Striking, sleek and significant, Alfa Romeo's Tonale could hardly matter more to the Milanese maker. This compact SUV comes with electrified engines, a styling nod to the past and a very lovely cabin. Can it win over Teutonic brand customers looking for a change? It'll be interesting to see.

The Audi A1 has firmly established itself as the ultimate supermini - the essence of democratic down-sizing. This second generation A1 Sportback is smarter, more efficient and better-equipped - and remains a seductive package for small car buyers. Luxury makers often cut corners to drive down the cost of their smaller models and it shows. Not Audi. In any form you choose, this A1 Sportback will always feel reassuringly expensive.

The premium compact car. If that concept means anything to you, then it's the car we look at here, Audi's A3 Sportback, that might well come to mind. True to the brand's Vorsprung durch Technik philosophy, this model once again aims to set fresh standards, incorporating a completely digitalised interior and cutting-edge infotainment, plus more unique light signatures, powerful engines and a suite of innovative assistance systems enveloped in a completely redesigned, yet immediately recognisable body. The result is a car that should show you just how far things have recently progressed in this segment.

Audi aimed to inject a little more fun into its SUV line-up with this more compact and affordable Q2 model - and has here lightly improved it. This little crossover is aimed at customers wanting a Nissan Juke-style small Crossover but requiring a little more class and quality. It's offered a new direction for the Ingolstadt brand.

The Q4 e-tron was the first production Audi built on the Volkswagen Group MEB platform for volume all-electric cars. This lower-mid-sized crossover is pricier of course than other similarly-sized full-battery-powered SUVs from the Wolfsburg conglomerate, but it delivers a much more up-market feel that'll help ease you into your new electrified phase of motoring ownership. Two years into its production life, it was usefully updated to create the car we're going to look at here.

The MK3 version of BMW's 1 Series gets a new platform, a new drive layout and new engines. It's sleeker, lighter, safer, more practical and more efficient than before. And, the company reckons, it's still the most rewarding steer in the premium compact hatch sector. Big claims for an important car.

Once BMW's frumpiest model, the 2 Series Active Tourer 5-seat MPV now has a much more fashionable vibe. Yet it's even more practical - and quite a lot cleverer too. A bit of a transformation's taken place here.

With this 2 Series Gran Coupe model, BMW belatedly joins the market for compact four-door coupes that previously Mercedes had almost to itself with their CLA. It shares nearly all its engineering with the 1 Series hatch, which means it's front-driven. But it's very much more aspirational.

BMW's i4 is a mid-sized EV sports saloon aimed at the very heart of the business sector, a car that incorporates all of the company's traditional brand values. And does so in a way that should appeal to EV customers looking for a more involving, individual choice in this segment.

The BMW of small, relatively affordable EVs now looks like this, the iX1. Visually, it's little different from any other third generation X1, but the 64.7kWh powertrain offers very competitive driving range, rapid performance and remarkable traction. A pricey package, but one with considerable potential.

The BYD Atto 3 enters the crowded market for compact family-sized Crossover EVs, though this fresh Chinese contender is a little less compact than its mass-market rivals - and in some ways, a little cleverer too. It's the alternative you probably won't have considered, but possibly should.

Try and picture a van-based compact people carrier. Bet you weren't imagining anything quite as nice as this. The MK3 model version of Citroën's remarkably civilised third generation Berlingo people carrier was further distanced from its predecessors' basic commercial roots in third generation form and is now back on sale in combustion form. With smart styling, plenty of equipment and efficient PureTech petrol and BlueHDi diesel engines, this value-for-money five-seater is still a vehicle that demands to be taken very seriously indeed. If you're after a budget family carry-all, it's well worth a look.

Citroen's third generation C3 supermini got a wash 'n brush-up in late 2020, with a slightly smarter looks, comfier seats and extra personalisation options. Here, it's been further tweaked, with a revamped trim range featuring extra equipment. It's still one of the most comfort-orientated small cars you can buy, though ultimately, there's nothing really revolutionary on offer here. Still, as a complete and highly personalisable package, it's desirably different.

Just because a car is fashionable doesn't mean it can't also be practical too. For proof of that, Citroen brings us this C3 Aircross, now usefully revised in this updated form. This complete and highly personalisable package is their idea of what a little SUV should be.

This third generation C4 is a far more creditable offering for Citroen in the family hatchback sector. And, the French brand hopes, can play its part in rejuvenating this segment by integrating SUV style and the option of full electric power into traditional family hatch design. Plus there's a clever suspension system to make this contender feel really Citroen-esque. And in recent times, the car's gained much improved cabin media tech.

The C4 X is 'the best of a hatchback, with the modernity of an SUV and the timelessness of a saloon', according to Citroen. Or you could simply see it as a sedan version of the brand's quirky C4 hatch. Either way, it's an ambitiously styled EV or combustion-powered four-door family saloon that's compact yet spacious, with a simply enormous boot.

Citroen's C5 Aircross is, according to its maker, 'the most comfortable SUV on the market'. Quite a claim, given that this isn't a large, luxury crossover but is targeted at family buyers currently considering volume mid-sized models in this class like Nissan's Qashqai and SEAT's Ateca. This revised version gets a more assertive look, higher equipment levels and a choice of conventional, mild hybrid or Plug-in Hybrid engines. Plus its smarter cabin is still one of the most spacious and flexible in the segment.

If Citroen is to return to its traditionalist roots, it needs a big, plush comfort-orientated quirky flagship model. Which is exactly what we've got with this car, the unusual but potentially rather pleasing C5 X. It's an unusual confection, but the right kind of customer might rather like it.

The electrified version of Citroen's Berlingo small MPV has remarkably few compromises if you're looking for a family EV. So if you can afford the price premium and cope with the 174 mile driving range, it might be tempting a option if you're looking for a full-electric compact family car and don't want a compact SUV. Here, there's the option of a 7-seat cabin too, which is rare to find in an EV at present.

The options for full-electric power are growing in the sector for really large MPVs. Here's Citroen's take on this concept, the e-SpaceTourer. In 50kWh form, it won't go particularly far on a single charge, but it'll seat up to nine, help you move house or function as an executive minibus. All without using a drop of fuel.