The seven most exciting new cars of 2014 Read more

As car makers gear up to unveil their latest models at the Paris Motor Show in October, here's a chance to see what's turning heads on the automotive catwalk and British roads.

1. BMW X6

German car giant BMW claims to have invented the sports activity vehicle - a chunky combination of sports car, coupe, 4X4 and estate.

Now it is launching its second generation X6, which goes on sale from December with a choice of three twin-power turbo engines - two diesel and one petrol.

Priced from £51,150 to £66,920, BMW promises a of vehicle that is its most luxurious and versatile yet, with up to 22 per cent lower fuel consumption than the model it replaces.

A BMW spokesman says: 'The original X6 combined the robustness of an SUV, the sporty elegance of a coupe and the luxury of a limousine - and these key features have been reinterpreted in the new model.'

Luxurious and versatile: BMW is launching its second generation X6, which goes on sale from December with a choice of three twinpower turbo engines - two diesel and one petrol

2. Kia Sorento

Ambitious Kia is unveiling the third generation of its Sorento sports utility vehicle - having based the styling on a Swiss watch.

The seven-seater with the distinctive tiger nose grille is curvier, more muscular and promises a soft-touch interior with leather.

 

It gets its world premiere in its home country of Korea this month before making its European debut in Paris, and will go on sale here early next year priced from around £27,000.

A green hybrid version is also mooted. 'The third generation Kia Sorento's cabin will raise the bar in luxury,' says a spokesman.

'It has a modern, wrap-around dashboard, high quality materials and a range of advanced on-board technologies.

'The interior styling was led by the brand's design team in Frankfurt, which cited the finest modern Swiss watches as a key influence.'

Ambitious: Kia's third-generation Sorento with the distinctive tiger nose grille is curvier, more muscular and promises a soft-touch interior with leather

3. Smart fortwo

Those clever people at Smart have created two city runarounds for people who need a nippy, frugal car that's easy to park.

They will be on sale from November priced from £11,000 for the two-door, two-seater 'fortwo', or £17,000 for the four-door, four-seater 'forfour'.

Power is supplied by three-cylinder engines rated from 60 to 90 horsepower linked to a five-speed manual gearbox or six-speed automatic dual clutch transmission.

Standard features include LED daytime driving lights, cruise control, exterior temperature indicator with frost warning and electric front windows.

There are three trim levels - passion, prime and proxy - and 40 colour combinations.

It even has 'crosswind assist' as standard - active from 50mph when driving straight ahead and in gentle bends.

A bit nippy: Smart has created two city runarounds for people who need a nippy, frugal car that's easy to park. They'll be on sale from November

4. Jaguar XE

Jaguar will be aiming to eclipse its German arch rivals when it unveils its much-anticipated XE sport saloon.

It receives its world premiere in London on September 8 before heading to the Paris show.

 

Celebrities including singer Emeli Sande, designer Stella McCartney and The Wire actor Idris Elba are championing the launch.

Costing from £29,000, the XE shares some of the aggressively styled features of the F-type sports car, plus high-tech engineering.

The XE will be the first car in the world to use a new grade of high-strength aluminium alloy for three-quarters of its body.

Powered by a modern generation of frugal engines - including a 2.0 litre four-cylinder Ingenium petrol - it is expected to deliver fuel economy of up to 75 mpg and cut carbon dioxide emissions to less than 100g/km.

Worth the hype? Jaguar will be unveiling its much-anticipated XE sport saloon in London on the 8 September before heading to the Paris show. This artist impression will have to do before the big reveal

5. Skoda Fabia

The new Fabia hatchback will be the no-nonsense star of Paris. It's a sensible choice for drivers who want a car that's smart and stylish, but won't break the bank.

Expect prices from £10,000 to £16,000. 'Modern, dynamic and emotional, the new Skoda Fabia is the star of the automotive catwalk,' says a spokesman for the Czech car maker, part of Germany's giant Volkswagen group.

'It's a young, crisp, urban small car with typical Skoda genes and lots of character.'

No-nonsense star: The new Fabia hatchback promises to be the smart choice for drivers who want a car that's stylish, but won't break the bank

6. Audi TT

It was hailed a fashion icon and nicknamed the Bauhaus Bullet the moment the original was unveiled. Now Audi is unleashing the third generation TT coupe sports car.

Featuring a revolutionary all-digital virtual cockpit, it's available to order now, priced from £29,770 to £35,335, ahead of the first deliveries in December.

From launch it is available as a 2.0 TFSI 230PS in conjunction with front-wheel drive or quattro allwheel drive, as well as 2.0 TDI 184PS exclusively with front-wheel drive.

A more powerful 310PS TTS version will follow, with first deliveries in March 2015.

There are two specification levels - Sport and S line. Both include the Audi virtual cockpit, which is based on a 12in, high-resolution LCD display that completely fills the driver's instrument panel and replaces the traditional analogue dials.

Fashion icon: The third-generation TT, featuring a revolutionary all-digital virtual cockpit, is available to order now, priced from £29,770 to £35,335, ahead of the first deliveries in December

7. Vauxhall Corsa

The new Corsa super-mini takes its bow in Paris, priced from less than £10,000.

It marks the start of a big, bold push by the British car maker. Almost every element of the design and engineering has been changed.

The new model will be available with heated front seats, steering wheel and windscreen, as well as soft-tone ambient lighting and a full-size panoramic roof.

Available in three and five-door versions, it has a new chassis, better suspension and speed-sensitive electric power steering with a city mode for low-speed manoeuvring.

Drivers can enjoy comfort and sport settings as well as hill start assist and automatic park assist, which means the car self-steers into a parking place.

Engines include a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder ECOTEC direct-injection turbo petrol with 90 or 115 horsepower.

Bold move: Almost every element of the design and engineering of the super-mini Corsa has been changed. The new model will be available with heated front seats, steering wheel and windscreen, as well as soft-tone ambient lighting and a full-size panoramic roof