KIA CEE'D:It might not yet be up there in the top of the sales charts, but for us the Cee'd is one of the best small family cars you can buy and one that really should challenge the front runners.
The Cee'd is stylish, well-equipped and comes with some really good standard equipment and that seven-year warranty, something that has made the industry really sit up. Prices start at €19,495 and the car is available as a 1.4-litre petrol or 1.6-litre diesel as a five-door hatchback, estate and soon to be released three-door model.
MITSUBISHI LANCER
The Lancer was a big hit in Ireland back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but the car became rather rubbish and interest waned.
The new one is now here and is seriously good, with excellent driving dynamics, good equipment levels and a superb price. Choice between manual and automatic, with a 1.5-litre 109bhp engine that feels very perky.
Prices start at €22,495 and for this you get 16" alloy wheels, bluetooth phone connection, multi-function leather steering wheel and air-conditioning as standard. It is definitely well worth a look.
PEUGEOT 308
As reviewed recently in Motors, the new 308 is not a giant leap forward from the 307 in terms of styling, but the car is of much higher quality and there is better range of engines now and it sits a little better on the road too. It is unlikely that it will trouble the best in class, but is certainly a better car than the 307.
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF
Volkswagen will give us a facelifted version of the Golf in 2008 to boost flagging sales in its home market. Expect to see some high-performance diesel models including a 170bhp 2.0-litre.
REVISED FORD FOCUS
The revised Ford Focus arrives in February, and it gets new headlights, grille, wheel arches and tailgate and inside, there is a more upmarket feel to the cabin.
The car will also feature some new engines, including an eco-friendly 109bhp 1.6-litre TDCI ECOnetic engine, which emits just 115g/km of carbon dioxide.