Car news, reviews & advice

Overall this new Forester sees Subaru deliver a more premium looking, feeling and driving product that puts it right back at the sharp-end of the pack. It’s likely to appeal strongly to faithful Subaru Forester owners wanting something a bit more comfortable, but it’s classy and competent enough to win new buyers too.

The big question remains: can this very competent, good value car bring buyers back to a category they have been deserting in droves? On a purely rational level, the VF Commodore should be hugely successful. But car buyers are rarely rational, and that bodes ill for the best car this country has ever produced.

The Veloster SR Turbo represents an impressive step for Hyundai. It’s loaded with kit and while it might not rival some established hot hatches it’s still a lot of fun drive, and the matte paint helps give it a bit of street cred.

If you’re looking for an engaging little hatch that rides and handles well, looks great, and is loaded with plenty of standard kit which you usually have to pay a lot more for, then the Hyundai Veloster is the car for you. And the car’s five-year warranty is icing on the cake.

if you’re after something that matches the Germans (read: BMW X3/X5 and Audi Q5/Q7) for drivability and offers a fair dollop of exclusivity without costing the earth (relatively speaking), then the Infiniti FX37 S might just be the car for you.

The new Honda CR-V may not exactly get the blood pumping, but by every measure it offers more of what you want and need, and less of what you don’t. It’s a conjuring trick that Honda’s designers and engineers can be proud of.