Rarely has 12 months of motoring offered the prospect of so many exciting new small cars. From the funky Volkswagen up! city car to the sporty Ford Fiesta ST, there will be new models available for every budget. While models like the Audi A3 will be adorning driveways up and down the country, the cutting-edge Renault Twizy electric car is likely to be a rare sight. Read on for our rundown of the launches we're most looking forward to in 2012...

Audi A1 Sportback
Following from the three door Audi A1, the Audi A1 Sportback will offer five doors, more space and practicality, and will cost from £14,000.

Audi A3
The Audi A3 will be the German marque's most important launch of the year. Three-door, five-door Sportback and Cabriolet models will continue to be offered, but saloon and quasi-4x4 Allroad models will swell the ranks.

Fiat Panda
The replacement for the 2004 Car of the Year winner comes at a great time - buyers are crying out for funky and affordable cars, and the new Fiat Panda carries this off with ease.

Ford Fiesta ST
The Ford Fiesta has been crying out for a hot engine, and the 180bhp 1.6 turbo will fit the bill. It arrives at the end of 2012, and the Fiesta ST is tipped to be one of the year's top pocket rockets.

Ford Focus BEV
The Nissan LEAF won't have the electric family car market all to itself once the Ford Focus BEV is launched. Few details have been announced, but it is expected to have a range of around 100 miles, a top speed of around 85mph and will take three to four hours for a full recharge.

Ford Focus ST
Out goes the sonorous five-cylinder engine from the old Ford Focus ST, and in comes with a 2-litre turbo that's 20 per cent more efficient and even more potent. The new Focus ST will pack aggressive looks and will spawn an estate version for the first time.

Ford Kuga
The all-new Ford Kuga was unveiled at November's L.A. motor show and looks stunning. Predictably it'll be greener than the current Ford Kuga, and comes packed with new technology including a bootlid which can be opened by the driver making a kicking motion under the rear of the car.

Geely Emgrand EC7
A new name to British buyers is Geely. The Chinese car maker, which owns Volvo, will introduce its Emgrand EC7 saloon and hatchback which will offer a low-cost rival to the Skoda Octavia. Prices will be as low as £10,000.

Hyundai i30
The last couple of years have been a purple patch for Hyundai and its new i30 hatchback looks to continue that trend. It looks more upmarket than the current Hyundai i30 and should be safer and cheaper to run. Of course, it'll come with Hyundai's five-year warranty too.

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Renault Twingo
The Renault Twingo will receive significant revisions and is the first Renault to feature styling cues showcased on its recent concept cars. New colours and decals allow buyers to customise their car, and its engines will be more efficient.

Renault Twizy
Some cars claim to be radically different from other cars on the road - the Renault Twizy really is. Conceived as a second car for use around town, the Twizy looks like something from the Jetsons and promises to be excellent around town with its electric drivetrain.

SEAT Leon
The third generation of SEAT Leon will arrive in 2012 and promises more of the design flair the current car offers. It will spawn a plug-in hybrid version at the end of the year, and an all-electric version soon after.

SEAT Mii
One of three takes on the Volkswagen up!, the SEAT Mii is a dinky city car with a choice of two 1-litre petrol engines, agile handling and space for four. The Mii oozes chic appeal and makes an ideal city car.

Skoda Citigo
The second version of the Volkwagen up! is another route into up! ownership without breaking the bank. The Skoda Citigo also offers two different 1-litre engines developing either 58 or 74bhp which is plenty to make the Citigo a nippy urban car.

Toyota Yaris HSD
The new Toyota Yaris has had a cool reception since being introduced in 2011, but its appeal will widen with the hybrid HSD version. It will join the Honda Jazz in the hybrid supermini sector.

Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet
The recently-launched Volkswagen Beetle will be joined by a convertible version. Topless models enjoyed huge success with the previous model, which suited the Beetle's cutesy looks. A range of petrol and diesel engines will be offered.

Volkswagen Beetle R
Unveiled as a concept at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show, the production version of the Volkswagen Beetle R will offer similarly aggressive looks and the 2-litre turbo from the Golf R and Scirocco R with around 265bhp.

Volkswagen up!
The replacement for the Fox, the Volkswagen up!, might have compact dimensions, but it's surprisingly adept on the motorway. It comes with VW's upmarket image, stylish looks and starts at a competitive £8k - although for that, don't expect much standard equipment.