Nissan to Build Upcoming VW Golf Rival at Barcelona Plant

Up until last year, the Nissan Group's plan was to have Magna Steyr contract-manufacture a new Infiniti premium compact model based on the Etherea concept in Austria, and build its upcoming Opel Astra and VW Golf rivaling hatchback at its own Sunderland plant in the UK.

In December, the Japanese carmaker announced a change of plans, with the Infiniti model to be manufactured in Sunderland and the Nissan hatch to be produced at another facility in Europe.
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New Special Edition Suzuki Swift SZ-L Launched in the UK

After premiering alongside the new Swift Sport SZ-R at last month's Autosport International, Suzuki's tamer Special Edition Swift SZ-L is now available for sale in the UK on the brand's recently extended VAT free promotion until the 31st of March, with prices set at £10,599 for three door model and £11,016 for five door variant.

Building on the regular 1.2-liter SZ3, the SZ-L comes with added equipment and features such as a roof spoiler, rear privacy glass, bespoke 16-inch alloy wheels and free metallic paint in a choice of four colours on the outside, and red accents to the steering wheel and gearshift surround, plus cruise control for the interior.
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What's Better for the Snow: A FWD Model with Winter Tires or an AWD Model with Regular Tires?

It's a question asked by many automobile owners living in a number of regions around the world with harsh winters and lots of snow; would you be better off with a front-wheel drive (FWD) model fitted with winter tires that you can swap once the weather warms up, or an all-wheel drive (AWD) vehicle with regular rubber?

The difference in pricing between winter tires and the option of all-wheel drive on a FWD car varies among automakers and even individual models, though, you should keep in mind that a second set of tires can potentially extend the life of your standard wheels.
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Nissan Lowers Price of 2013 Leaf EV by €3,000 in Europe

Less than 10 days after it dropped the price of the U.S.-made Leaf by more than US$6,000, Nissan announced that it is making its all-electric five-door compact hatchback more affordable in Europe, too, reducing its price by €3,000 (US$4,000).

As of today, the Leaf starts from €25,990 (US$34,644) in France and £23,490 (€28,490, US$37,979) in the United Kingdom.
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New Ford Fiesta ST Priced from £16,995 in the UK

Ford has released UK pricing for the new Fiesta ST three-door hot hatch ahead of its market launch in March. It will be offered in two trims, with the base ST model starting at £16,995, which Ford says is "up to £2,000 less than the segment competitors", and the better-equipped ST2 grade, priced at £17,995.

The performance-orientated version of the updated Fiesta series features a 1.6-liter turbocharged EcoBoost petrol engine producing 180hp (182PS) and peak torque of 214 lb-ft (290Nm).
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VW Launches New Touareg R-Line, Drops Prices of CC in the UK

The Volkswagen brand is expanding the range of its Touareg SUV in Britain with the addition of a new R-Line trim that is based on the Altitude. According to VW, the R-Line adds a host of extra equipment features and unique styling cues, worth over £4,000, for a premium of £750.

On the outside, the R-Line models ride on new 20-inch alloy wheels wrapped around in tires size 275/45 R20, while also gaining new front and rear bumpers, plus side skirts. Bi-xenon headlights with dynamic curve lighting and LED daytime running lights, and LED tail lamps come as standard.
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Warranty Direct Reveals UK’s Least Reliable Engines, 3 German Brands Among the Worst

Cars are complicated machines made out of thousands of parts that, even when their owners take great care of them and follow the user and service manuals religiously, sometimes go wrong. After all, that’s what warranties are for.

Of course, warranties at some point expire, and while a light bulb or something equally minor may be of little concern, the engine is a completely different, much more scary and costly issue.
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EVO Reviews the Aston Martin Rapide, Compares it to the Maserati Gran Turismo

If Aston Martin’s Rapide strikes you as an elongated DB9 with two extra doors and seats, that is because, well, it is.

Designed as a more practical alternative to the British luxury automaker’s line-up, which otherwise consists only of two-door models, the truth is that the Rapide may be the one of the sexiest four-door models on sale, but it hasn’t managed to achieve the kind of sales Aston was hoping for.
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Peugeot Introduces New Special Edition 208 Intuitive in the UK

A new special edition version of the 208 supermini named Intuitive has been added to Peugeot's UK lineup. It is offered with a choice of an 81hp (82PS) 1.2-liter petrol and two HDi diesel engines, a 69hp (70PS) 1.4-liter and a 91hp (92PS) 1.6-liter unit, in both three- and five-door body styles.

More of an equipment package than anything else, the Intuitive is based on the Allure trim grade adding a host of equipment and technology features such as an automatic Park Assist system that controls the steering with the driver managing the accelerator, brakes, gears and clutch.
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Londoners Enraged by Arab Supercar Invasion, Deeply Annoyed by Their Behavior

Britain, like the rest of Europe, is facing a recession. Gulf States’ economies, on the other hand, are growing by around 6 percent a year. Add in the fact that the latter are the single largest producer of crude oil in the world and you can easily see why exotic supercars are flying out of the showrooms.

In Dubai, there’s a 20-month waiting list for the US$525,000 Lamborghini Aventador. It’s not just the Lambo: in the Gulf region, there’s every kind of supercar you can think of – and then some more.
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Top Gear UK to Begin Filming on January 23, Air on January 27? Plus New Trailer for Season 19

We missed them last year after the BBC decided to move Top Gear season 19 to 2013, but fear not, as Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May will soon be back on our tellies.
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Past Masters: Andrew Frankel Revisits the 1992 Jaguar XJ220 Supercar

In 1988, Jaguar unveiled a new concept at the NEC Auto Show in Birmingham. It was a study for a lightweight, mid-engined supercar to compete against the Ferrari F40 and the Porsche 959.

A 6.2-liter V12 engine from the XJR-9 endurance racer, an all-wheel drive system, scissor-style doors and a target of reaching 220 mph (355 km/h), which gave the car its XJ220 moniker, wetted the affluent customers’ appetite.
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CAR Magazine Puts Together a Motley Crew in its Search for the World’s Best Car

Car of the year is so old hat; picking the world’s best car, on the other hand, is quite an ambitious undertaking. It’s an intriguing one, too, and probably that’s the reason CAR magazine decided to go ahead with it for their December 2012 issue cover story.
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The Top 10 Cars Most Likely to be Targeted by Thieves in Britain

General insurance company Swiftcover has released a list with the top 10 vehicles that are most likely to be stolen in Britain.

The company states it analyzed more than 2,300 theft claims among the UK vehicles it insured from February 2011 to February 2012, while taking into account the estimated numbers of cars on the road and removing models with less than ten cases of theft per year.
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Bentley Fires Plant Priest Before Christmas Because it Doesn't Want to Offend Non-Christian Workers…

Reverend Francis Cook was employed by Bentley for the past 10 years. Once a week, he visited the VW Group-owned luxury automaker’s factory in Crewe, England, and chatted to its employees, run Christian courses and written messages in the company’s newsletters.
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Chevrolet Cruze Now Available in the UK with New 1.7-liter Diesel that Returns up to 72.4mpg

Chevrolet has announced the availability of a new and more frugal diesel engine for its UK market Cruze. The 1.7-liter VCDi unit will be offered on the five-door hatchback version of the Cruze starting in May and the newly revealed Station Wagon variant later this year.

The four-cylinder turbo diesel develops a maximum output of 128-horses (130PS) and a peak torque of 300Nm (221 lb-ft) accelerating the hatchback model from 0-60mph (96km/h) in 9.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 124mph (200km/h).

It returns a fuel economy of 51.3mpg UK in the city, 72.4mpg UK (3.9lt/100km or 60.3mpg US) on the highway and 62.7mpg UK (4.5lt/100km or 52.2mpg US) combined, with CO2 emissions of 117g/km.

Chevrolet UK Managing Director Mark Terry commented: "The new 1.7 VCDi gives Chevrolet a real opportunity to compete in the core area of the five-door hatchback market, where tax implications, fuel economy and CO2 emissions are critical."

The 1.7 VDCi will be offered in three trim levels on the Cruze Hatch including the entry-level LS, which is priced at £16,725 and comes with features such as air conditioning, ESC, remote central locking, follow-me-home headlamps, electrically-adjustable mirrors and electric front windows.

The mid-range LT is priced at £17,825, while the range topping LTZ at £18,685.

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Dacia to Accept Pre-Orders for Duster with £100 deposit as it Prepares for UK Launch

The Renault Group's Dacia brand continues its pre-launch activities in Britain with the announcement of pre-ordering for the Duster compact SUV. The company said that as soon as it announces pricing and specifications for the Duster SUV on June 28, it will begin accepting pre-orders online with a £100 deposit.
The Romanian budget brand said the Duster's range will start from less than £10,000 (€12,150 or US$16,000) for the front-wheel drive models, while 4x4 versions available from less than £12,500 (€15,150 or US$19,900).

The right-hand drive variant of Dacia’s SUV will be built at the new Renault-Nissan Alliance factory in India, with the first model to begin arriving in UK dealerships in January of 2013.

Dacia has not yet confirmed the UK engine range but in Europe, the Duster is available with a choice of three powerplants for both the 4x2 and 4x4 versions including a 110hp 1.6-liter petrol unit and a 1.6-liter turbo diesel with 85HP or 110HP.

Aside from the Duster, Dacia will also offer the Sandero supermini in the UK with prices to start from less than £7,000.

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