Best new-car deals for September

Look for the latitude in new car prices right now as competition ramps up the deals. Vehicles don't need to be in runout mode to earn big discounts — a new rival, a dip in sales or a directive from head office to boost sales can get the sales crew trimming margins.

Which brings us to the Mitsubishi Outlander LS. The mid-sized SUV's list price — before dealer delivery, third party insurance and registration — is $28,490 for the manual front-wheel drive version. You can drive an "automatic" (it's a continuously variable transmission) model out of the nearest showroom for $27,990 until September 30.

Smart marketing has helped the Outlander to claim sixth place in the ferocious mid-sized SUV fight and deals like this won't hurt.

The LS, with a 2.0-litre engine (110kW/ 190Nm), claims 6.7L/100km. Features include reversing camera, 6.1-inch touchscreen, auto headlamps and wipers, cruise control and 18-inch alloy wheels. ANCAP crash-tested the Outlander last year, awarding it five stars.

Skoda is looking to quicken the pace on Rapid Spaceback sales with drive-away prices of $18,990 for the 81TSI manual and $21,790 for the 92TSI auto — list prices are $17,990 and $20,990 respectively.

Free five-year warranty and five annual/15,000km services sweeten the deal for those who sign up for the company's finance package (always check the fine print). The deal runs until September 30.

The manual is powered by a 1.2-litre turbo; the dual-clutch auto harnesses the outputs of a turbo 1.4. Standard gear includes a five-inch touchscreen, cruise control — and an umbrella stored under the front passenger seat. ANCAP awarded five stars to the Rapid in 2014.

Ford is value-adding to the Focus with solid discounts across the five-door hatch range — the incentive is the 20 per cent drop in year-to-date sales. The Trend is now a $24,490 drive-away proposition against a list price of $23,390; the Sport is $27,990 out the door compared to a listed $26,490 and the Titanium is $33,990 (list price, $32,690).

Adding to the appeal is a factory offer of $500 cashback or three annual/15,000km services free.

Standard kit on the Focus range includes an eight-inch touchscreen with satnav and Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connectivity, reversing camera and cruise control. The 1.5-litre manual is good for a claimed 5.8L/100km in the Trend and Sport and, with the six-speed auto in the Titanium, 6.4L.

ANCAP gave it five stars last year. The Focus is one of the better small car drives.

Which do you think is the best value deal this month? Tell us what you think in the comments below.