The world premieres that'll be at next month's Geneva motor show are racking up. The latest car to make its bow at the Swiss show is this, the new Mazda 3 MPS. It's the hot version of the mk2 Mazda 3, the follow up to an accomplished but largely underrated car.

The same goes for the MPS version, which in mk1 guise piled a load of power under the bonnet while undercutting all of its key rivals from Ford, Volkswagen and Vauxhall. 256bhp for £18k sounds like fantastic value, but while the front-wheel-drive Mazda managed to fend off seemingly inevitable torque-steer, it managed to be a lot less fun than the significantly down on power Focus ST, Golf GTI and Astra VXR.

Mazda will hope to turn that around with this new version, which boasts more dramatic looks (check out that front air scoop and he substantial rear spoiler) than its predecessor as well as a drop in weight. The same 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine sits powering the front wheels, but expect small rises over the outgiong car's 256bhp and 280lb ft, with a sub-6sec 0-60mph sprint a possibility. Top speed is likely to remain pegged back at 155mph.

That puts it behind the Ford Focus RS which has a confirmed 163mph maximum thanks to its 300bhp five-cylinder engine. The Mazda 3 MPS is likely to be well short of the Ford's £25k asking price, however - expect it to be just shy of £20k when it hits the UK later this year. Have a read of our review of the mk1 Mazda 3 MPS here.