NEW NISSAN Qashqai £18,795

Exterior

Most SUVs, especially smaller ones, are about style above all else, and this is an area in which the Qashqai excels. The front end features crisp lines and bold details, the LED running lights and the deep, angular grille being the highlights. Things are just as fresh at the rear end, with swooping LIGHT clusters and muscular rear haunches. This is one very handsome car. Entry-level Visia cars miss out on alloy wheels, but they still look reasonably swish.

Interior

If you thought the Qashqai looked swish on the outside, you’ll be just as impressed by the interior. All the materials have a plush, high-grade feel, particularly on the main touch-points, and the design is modern and attractive.IMPORTANTLY, though, this hasn’t come at the expense of ergonomics. The various switches and buttons are logically placed and clearly marked, and the touch-screen infotainment system (standard on the top two trims) has sharp graphics and clear, logical menus. What’s more, the high driving position that SUV buyers love has plenty of adjustment, so life is very comfortable at the wheel. The limited rear visibility is the cockpit’s only real weak point.

Practicality

Even when compared with its best rivals, the Qashqai has no trouble on this score. The rear seats have plenty of headroom and legroom, making life very comfortable for four gangly adults, and five will cram in at a push. The 430-litre BOOT rivals those of the best cars in the class for capacity, and it also has some really clever features. We particularly like the two movable boards, which help give you a perfectly level load floor when the back seats are folded, and which can be slotted in vertically as well as horizontally, to stop small items sliding around. These boards are standard on all trims except entry-level Visia.

Ride and handling

On the road, the Qashqai’s focus is very much on comfort, with good bump absorption at low speeds and fantastic smoothness and stability at moderate and high speeds. Despite the Qashqai’s civilised character, the handling is also impressively neat. The body stays impressively flat in corners so you don’t get thrown around in your seat, and the car always feels grippy, stable and predictable. You can change the weight of the steering by selecting one of two modes, too. The Sport mode has an artificially heavy feel, but in Normal mode, the weighting feels just right and gives crisp responses.

Safety

All Qashqai models come with six airbags and stability control as standard, while Acenta Premium models have a few more clever safety features and Tekna models have more still. The Qashqai has also achieved the maximum five-star rating in Euro NCAP crash tests.

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NEW SKODA Superb From £19,785

Exterior

The Superb has always been a rational purchase, a car bought with your head, not your heart. This model, though, is a classy, desirable flagship for Skoda's range. It's a really sharp-looking car.

Interior

Bigger is definitely better in the Superb. You can really feel the difference made by the increase in width and height in the cabin: this is as spacious as family cars get.

Running costs

For what is an undeniably vast car, the Superb's running costs should be fairly reasonable. The 2.0-litre TDI 150 for example, produces just 108g/km. The latest Passat is a tad cleaner, due to being smaller in size, and the Ford Mondeo is cleaner and a bit cheaper (in Zetec trim), but there is no doubt the Superb represents great value. A Greenline model with emissions below 100g/km will be launched soon, for those who really do need to keep their tax bills as low as possible. Servicing, insurance and PCP loan costs should all be highly competitive, but the Passat is likely to command slightly better resale values – but spec-for-spec, the Superb is slightly cheaper, which should even things out.

Performance

A wide selection of engines means there is usually something for everyone, and the Skoda Superb certainly gives buyers plenty of options to choose from. However, despite a range of refined petrols, including a 1.4 with 148bhp and cylinder shut-off technology to reduce CO2 emissions, the vast majority of buyers are likely to pick one of the three diesels. There’s a 1.6 with 118bhp, and a 2.0-litre with either 148- or 187bhp. We tried both the 2.0-litre models, and although there’s not a big difference in performance (both have a decent spread of torque available across most of the rev range) the lesser version feels a tad more refined at speed.The manual 'box positive, action, and the clutch is light enough to make precise changes. The petrol model needs working harder to make quicker progress, but it’s great for pootling around town, and really smooth and flexible, even when you do push it.

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NEW SEAT Alhambra From £25,380

Exterior

Many MPVs have a boxy appearance, and it’s no coincidence; boxy is always best when you’re looking to maximise space. The Alhambra follows this recipe unashamedly, but although its lines aren’t exactly what you’d call ‘flowing’, the looks aren’t too bland. All versions come with alloy wheels and colour-coded bumpers and DOOR handles, along with a chrome surround for the radiator grille. Go for the SE car, which most buyers will, and you also get chrome window surrounds, darkened rear windows and chrome roof rails. SE Lux and FR-Line cars, meanwhile, have a panoramic roof.

Interior

Life’s pretty sweet at the wheel of the Alhambra. You get a cracking view out in all directions – which helps you manage the car’s cumbersome size during low-speed manoeuvres – and all versions have the added security of front- and rear-parking sensors. Everything on the dashboard is logically located and really easy to use, and there’s a feeling of substance and solidity because most of the materials look and feel very nice indeed. Some of the plastics are a little hard and unappealing in places, but it all looks like it’ll last a lifetime.

Running costs

The Alhambra is significantly bigger and heavier than a lot of seven-seat MPVs, so it’s never going to be the cleanest option, but even so, it doesn’t do too bad a job. The cleanest version, the 2.0 TDI 150 Ecomotive S, returns 56.5mpg, along with CO2 emissions of 130g/km, and all versions bar the petrol will better 50mpg. Purchase prices are very competitive, especially considering the amount of space and kit you’re getting for your money, and resale values aren’t half bad, either.

Reliability

The Warranty Direct Reliability Index tells a bit of a mixed story where the Alhambra is concerned. As a manufacturer, Seat doesn’t do too badly, hovering around the mid-table mark in the brand rankings. Look at the results for the older version of the Alhambra, though, and the reliability score is about as low as it’s possible to get, with engine troubles being the biggest cause of mechanical issues. The owner reviews on our own website also report some rather nerve-wracking stories about the car’s dependability. A rather average three-year/60,000-mile warranty package is included.

Safety

We always like it when the safety kit you get in a car is the same no matter whether you have the most basic version or the range-topping version, and the Alhambra is one of those. Stability control, tyre pressure monitoring, tiredness recognition and multi-collision braking (which locks on the anchors after a shunt to prevent further collisions) are all provided, along with no less than seven airbags including a driver’s knee ‘bag and curtain ‘bags that cover all three rows of seats. 

The only thing that’s really missing is autonomous city braking, and it’s not even available as an optional extra. Nevertheless, the car has achieved the full five-star rating in Euro NCAP crash tests, even though that was back in 2010 and the tests have become considerably harder since then.

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Toyota New Prius 2016

Toyota New Prius Preview

The Toyota Prius needs no introduction. One of the highest selling hybrid cars in the world, the Prius has been endorsed by everyone from Greenpeace and Hollywood celebrities. Toyota has been selling the Prius in India for quite some time now and has unveiled the next generation Prius at the Auto Expo 2016.

The fourth-generation Toyota Prius gets all new looks. While we could best describe the looks as alien, the car looks striking. The boomerang-like headlamps, vertical LED fog lamps and a snout-like front bumper can best be called futuristic by all standards. Moving on to the side, it is a four-door coupe with a sloping roofline that blends into the notchback. The cabin seems spacious for four with enough headroom in the back. The rear also gets the boomerang-like lamps with LEDs flowing down from the top of the boot. The creases and cuts toe the alien-design line from the front. As for the dimensions, the new Prius is 60mm longer, 15mm wider and 20mm lower than the old Prius.

The dashboard is a geek paradise with its many buttons, screens and warning lights. The speedometer is digital and the infotainment system is touchscreen. The infotainment system can be connected to your phone via Bluetooth and gets the latest software like Apple Car Play, Android Auto and MirrorLink. Dual-zone automatic climate control, automatic headlamps, cruise control and automatic climate control are standard. It gets airbags, an electronic stability programme with emergency braking.

The Prius is a hybrid and has a 1.8-litre four cylinder petrol engine paired with electric motors to make up its powertrain. While the setup is same as before, the engine has been tuned for better efficiency. The batteries have a higher energy density and the motors are smaller. The efficiency has improved by almost 10 per cent and Toyota expects the Prius to deliver 40kmpl.

The current Prius is offered at about Rs 38 lakh in India. The new generation Prius will also be imported as a CBU with an estimated price a tad under Rs 40 lakh ex-showroom Delhi.

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Toyota New Fortuner 2016

Toyota New Fortuner Preview

The current Fortuner has been on sale in the Indian market since 2009 and thanks to its muscular and rugged looks, has a good fan following. Toyota has now officially revealed their most anticipated product of the year – the 2016 Fortuner. Like the current generation Fortuner, the 2016 version of SUV is also based on the Hilux platform and boasts of a new design and big list of features.

Exterior

The next-gen variant of the Fortuner gets a complete design overhaul and looks sharper than the present model. The fascia sports a new two-slat grille that extends up to the headlamps and has flanks that taper over the headlights. Toyota has equipped the Fortuner with LED daytime-running lamps and the top-end model will also get Bi-LED projector headlamps. These sweptback projector headlamps are surrounded by chrome embellishments to add to the bling factor.

The bumper is redesigned and gets a new black air dam while the fog lamp housings are surrounded by thick curved aluminium accents. On the side, Toyota has given the new Fortuner a floating pillar-less roof design that makes the SUV look quite interesting and attractive. The rear end also gets a similar slim-cut treatment with sleek tail lamps. The vehicle will be available with 17-inch and 18-inch wheel options.

Interior

And it’s not just the exterior, but Toyota has completely redesigned the cabin of the Fortuner as well. The dashboard layout is new and the instrument cluster comes with a multi-information display. The center console is vertically-oriented with a touch screen entertainment system, automatic AC controls, and a lot of storage spaces. The new three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel comes with audio controls and the car gets a new key fob. Higher variants are likely to come with rear parking sensors, keyless smart entry and start, downhill assist control, a powered tailgate and 18-inch alloys with highway tyres.

Engine and gearbox

One of the major changes on the next-gen Fortuner will be Toyota’s new GD series engines. The new 2.4-litre turbo-diesel is expected to replace the current 2.5-litre diesel unit, and a 2.8-litre mill will replace the current 3.0-litre unit. The new 2.4-litre 2GD-FTV motor is rated at 148bhp of power and 400Nm of peak torque. The 2.8-litre 1GD-FTV engine churns out 175bhp and 450Nm of torque. Depending on the variant, the transmission includes a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic.

Price and Competition

Toyota Kirloskar Motors will bring the car to the 2016 Auto Expo in India and might also launch it for the Indian market. It is expected to be priced in the Rs 25 lakh to Rs 28 lakh price bracket and will then lock horns with the Ford Endeavour, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and the upcoming Chevrolet Trailblazer.

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