predecessor, the new Focus majors on quality and refinement, but also raises the bar even higher for driver appeal taking the mantle over from its lauded predecessor.

New diesels offer a combination of low fuel consumption and strong performance, while there is also a new petrol engine, the 1.6 Ti-VCT that promises fuel savings of 5% over standard petrol technology.

Vauxhall Astra estate

SHARING its bold and neat front end styling with the five-door hatchback, the Astra estate aims to be the most practical estate in its class. It has a longer wheelbase than the hatchback – like the Peugeot 307 estate and Megane Sport Tourer – but shares much of its qualities like its clearly designed and well-built interior and excellent road manners. All diesels are Euro IV compliant too.