Toyota Yaris

The Japanese company plans to confront Ford's Fiesta ST, Vauxhall's next-generation Corsa VXR and the 2.0-litre Renault Clio GT - due to appear next October - with the little charger.

The 150bhp T Sport is expected to debut at March's Geneva Motor Show, and arrive in dealers by the middle of next year in three and five-door forms.

Fitted with a 1.8-litre engine and a six-speed gearbox, the car gets a similar bodykit to the Trulli concept seen at September's Frankfurt expo. Lowered suspension, alloys and a sporty cabin also feature as Toyota targets younger drivers.

The newcomer is set to offer a top speed of around 125mph, eclipsing the outgoing 105bhp 1.5-litre five-ratio car. While the latter is rated only as a 'warm' hatch, it still accounts for one in 10 Yaris sales - showing its successor's potential.

The new range hits showrooms in January, and until the T Sport arrives the flagship will be the 1.4-litre diesel. Buyers will also have a choice of 1.0 and 1.3-litre petrol powerplants. The introduction of the hotter Yaris will partially compensate for the axing of the Celica and MR2 sports cars next year as Toyota meets strict new emissions regulations.

At the other end of the Yaris spectrum, the wacky Verso supermini-MPV will not be replaced - although European marketing director Jon Williams told Auto Express that the company was "constantly monitoring market trends".