With an official unveiling at the Detroit Motor Show this coming week, the new Lancer will be available here with a choice of 1.5litre petrol and two-litre diesel engines.

Along with the saloon, a sporty hatchback version will follow in December and the 300bhp Evolution X will arrive in February 2008. The Evolution will be a derivative of the saloon version.

Pricing and specification are yet to be announced but it will most likely be 1,000- 1,500 more than the current Lancer, which is priced at 18,650.

And VW has just unveiled a compact 4X4, the Tiguan, which looks like a baby Tourag. The concept version has been shown at the Los Angeles Motor Show where it received a lot of attention. It is 4400mm long, 1850mm wide and 1690mm high, and the 19" tyres are colour coded with the body.

The Tiguan is based on the Golf with a wider track and and will have models such as the Land Rover Freelander and Toyota RAV 4 in its sights.

VW engineers say they will have a completely new diesel engine for this model when it arrives next year.

Should be interesting.