There was a time when a hybrid Toyota was a sensible but uninspiring choice of family car. The old Toyota Auris is a prime example of that - dependable and cheap-to-run, yes, but lacking even the slightest hint of charisma. But the latest Toyota Corolla is genuinely a very good car. There are no...

For starters, look at it. The old Peugeot 308 wasn't a particularly bold design but it was subtly elegant for a mainstream family car. The new model might have very similar proportions in hatchback form, but the details are definitely more showy. That deep, striking grille, the fang-like LED running...

The Toyota Auris is a car for non-car people, right? The kind of family hatchback you buy when you want to get from A to B with the minimal amount of fuss. A car lacking in flair, imagination and excitement. Maybe so, but who’s to say that the non-car people have got it wrong? Research the purchase...

The Lexus CT 200h was billed as the world’s first hybrid to be launched in the premium hatchback market. The Japanese firm used technology from the Toyota Prius and applied it to a model that sits alongside the likes of the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3. It’s powered by a 1.8-litre VVT-i petrol engine...

Think back to 2011, if you can. That was a long time ago, and the world was a very different place. David Cameron hadn’t long been appointed Prime Minister, the charts were being monopolised by a newly-formed band named One Direction, and although most of the fighting had finished, the Iraq war was...

The Fiat Tipo contrasts quite markedly with the more style-conscious and popular cars in the firm’s range such as the Fiat 500 , but what you get instead is more room and a good equipment offering. All versions are fitted with a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system that includes Bluetooth and...