Since the current-generation Toyota Hilux was launched back in 2005, its rivals have become variously faster, fitter, larger and more generally car-like.
Small hatchbacks are bread-and-butter models for volume car-makers in the modern age, which is why the third-generation Rio is such an important car for Kia on the international stage.
You could be forgiven for feeling confused by the current naming protocols for Hyundai's burgeoning product line: a couple of years back, names started to give way to an alphanumerical naming system that clearly defined each model's place in the company's hierarchy.
"This car should have launched in September," the managing director of Subaru New Zealand, Wallis Dumper, says about the new XV, which, like its predecessor, is an elevated edition of the Impreza wagon.
The "light-car" segment is booming in 2011, with sales up by some 25% on 2010. For much of the year Kia lacked the new metal in its line-up to cash in, but that changed with the recent addition of the all-new Picanto to its range.
Officially, it's not even a Fiat, but the hottest member of the new 500 range the Abarth Esseesse does its parent company proud. David Thomson reports on life behind the wheel of an imperfect delight.
