Just announced

Prices £18,000-£23,000 approx

On sale April

What’s different? This is an all-new Forester based on the platform from the recently introduced Impreza. Unlike the old Forester, which was really an estate car designed for off-road use, the new car is styled much more like a conventional SUV. A 2 litre petrol model makes its debut this spring, and diesel power will be available for the first time in September

Why should I care? Time alone will tell whether Subaru was right to abandon the Forester’s niche position in the market and go after fully fledged soft-roaders such as the Honda CR-V and Nissan X-Trail. Still, you can expect it to be expertly engineered and to appeal to independently minded drivers who value Subaru’s off-roading pedigree and image

Consider also Nissan X-Trail £18,795-£26,295, Honda CR-V £18,827-£24,717, Toyota RAV4 £19,095-£27,045

Just announced

Citroën Berlingo Multispace

Prices £11,000-£14,000 approx

On sale September

What’s different? The Berlingo has been a huge success for Citroën and this all-new version aims to take its car-cum-van concept and redefine it on a more sophisticated plane. Great efforts have been made with its appearance, incorporating a huge “glasshouse” and Citroën’s new nose. Both petrol and diesel versions will include three folding and removable rear seats

Why should I care? The Berlingo has always offered basic transport and excellent carrying capacity to those who couldn’t care less about needless gimmicks but want a car that gets the job done for a bargain price. Image will always be a problem because it’s built alongside the van version, but if you don’t care about that, it will almost certainly be well worth a look

Consider also Peugeot Partner Combi Escapade £12,062, Renault Kangoo £10,175-£12,315, Skoda Roomster £10,045-£14,210