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Now that all the festivities are behind us and everyone is back to work with a bang, Diesel Car is starting the year in style with its first ever Performance Issue. We take a look at the sportier end of the marketplace, including tests of the BMW 420d Coupé, Volkswagen Golf GTD and SEAT Leon SC FR, as well as Porsche’s Panamera S E-Hybrid. We’ve also got behind the wheel of the Range Rover SDV8, Vauxhall Zafira BiTurbo and MINI Paceman Cooper SD in addition to the Kia pro_cee’d and Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class Shooting Brake. There’s also an insight into the world of hybrid hypercars and Mazda’s brand new 3 Sport Nav takes on the SEAT Leon FR in this month’s twin test. There’s first tests of the brand new baby SUV from Ford, the EcoSport, and we test the Lexus GS 300h executive saloon. Mitsubishi’s ASX with new 2.2-litre DI-D engine and automatic transmission is driven for the first time on UK roads, and we put the Mazda3 Fastback, the new saloon edition, through its paces. There’s advice on getting the best price for your car insurance and breakdown cover, and this month’s used car buyer’s guide is all about the Volkswagen Passat CC. Of course, there’s all the favourites that you’ve come to love, including Doctor Diesel, The Extra Mile, Tuning News and full reports on our fleet of long-term test cars, including newcomers like the Isuzu D-Max Double Cab and Suzuki SX4 S-Cross. The news and marketplace sections are as jam packed as ever, and the Data Files remain the most up to date anywhere in the business.