The Volkswagen Tiguan R Line is a sporty SUV model that has been designed and built by the good people of Volkswagen Individual, who happen to be a separate engineering department of Volkswagen and who were created in 2003 to oversee “special” projects.

The new R Line is based on the Sport model to which has been added a front splitter that sits just beneath the front bumper together with a chrome grille. Nineteen inch multi spoke alloy wheels surrounded by blistered wheel arches give the vehicle a resolute appearance, while fitted sill extensions lead to a newly designed rear bumper. The new look is topped off by a small spoiler sitting above the rear window.

Interiorly, the Tiguan has a new style multi-function steering wheel, contoured sports seats and aluminium pedals. Climate control is fitted as standard to the vehicle, which also includes four airbags, rain sensors, automatic lights, and sports suspension.

Under the bonnet there is a choice of a range of two litre diesel TDI engines and a two litre TSI engine. The car comes in five colours with prices starting at £24,600 for the two litre PS model, which rises to £26,300 for the two litre TSI.

The new Jaguar XJ has a modern, fresh looking design which finally appears to be moving away from the more traditional style. This could be to attract a younger generation of customer at a time when the executive market is currently dominated by the likes of Mercedes, BMW and Audi.

The new design, although having an instantly recognisable façade at the front, incorporates a new panoramic glass roof design which allows the vehicle to obtain a streamlined look to it while looking lower than usual. This enhances the sensation of a more spacious, light interior. An interior which has a new cabin design which while elegant, offers the luxury and comfort Jaguar is famous for. There is also a choice of leathers, veneers and colours never before seen in a Jag. The boot has a capacity of 520 litres which is large enough to house to big suitcases laid next to each other.

The XJ will be incorporating Jaguar’s Gen III diesel and petrol engines, including the V8 5 litre, V6 3mlitre diesel and the V8 supercharged 5 litre. The diesel’s emissions are an impressive (at this level) 184g/km with a capability of 40.1 mpg. Technologies installed include Adaptive Dynamics, air suspension, quick ratio power steering and Active Differential Control.

The most impressive features though are the advanced new technologies found inside the vehicle which include a twelve inch high-def instrument panel, Duel View technology featuring an eight inch touch screen which can project TV or films to the passengers while the driver still views the sat nav or vehicle functions.

The first cars will be offered from early 2010 with prices starting at £52,500.

The new incarnation of the Citroen C3 has been totally redesigned from the previous model and offers a more sporty profile which gives the car the appearance of being more dynamic and robust. The car features a great new progressively tinted windscreen that rises over the heads of the driver and front passenger, giving a fantastic panoramic view while driving. But the screen is not just about a better view – it offers improved visibility, which means safer driving as well as increasing the overall ambience of the interior.

Talking about the interior, the attention to detail is remarkable in the new C3, and the use of great quality materials definitely gives the car a more up-market feel to it. There is even an integrated air-freshener installed in the car!

The car remains compact though, despite all the improvements and there is no increase in weight over the previous model. There are 300 litres of luggage space in the boot and multiple storage areas throughout the cabin area.

The car will use stop-start technology and there will be diesel versions available to the range. Citroen’s goal is to have the whole range emitting less than 100g/km of CO2 emissions. The car will hit the fore courts in the UK from early 2010.

Being close in size to the 3-Series, the X1 is an entry level SUV to the BMW range. It is rather like a mini version of the larger X5, just compacted and in a more affordable package. It has five seats and a 1350 litre luggage capacity in the boot, giving it more than a decent amount of stowage.

There will be a choice of three diesel engines (it will be diesel only in the UK) when it comes onto the market, with the options of rear wheel or four wheel drive capabilities. The 1995cc engine can produce 143hp, going from 0-62 mph in 8.1 seconds and having a top speed of 127 mph. The engine has been EU5 rated and the CO2 emissions are 136g/km.

Most models will have six speed manual gearboxes; however, the xDrive23d will have a six speed automatic gearbox with the paddles located on the steering wheel. Manual transmission models have stop-start as standard, optimised aerodynamics, brake energy regeneration and an optimum shift indicator.

The dashboard and main controls angle toward the driver and there is a range of storage options for personal effects.

The BMW X1 will hit the forecourts in the United Kingdom on October 24th 2009, while the xDrive18d and the sDrive18d models making an appearance in December.

The Audi A5 Sportback is the third incarnation of the A5 model, following the Cabriolet and the Coupe. With a silhouette almost coupe-like due to a tapering roofline, the Audi A5 Sportback affords a very impressive seventeen cubic feet of luggage space with this increasing to 34.6 cubic feet with the back seats folded down. Despite this, the Sportback is a comfortable four-seater with decent legroom and headroom.

The engines used for the range are all of the direct injection type and all comply with the EU5 emission standards. Initially, there will be three diesel and two petrol type engines available. A newly-developed ESP control which features an electronic differential lock fitted to the forward axle provides increased steering response making it a safer drive.

The drive select dynamic driving system developed by Audi lets the driver pick different modes that can influence things such as throttle response and shift points.

The UK will see the arrival of the car in October, with prices starting at £27,140 for the two-litre TDI SE version of the vehicle.

The Vauxhall Insignia VXR Sports Tourer is the third body shape for the VXR Sports range after the saloon and hatch, and it manages to combine all the best technical points of these two with a great luggage capacity. It also happens to be Vauxhall’s fastest ever estate car.

Just like the hatch and saloon models, the VXR Sports Tourer sits ten millimetres lower than the usual Sports Tourer, while featuring the distinctive HiPerStrut system which works by reducing torque-steer while maintaining negative camber during cornering. This ultimately improves levels of grip in the wet as well as dry road conditions.

Going from 0-60mph in six seconds, this Tourer features a 2.8 litre turbocharged V6 engine, which has a top speed limited at 155mph. It has nineteen inch alloy wheels along with bespoke tyres, damper and bushing settings featured on both axles, and Brembo brakes. On the interior you will find a VXR gearknob and steering wheel, Recaro seats and a different instrument panel.

Front mesh grilles, deeper bumpers and chrome exhausts are the new visual aspects of the model which will be available in the United Kingdom in autumn. Prices have not yet been announced.

The new Volkswagen Golf Estate due in UK show rooms early 2010, is the sixth generation of the Golf. Following the three and five door hatchbacks as well as the recent Golf Plus, the estate will be body version number four for the Golf range.

Externally, the new car will feature redesigned headlamps, rear lights, wheels, rear and front bumpers, and the horizontal lines used on the nose will give the auto the impression of being both wider and lower than it actually is. It will also come with roof railings, daytime running lights, automatic heated outside mirrors and an upshift indicator.

Internally, the dash has been improved, a new range of upholstery fitted and the trim has been upgraded. The new estate will be available in Sportline, S and SE trims, each one having high level specs including a multi-function computer, air conditioning, CD player, body-coloured door handles, mirrors and bumpers, and electric mirrors and windows. Safety features include ESP, ABS, six airbags and whiplash optimised head rests.

As of yet, full specs and pricing have not been released.

This 2009 incarnation of the well-loved S-Class Mercedes is only subtly different from previous S-Class models. The mostly cosmetic changes are rather subtle but include a beaked grille, LED driving lights for daytime usage, a rear diffuser and lovely nineteen inch multi-spoke wheels.

The S63 actually retains the V8, 6.2 litre engine from the previous version, allowing the almost two ton car to reach 62 mph in just 4.6 seconds. The seven speed automatic gears shift seamlessly and smoothly and the AMG division of Mercedes has tried to offset the massive weight of the car by introducing the Torque Vectoring Brake system. This has been designed to make cornering as smooth as possible – no easy task in a two ton beast! What this system does is brake the appropriate inner rear wheel while the car is cornering, therefore helping it along its way with more conviction. Although a step in the right direction, it is still noticeable during cornering that this is actually a very heavy car.

From a mechanical point of view, a crosswind stabilisation function has been added, along with a variable ratio steering set-up. At £98,000 you can expect a super quiet ride when driving sensibly – hit the pedal and you’ll sound like the Luftwaffe approaching! Great stuff…

The new Seat Ibiza Cupra which is due out in the UK in September 2009 is the fastest and probably most powerful addition to the Ibiza range. It features a 1.4 litre super and turbo charged engine that delivers 177 bhp and is capable of going from 0-62mph in just 7.2 seconds. With a top speed of 140 mph, this new Seat offering uses 44mpg while only emitting an environmentally friendly 148g/km of CO2. It also has a 7-speed DSG paddleshift gearbox installed as standard, which is unique to hatchbacks on the market.

The interior includes sporty seats that tend to mould themselves around the driver as well as a snazzy sat-nav dock so all those messy wires can be avoided. The car handles very well due to the sport suspension and it features a newly designed bumper which has air intake valves incorporated.

The Seat Ibiza Cupra will hit the UK market with a £15,995 price tag.