Almost by definition, the most exciting newcomers of 2016 will be high-performance sedans and hatches – quick but practical cars that are within reach of people on average earnings.

Ford’s Focus RS (pictured top) will be the wildest hot-hatch to join their ranks. It will sell alongside the Focus ST in Ford showrooms from February. Unlike limited-run previous versions, the new RS will have all-wheel-drive, which will help it deploy the 2.3-litre Ecoboost four-cylinder turbo engine’s prodigious 257kW.

Focus RS highlights include a dynamic torque vectoring system, a drive mode system with launch control and a ‘drift’ mode, and selectable sport suspension. There will also be 19-inch alloys and gripping Recaro front seats.

Subaru -Levorg -front -driving -around -corner

We’ll also be treated to a Peugeot 308 GTI (pictured below) in February. Considering how good the mainstream 308 line-up is – and the fact the GTI will be a manual-only front-drive with a 200kW 1.6 turbo – it should be a cracker.

Peugeot -308-GTI

We’d also have welcomed the 228kW Honda Civic Type R offered overseas, with its direct-injected 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder. But with the ninth-generation Civic set to be superseded, the ordinarily rev-happy Honda’s first snail-assisted Type R looks highly unlikely to make it to Oz.

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Hot limited-edition versions of the Ford Falcon badged ‘XR Sprint’ will also roll from Broadmeadows in 2016, in a send-off for the model before Ford shuts its local manufacturing operation in October. The XR Sprint will come in both V8-powered XR8 and turbo six cylinder XR6 Turbo forms, and while the Falcon has fallen out of fashion, the pair should still be ripper drives and a fitting finale.