THE Avenger could be poised for a return to Britain - this time from iconic US brand Dodge.

Avenger is a name that first arrived on UK roads during British car manufacturing's golden years of the 1960s, and disappeared shortly after the 1970s - an era seen as the indigenous firms' main decade of decline.

Sold mainly under the Hillman badge, and made here from around 1969 to 1981, the Avenger was a popular seller.

Now, Dodge has unveiled a new Mondeo-sized concept at the Paris Motor Show - labelled as the Avenger.

Although billed as a concept, it's well-known that a D-segment - the Ford Mondeo class - Dodge vehicle is set for launch in the UK next year, with the firm is looking for a strong presence in the large family car market.

The all-new Avenger is, says Dodge, a strong hint of that coming car, a bold, styling statement "that does away with the idea that a functional mid-size car is automatically boring".

The Paris Show concept is finished in a striking Inferno Red, and the firm hopes it will appeal to car buyers who need the practicality and fuel efficiency of a mid-size saloon, but with innovative features and solid performance.

"This Avenger is another expression of where the Dodge brand is headed," says Trevor Creed, senior design vice president for brand owner, the Chrysler Group.

"The concept brings Dodge brand American muscle-car heritage into the global mid-size car segment, and offers a unique alternative to the competition."

The car's front has a bold presence, with large headlamps surrounded by black housings either side of the signature Dodge crosshair grille.

The Avenger's side profile is distinguished by a long bonnet, muscular rear shoulders, short boot overhang and a sleek rear spoiler. The wide stance, lowered ride height and deep side sills, accentuate the sporty look, backed by five-spoke 19-inch wheels with wide performance tyres. Under the show concept's bonnet is a 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine.

For anyone still not familiar with the Dodge brand, it sold more than 1.4 million vehicles worldwide in 2005, and has a US market share of seven per cent. The Dodge Caliber family hatchback is spearheading the brand's expansion into Britain and Europe, to be followed early in 2007 by the Dodge Nitro off-roader, and the high-performance Dodge Caliber SRT4.

Hyundai, meanwhile, has the stunning Arnejs concept on view in Paris, the best clue yet as to what the company's new small family car will look like when it arrives in the UK next summer. The Arnejs, pronounced Ar-nez, has been designed at Hyundai's design centre in Russelsheim, Germany, and is destined to give the firm a stronger brand identity.

Finally, Kia's all-new cee'd family car is on show in production form in Paris, having been first unveiled as a concept at the British Motor Show in London earlier this summer.

The cee'd goes on sale across Europe in December, and will be the first model to be produced at Kia's new state of the art factory in Slovakia. It continues Kia's "reinvention", which first began with the introduction of the Picanto less than three years ago. Kia has since introduced a whole range of new motors.