The roads of the northern tip of Denmark can be a lonely place at this time of year. Surrounding fields are empty save for the odd sow and her piglets wondering from pen to pen.
While the road infrastructure is comparable to anything the Germans can come up with, the local car fleet is more reminiscent of Bratislava, due to exorbitant taxation that would even make the Irish motorist wince.
You're more likely to see the rear-engined Skoda Estelle than a dressed up Subaru Impreza tottering down the wooded treks.
It's not the sort of setting where you'd expect to find a fleet of cars comprising 28 of the latest new models and facelifts to hit the European car market this year.
Yet the tiny beach resort of Tannis, rarely featured on even detailed road maps of the tip of the Jutland peninsula, is the setting for a week of car testing for European motoring journalists, with a car park crammed full of everything from the new Alfa Romeo 159 to the upcoming Volkswagen Fox and all in between, including the new Mercedes S-Class and the Porsche Cayman S.
Many of the cars have yet to make their way to European launch, never mind Irish forecourts and as such it's a wonderful opportunity to put the new cars through their paces and pit them against their nearest rivals.
Of the collection of cars on offer, several caught our attention. In the small car market, Volkswagen offered up its new Fox city car. The test car was powered by an impressive 1.2-litre 55bhp engine and offered the sort of quality fit and finish one would expect from a much larger car.
That said, pricing in Ireland has yet to be announced and the failure of the Irish distributor to make much of the car's imminent arrival suggests there's not a strong belief that it will be a major player in the market.
In the supermini category, the new Yaris comes with either 1.3-litre petrol or 1.4-litre diesel, and a look that's not a million miles away from the new Aygo city car.
Front lights are higher set, taking on a Micra-like position and the digital speedometer and high-tech interior styling reflects yet more moves by the Japanese marque to shed its rather dowdy image in the small car market and win over some young buyers. Again the petrol is a much more refined option than the diesel and far more relevant to potential Irish buyers.
Yet for all Toyota's qualities, it's still the attraction of the Suzuki Swift that makes it our firm favourite in this class and another 200kms behind the wheel served only to reassure us as to why we like it so much, both as a fun drive and a great leap forward in terms of styling by the traditionally dull marque.
Of the family hatchbacks, there's no getting away from the new Seat Leon, a real eyecatcher with the sort of styling to leave others in the shade. While the interior trim fails to live up to the exterior promise (could Seat not take a look inside an Alfa for some interior design cues) the performance is worthy of the look and whenever we felt a little tired of the interior, we simply pulled in and took a look at the view other road users were getting.
Of the saloons, the 159 is sure to catch a lot of attention on the road, but behind the wheel there's still nothing as impressive as the new 3-Series BMW.
Then there's the people carriers. Opel's Zafira remains king of this segment in terms of overall ability - though the Renault Scenic seems a favourite with buyers.
However, a recent entry, the Mazda5, has entered the fray with similar flexible seating but a much more executive saloon feel to the cabin. With prices for its 1.8-litre version in line with the 1.6-litre Zafira with Life specification, it's going to be a close run thing.
Finally, for the petrolheads for whom money is not an obstacle, the S-Class offers the sort of luxury, if not the styling, that one equates with a flagship in the premium segment. The seats alone feature the sort of comfort and suppleness that makes even the most expensive sofa seem tough and uncomfortable.
With the TV on and the seat gently massaging your back, you could happily encamp to the car. Meanwhile, the Porsche Cayman S offers the sort of soundtrack you'd expect from its supercar sibling, the Carrera GT and the styling is breathtaking.
From the selection of cars coming our way this year, Irish motorists are in for some real treats in the coming months.
Motors will feature first drives in many of these cars in the coming weeks
