Parker's pick of 2009's new cars

Summer '09 ¦ £8500 (est)

Volkswagen has taken plenty of inspiration from the latest generation Golf for the design of the new Polo. The front grille and headlights are almost identical to the larger hatch while the cabin uses many of the same switches and controls. Click for more pics and full details

Summer '09 ¦ £12,500 (est)

Skoda’s new Yeti may have all the robust looks and driving capabilities of an off-roader, but it is actually around the same length as a Ford Focus. As you'd expect it will be more practical than a standard hatchback with a large boot space and plenty of rear passenger room. See it here

Autumn '09 ¦ £18,000 (est)

The latest version of the world's most popular hybrid car. It's powered by a 1.8-litre petrol engine (replacing the 1.5-litre unit in the current Prius) alongside an 80bhp electric motor - this gives the Prius almost 134bhp in total. Despite the increase in power, fuel economy has improved to 72mpg while emissions are 89g/km of CO2 - making it free to tax. More

May '09 ¦ £14,500 (est)

The French firm has revealed details about the new Scenic family. As before there are two models - the five-seat Scenic and seven-seat Grand Scenic. In terms of looks, they follow on from the outgoing models, the biggest changes are the boomerang shaped rear lights and smoother bumpers. As you'd expect on-board stowage is excellent. In fact there's 92 litres available including underfloor compartments, a chilled glovebox and a large sliding central console. More info

April '09 ¦ £15,000 (est)

Toyota is promising practicality, space and safety with its new Verso people carrier. The newcomer may not look radically different from the model it will replace but it boasts greater comfort, more passenger room and a better driving experience. Inside there's an improved seating system and all five rear seats can be folded individually making it easier to make space for passengers or increase luggage room. More

March '09 ¦ £42,980

Audi has finally revealed details of the TT RS - the long awaited high performance version of the TT. The big news is that it features a five-cylinder TFSI engine delivering 340bhp plus a new close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox. This gives the TT RS a 0-62mph time of just 4.6 seconds. The ultimate TT?

April '09 ¦ £9500

Fiat will launch a cabriolet version of its funky 500 just in time for the summer. The 500C may not be a true convertible, but instead it gets an electrically sliding canvas roof complete with a glass rear screen. This helps keep the price tag down while still offering open-air driving. More

Summer '09 ¦ £37,000 (est)

The second generation of the Lexus RX is due this summer and it promises strong performance but impressively low emissions. Despite having almost 300bhp and a 0-62mph time of 7.8 seconds, the RX450h will emit just 148g/km of CO2. That's less than a 1.4-litre Ford Focus and at current VED rates, it will cost just £100 a year in road tax. Find out more

Autumn '09 ¦ £19,000 (est)

Mazda is giving its new 3 MPS a much more aggressive look, after criticism of the orginal models sober styling. There's now an air intake on the bonnet, sharper bumpers, 18-inch alloys from the RX-8 and a large rear tailgate spoiler. The interior gets new semi-bucket seats plus an LED turbo boost gauge on the instrument cluster. More

June '09 ¦ From £28,858

Mercedes is promising even more comfort and luxury with its all new E-Class. Building on the previous models reputation for refinement, the latest E-Class features improved seats and a new suspension system that automatically adjusts to the driving conditions. Take a look here