The Ford Puma ST certainly looks the part. With a sporty bodykit, lowered suspension and 19-inch alloy wheels, it appears purposeful without being in-your-face. It’s a similar story inside, where oh-so-comfortable and supportive Recaro seats are complemented by a flat-bottomed steering wheel, aluminium...

The Hyundai Kona N is distinguished from the standard car by 19-inch alloy wheels, a bold front grille, rear spoiler, lower body kit and large twin exhaust pipes poking out from beneath the rear bumper. Inside, there are more upgrades, including a chunky leather steering wheel with shift paddles...

The Toyota C-HR is unquestionably one of the more interesting hybrid SUVs available. When everyone was buying regular, rather staid SUVs, along came this origami-inspired model with angles, creases and folds that made it look like a concept car. It wasn’t like any other Toyota, and that probably...

At first sight, the Mazda CX-3 looks very much like the larger Mazda CX-5, but it is appreciably smaller, with bolder lines, sleeker headlights and a more prominent grille. Inside it is very much like the Mazda 2 of the same period, with a classy, neat dashboard layout and an abundance of quality...

The 'MAXI' sized Countryman is a major new chapter in the MINI success story. In a nutshell, it offers four or five-seat practicality and a 350-litre boot in addition to the usual MINI trademarks such as sharp steering, fun handling and that all-important quirkiness. It's impossible to think of this...

The Mazda MX-30 first arrived in 2021 as an electric car with a small battery and the ability to travel just 124 miles between charges. This might explain why it's only sold in limited numbers so far - although Mazda claims that you don't actually need an electric car with a long range. It could...