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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

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

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.

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

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

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

Subaru XV 2.0D

Sat, 12 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Price: From £24,110 (range spans £21,075 to £29,810)
Engine: 1,998cc, flat-four cylinders, 16 valves, turbodiesel, 145bhp
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox, four-wheel drive
Performance: 120mph, 0-62 in 9.3sec, 50.4mpg, CO2 146g/km

Chevrolet Cruze 1.7 VCDi

Fri, 11 May 2012 14:08:04 GMT

Engine: 1.7-litre four-cylinder diesel, turbocharged
Power: 130 PS at 4,000rpm
Torque: 300 Nm between 2,000 and 2,500 rpm
Fuel consumption (combined cycle): 62.7mpg
CO2 emissions: 117g/km
Top speed: 124mph
Acceleration (0-62 mph): 9.4 seconds
Price: from £16,725

Chevrolet Cruze

Fri, 11 May 2012 14:08:04 GMT

Chevrolet's Cruze is a world car - it needs to be in order to knit together the company's traditional US range and the line-up of smaller models produced by its Korean off-shoot, the former Daewoo operations.

Citroën DS5 DSport Hybrid 4 200 Airdream

Wed, 09 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Price: £32,200
Engine capacity: 2.0-litre diesel (163hp) plus a 148lb ft electric motor (37hp)
Top speed (mph): 131
0-62 mph (seconds): 8.3
Fuel economy (mpg): 68.9
CO2 emissions (g/km): 107

Honda Civic ES-T - iDrive

Fri, 04 May 2012 10:49:08 GMT

Price: £20,480
Engine capacity: 1.8-litre i-VTEC
Power output (PS @ rpm): 142 @ 6,500
Top speed (mph): 134
0-60 mph (seconds): 9.6
Fuel economy (mpg): 46.3
CO2 emissions (g/km): 145

BMW electric 1-Series ActiveE

Fri, 04 May 2012 10:34:57 GMT

Motor: synchronous electric motor (12,000 rpm max. speed)
Battery pack: 2kWh lithium-ion, 192 cells/25 modules divided between three compartments
Power: 170 PS
Torque: 250 Nm
Range: up to 100 miles
CO2 emissions: zero at tailpipe but overall impact depends on fuel burnt at power station
Top speed: 90 mph (artificially limited)
Acceleration (0-60 mph): 9 seconds
Price: trials vehicle not available for sale

Mini roadster SD

Wed, 02 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Price: £21,630
Engine capacity: 2.0-litre turbo diesel
Power output (bhp @ rpm): 141 @ 4,000
Top speed (mph): 132
0-62 mph (seconds): 8.1
Fuel economy (mpg): 62.8
CO2 emissions (g/km): 118

BMW ActiveHybrid 5

Wed, 02 May 2012 10:35:56 GMT

Engine: 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder petrol engine paired with electric motor
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 306 PS at 5,800 rpm + 40kW (electric motor)
Torque: 400 Nm between 1,200 and 4,000 rpm
Fuel consumption (combined cycle): 44.1 mpg
CO2 emissions: 149 g/km
Top speed: 155 mph (artificially limited)
Acceleration (0-62 mph): 5.9 seconds
Price: £46,855

Range Rover Evoque eD4 Coupé - First Drive for the 2wd

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:25:37 GMT

Engine: 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel, turbocharged
Transmission: six-speed manual, front-wheel drive, stop-start
Power: 150 PS at 4,000 rpm
Torque: 380 Nm at 1,750 rpm
Fuel consumption (combined cycle): 57.6 mpg
CO2 emissions: 129 g/km
Top speed: 112 mph
Acceleration (0-60 mph): 10.6 seconds

One For The Road: An older owner needs less power, easier access

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Terry Hamilton has always owned comfortable cars but as he is now 81, he's less concerned about power, more interested in easy access and has up to £12,000 to spend.

Mercedes-Benz SL 500

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Price: £80,000 approx (SL 350 £72,000 approx). On sale July
Engine: 4,663cc, V8 cylinders, 32 valves, twin turbochargers, 435bhp at 5,250rpm, 516lb ft at 1,800-3,500rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic gearbox, rear-wheel drive
Performance: 155mph, 0-62 in 4.6sec, 31.0mpg official average, CO2 212g/km

Vauxhall Zafira Tourer SRI

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Price: £25,915
Engine capacity: 2.0-litre CDTi turbo diesel
Power output (PS @ rpm): 165 @ 4,000
Top speed (mph): 129
0-62 mph (seconds): 9.1
Fuel economy (mpg): 54.3
CO2 emissions (g/km): 137

Chevrolet Aveo

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Price: Range from £9,995 to £13,615
Engine: 1,248cc, four cylinders, 16 valves, turbodiesel, 95bhp
Transmission: Five-speed gearbox, front-wheel drive
Performance: 108mph, 0-62 in 11.7sec, 78.4mpg, CO2 95g/km

Mini Cooper S Roadster

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:37:36 GMT

Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol, turbocharged
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 184 PS
Torque: 240 Nm between 1,600 and 5,000 rpm
Fuel consumption (combined cycle): 47.1 mpg
CO2 emissions: 139 g/km
Top speed: 141 mph
Acceleration (0-62 mph): 7.0 seconds
Price: £20,905

Porsche 911 Carrera

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Price: £71,449
Engine capacity: 3.4-litre flat-six
Power output (hp @ rpm): 350 @ 7400
Top speed (mph): 178
0-62 mph (seconds): 4.6
Fuel economy (mph): 34.4
CO2 emissions (g/km): 194

Volkswagen CC - Road Test

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:56:54 GMT

Volkswagen CC TDI 140 Blue Motion Tech

Price: £25,345 (CC prices from £24,205)

Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel, turbocharged

Transmission: six-speed manual (also available with six-speed DSG dual-clutch gearbox)

Power: 140 PS at 4,200 rpm

Torque: 320 Nm between 1,750 and 2,500 rpm

Fuel consumption (combined cycle): 60.1 mpg

CO2 emissions: 125 g/km

Top speed: 133 mph

Acceleration (0-62 mph): 9.8 seconds

Porsche Boxster S

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Price: From £45,385 (Boxster non-S from £37,589). On sale May
Engine: 3,436cc, flat-six cylinders, 24 valves, 315bhp
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox, rear-wheel drive
Performance: 173mph, 0-62 in 5.1sec, 32.1mpg, CO2 206g/km