Long gone are the days when a manufacturer of upmarket cars could survive with two or three model ranges.

A combination of exploring various niches together with the increasing popularity of premium badge cars has led to a proliferation of models from BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz that have made it harder for mainstream brands to compete.

There’s a school of thought among many motoring writers and journalists that states that the entry-level model of any car range is more often than not the best of the bunch

For the last half century readers of car reviews the world over have been told by both the great and the good, and those of us still learning the ropes, that Porsche’s 911 is at its best when it's two-wheel drive, devoid of spoilers and comes with a manual gearbox. Forget the GT3 a bog-standard Carrera is really the purest way to experience what Porsche call “driving in its purest form”.

According to those in the know it’s that same story for the BMW 3-series, the Range-Rover and the Ford Fiesta too. So what exactly any of this got to do with Bentley Continental you see before you?

The latest Audi A3 made its UK debut in September 2012, but the best-selling body-style in the range is the five-door Sportback.

It has always fared well against compact upmarket rivals from BMW and Lexus, but now Mercedes-Benz and Volvo have credible alternatives in the sector with the new A-Class and the V40.

Customers who need the extra practicality have had to wait until spring 2013, but early signs suggest it is well worth the wait.

This is only the fourth new Range Rover since the first in 1970 – which came with an asking price of £1,800.

Range Rover II arrived in 1994 and ‘Series III’ in 2002.  Range Rover III abandoned a separate chassis for unitary bodywork, albeit reinforced for off-road use.  It might have broken a Land Rover tradition at the time but that was when it broke into the luxury car class – and there was no going back.

Range Rover IV is also new from the ground up and just as radical a departure.

This is Britain’s cheapest new car. At £5,995 the Dacia Sandero costs less than some watches, less than what the average UK family owes in unsecured borrowings and at £69 per month it is available for the same price as what some people pay for gym membership.

But is it any good? It is Britain’s cheapest car, so don’t expect miracles, but it’s not bad, even if it is no-frills (or thrills for that matter).

Performance has often taken a back seat when it comes to company cars, particularly as the regime of CO2 emissions has become increasingly punitive for thirsty cars.

Many drivers have become used to choosing diesel cars, and diesel car manufacturers have developed increasingly powerful engines.

For example, it’s now possible to choose a 313bhp diesel Audi A6 or BMW 5 Series as manufacturers have developed twin-turbo six-cylinder diesels.

But what if that isn’t enough?

Audi's business model really seems to work. Part of the vast Volkswagen Group, the company can purchase components at "volume" rates and sell its cars at premium prices.

VW is vying for world No 1 position ahead of General Motors and Toyota. Audi wants to be the number one premium car brand and the Allroad is part of that picture.

Most car companies now have a parallel range of SUVs alongside their saloons, hatches and estates. Increasingly, such SUVs have MPV-like 7-seat interiors and are some way from being out and out offroad dual-purpose vehicles with a transfer box and high/low ratio gears.

It’s 10 years since Mazda surprised us with the first Mazda6. It was remarkable not because it was good value for money and was roomy and reliable, but because it was a great-looking car that injected some much-needed fun into the upper-medium sector.

The 2002 Mazda6 heralded the company’s ‘zoom-zoom’ advertising campaign, and with a steering rack lifted from the sporty MX-5 roadster, it offered the sharpest drive of any car in its class.

Its replacement in 2007 promised more of the same, but it wasn’t as dramatic a departure from what went before and by this time, the fleet market, where Mazda had enjoyed some success with the original Mazda6, was more vigilant about CO2 emissions and overall running costs. Fleet interest dwindled.

A year ago Renault took dramatic action to avoid a crisis in the UK. It removed less popular models from sale and scaled back on low profit fleet business after admitting its significant contribution to the manufacturer’s volume.

Now heavily reliant on the Megane and Clio for UK sales, updates and new models have to count and ensure they have broad appeal. Revisions to the Megane earlier this year introduced class-leading low CO2 emissions and fuel efficiency.

Clio is a tougher test as much has happened in the small car sector in the seven years since the outgoing model made its debut

BMW’s latest high-performance version of the 3 Series (the M3 is a little while in the future yet) is also one of its most fuel efficient.

For a handful of urban-based drivers, or those with a particular aversion to diesel engines, there is now a high-performance petrol-electric hybrid in the BMW ActiveHybrid 3.

It uses the twin-turbo 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine used in other BMW models (producing 306bhp), with a battery-powered electric motor producing enough power for a total system output of 340bhp.