Mazda 3

It doesn’t look very zoom-zoom in its dull olive camouflage, but this is the all-new Mazda 3, set to hit UK showrooms at the end of 2009.

And despite the disguise it's clear that the 3 is taking styling cues from its sporty big brother, the Mazda6. The swooping projector headlamps, angled tail lights and stumpy rear end all ape the bigger Mazda’s look. Sources say the 3 is a similar story inside too, with features such as heated seats, multi-function steering wheel and a hard drive for mp3 files filtering down from the 6.

The Mazda 3 hatchback sits on the latest Ford Focus C1 platform, so dynamically the newcomer should compete with the best in class. And it’s undergone a mechanical makeover too, gaining an extra cog and more powerful engines, meaning a six-speed ‘box mated to 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre direct injection engine – the latter good for at least 180bhp.