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301 saloon heralds new chapter for Peugeot

Fri, 25 May 2012 12:07:56 GMT

A new Peugeot, the 301, promises to be one of the most significant models in the venerable French car-maker's history. It is the first of a separate range of cars designed to meet the specific requirements of customers in emerging economies but also marks a big change in the system of model names Peugeot has used for over eighty years.

Kia cee'd 2 1.6 CRDi - First Drive

Fri, 25 May 2012 10:39:33 GMT

Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Transmission: six-speed manual (optional six-speed automatic)
Power: 126 bhp at 4,000 rpm
Torque: 192 Nm at between 1,900 and 2,750 rpm
Fuel consumption (combined cycle): 76.3 mpg
CO2 emissions: 97 g/km
Top speed: 122 mph
Acceleration (0-62 mph): 11.5 seconds

Car price inflation up to 8.5%

Thu, 24 May 2012 07:31:28 GMT

The price of some top-selling cars has risen well above the inflation rate over the last four years, according to Which? magazine.

The 10 Best car gadgets

Wed, 23 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

1. Prestigio Car Video Recorder

Mazda CX-5 - First Drive

Wed, 23 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Price: £21,395 to £28,795
Tested: 2.2 AWD Sport Nav diesel
Power output (PS @ rpm): 175 @ 4,500
Top speed (mph): 136
0-60 mph (seconds): 8.8
Fuel economy (mpg): 54.3
CO2 emissions (g/km): 139

Mazda CX-5

Wed, 23 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

The 10 best car gadgets

Wed, 23 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

1. Prestigio Car Video Recorder

Ford regains its credit rating and famous logo

Wed, 23 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Ford has reclaimed control over its famous blue oval, six years after it mortgaged the logo and a host of other assets in a desperate attempt to avert bankruptcy.

Pre-1960 vehicles to be exempted from MoT

Mon, 21 May 2012 09:54:45 GMT

Classic and historic vehicles are to be exempted from the annual MoT test, the Government announced today.

Rare Aston Martin fetches over £1.2 million at auction

Sun, 20 May 2012 09:17:57 GMT

A rare sports car has fetched over £1.2 million at auction.

Ford Focus 1.0 EcoBoost

Sat, 19 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Downsizing. It's the word on every car engineer's lips, because smaller is lighter and more efficient. New cars are finally starting to shrink a little compared with their grotesquely bloated predecessors, but with the engines that power them, the process is considerably more advanced.

One for the road: An automatic with more room than a Civic 2.2

Sat, 19 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Mark Tennant wants to change his Honda Civic 2.2, ideally for an automatic petrol car with more room and better fuel consumption. He has £10,000 to spend.

First Drive: BMW 640d Gran Coupé

Fri, 18 May 2012 15:27:02 GMT

Engine: 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder turbo-diesel

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Volswagen CC GT

Thu, 17 May 2012 23:00:58 GMT

Price: £30,105

Engine capacity: 2.0-litre turbo diesel

Power output (PS @ rpm): 170 @ 4,200

Top speed (mph): 137

0-60 mph (seconds): 8.6

Fuel economy (mpg): 51.4

CO2 emissions (g/km): 144

Green motoring finds a new fan

Thu, 17 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

In Edward Glaeser's totemic 2011 book, The Triumph of the City, he points out that if China were to suburbanise and become as car-dependent as America, the effect on the environment of China's 1.3 billion people driving would be fatal to the environment.

Vauxhall confirms new Astra wil be built at Ellesmere Port in £125m jobs boost

Thu, 17 May 2012 13:30:11 GMT

A future of a car factory has been secured for years after workers agreed to a "ground-breaking" pay and conditions deal clearing the way for investment worth £125 million.

UK car production up 9.3% as General Motors announce Ellesmere Port Vauxhall investment

Thu, 17 May 2012 08:37:29 GMT

The number of cars built in the UK last month was almost 10 per cent up on a year ago, boosted by strong export demand, new figures showed.

Ford Focus 1.0-litre Ecoboost Zetec

Wed, 16 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Price: £17,945

Power output: 123bhp @ 6000rpm

Torque: 125lb ft @ 1500-4500 rpm

Top speed: 120mph

0-62 mph: 11.3sec

Economy (mpg): 56.5

CO2 emissions (g/km): 114

1.0-litre Ecoboost: Smaller, faster, stronger

Wed, 16 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Essex is Ford country. Park at the company's technical centre in Dunton and you'll see just about every model the American giant produces. Don't breathe too deeply though; it's 28 miles from London's diesel-guzzling black cabs, belching red buses and thirsty Chelsea tractors and only six miles along the busy A127 to the gyratory of gridlock that is the M25. It's no wonder that down the road the once-gleaming Basildon town sign (erected in the style of its more famous Hollywood rival) has taken on a slightly grey hue. For Essex, like the rest of the county, shows little sign of falling out of love with the car as new sales, and particularly sales of diesels, defy the recession and grow.

Audi A3 2.0 TDI 150PS - First Drive

Wed, 16 May 2012 09:09:45 GMT

Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 150 PS between 3,500 and 4,000 rpm
Torque: 320 Nm between 1,750 and 3,000 rpm
Fuel consumption (combined cycle): 68.9 mpg
CO2 emissions: 106 g/km
Top speed: 134 mph
Acceleration (0-62 mph): 8.6 seconds

Road safety: The traffic-light statistic that has cyclists seeing red

Tue, 15 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

The pointless war of the roads between cyclists ("Lycra louts") and motorists ("murderers") has flared again, ignoring the fact they are generally the same people.

Are electric cars about to make a surge at last?

Mon, 14 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Last year, riding high on a promise to be the greenest government ever, the Department for Transport hailed 2011 as the "year of the electric car". Subsidies were offered and councils were told to plan for an electric future. The long-promised revolution in the way we drive was finally here, it seemed.

Charge motorists per mile, says IFS

Mon, 14 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Motorists should be charged for every mile they drive as a way of cutting petrol prices and reducing traffic jams, an influential think tank says in a report today.

Chevrolet announces new small SUV

Mon, 14 May 2012 16:07:58 GMT

Chevrolet has released a picture of its forthcoming new small SUV, the Trax, which is expected to be seen in the metal for the first time at the Paris Motor Show in September.

One For The Road: A GP doing the rounds (as well as the dog park)

Sat, 12 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Christianne Harris has a 2006 Prius, which suits her duties as a GP, but her Bernese Mountain Dog is finding life cramped in the back. Her budget is around £20,000 to £30,000.