Peugeot 5008 pricing announced (UK)

Peugeot has confirmed its new 5008 MPV will cost from £16,895 when it goes on sale in January.

Five engines will be offered in the range; two 1.6 litre petrols (120bhp with a 5 speed gearbox and a 150bhp turbo with a 6 speed gearbox, both are manuals) and three diesel units; 1.6 litre, 110bhp HDi with either 6 speed manual or 6 speed clutchless semi-auto (EGC) and a 2.0 litre turbo-diesel with either 150bhp or 163bhp with a 6 speed manual or automatic.

Three trim levels (Active, Sport and Exclusive) are available and all models come with Peugeot's Multiflex interior, that includes seven seats, second row of which folds flat and the third row can be hidden below the floor. Alongside the Multiflex interior, ESP, Michelin energy saving tyres, air-conditioning, electronic parking brake w/ Hill Assist and electric front windows & mirrors are standard.

Sport models get 17" alloys as standard, as well as an Aluminium Pack (which features new trim for the front grille, front fog lights and chrome detailing), interior lighting pack with removable torch, Storage Pack (under seat and footwell storage), cruise control w/ limiter, leather steering wheel and front fog lights.

Flagship Exclusive models feature a Cielo panoramic glass roof, 17" alloys, Visibility Pack (automatic headlamps and wipers), Rear Vision Pack (electric folding mirrors & auto-dimming rear-view mirror), head up display w/ distant alert, rear parking sensors, USB w/ Bluetooth connectivity and climate control air conditioning. Options include xenon headlamps, leather interior, metallic paint and alloy wheels.

Prices rise to £23,695 for the top-spec Exclusive model with the 163bhp 2.0 litre HDi engine.

Entry-level Porsche is main precedence

Porsche has moved a step closer to producing its own version of the Volkswagen Bluesport concept, according to reports.

The VW Bluesport is a two-seater, mid-engined roadster which is powered by a 2.0 litre diesel engine. VW unveiled it at the Detroit motorshow earlier - this as a sports car designed with current emissions and budget-sensitive times firmly in mind.

Wolfgang Duerheimer, head of development at Porsche, said that creating a model “significantly cheaper than” than the Boxster was the top priority for the firm.

Volkswagen boss, Martin Winterkorn has already said he wants to create a Porsche model smaller than the Boxster and this is tipped to be its own variant of the Bluesport. Winterkorn has also said previously he wanted Porsche to sell 150,000 units "in the foreseeable future, say 2012 or 2013", with an additional version of the Panamera and a smaller SUV to the Cayenne is tipped for production, however, reports suggest once VW take over Porsche, both the 4dr sedan and large SUV will be axed.

UK becomes Mazdas largest European market (UK)

The UK has become the biggest market for Mazdas in Europe. The manufacturer shifted a record 11,372 cars in September, an increase of 8.3% or 900 units, over the previous highest month in March 2008.

It was also the single biggest month for Mazda since its arrival in the UK in the early 1960s. The Mazda2 was easily the biggest selling car in the Mazda range, with 4,824 units leaving the dealerships.

“This has been a difficult year for the industry,” said Jeremy Thomson, Managing Director Mazda UK. “However, we have seen our retail share increase through the year, and this is the real test of popularity rather than just simple volume.

“To put the September sales achievement into perspective it is just 4,488 sales short of the full year volume in 2001 when we took over the business.”

New car sales soar (UK)

UK car sales have risen again, with scrappage and soaring demand for 59-plate cars driving a dramatic increase in the number of registrations in September. July saw the first increase at 2.4%, August saw an increase of 6% and last month saw car sales rise by 11.4%.

Figures reveal that 367,929 new cars were registered in Britain last month. That's an 11.4% increase over the same period last year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The SMMT says that scrappage-scheme buyers accounted for 77,000 car sales in September, but figures also revealed that sales to businesses and large fleets are still declining.

Hyundai and Kia continue to be the big winners with the scrappage scheme. Hyundai enjoyed its best ever month in September, selling 11,000 cars - 8,300 of them under the scheme. The company reports that it still has 10,000 orders for its i10 city car outstanding. The firm has sold over 40,000 vehicles but is constantly running out of stock. Sales have sky-rocketed by 69% compared to 2008. Kia registered 9,700 cars, with 5,130 of them qualifying for the scrappage rebate, and reports that demand for its Picanto remains strong.

Alfa Romeo, Seat and Nissan sales were up 148%, 38% & 30% respectively. Alfa sales soared due to the launch of the MiTo hatchback. Jeep, Mercedes and Audi sales plunged 15%, 14% & 8% year-on-year. The Fiesta has sold more than 50,000 units since it's launch in October 2008.

SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt said: 'Market conditions remain challenging, with demand being underpinned by the extremely successful scrappage incentive scheme.'

“The extension of the scheme will help to sustain demand through the latter part of this year and into 2010. This will allow economic recovery to strengthen and safeguard valuable industrial capability.”

The top 10 best-sellers in September:

1) Ford Fiesta – 22,635

2) Vauxhall Corsa – 16,379

3) Ford Focus – 13,622

4) Vauxhall Astra – 13,190

5) Volkswagen Golf – 11,787

6) Peugeot 207 – 9,161

7) Mini – 8,634

8) BMW 3 Series – 7,465

9) Toyota Yaris – 6,896

10) BMW 1 Series – 6,671

Worst performers in September:

1) Cadillac - 86.89%

2) Daihatsu - 73.63%

3) Saab - 50.00%

4) Lotus - 38.64%

5) Bentley - 35.29%

Mainland Europe sales also shoot-up -

France and Italy both saw sharp rises in year-on-year new car sales in September, but sales fell 15% year-on-year in Sweden where no scheme exists.

French sales were up 14.1% on last year’s levels. Carmakers' association CCFA said: “The scrapping scheme benefited all carmakers that have entry-level or compact models; this range now accounts for one in two car sales in France.” The French scrappage scheme will continue into 2011 as a gradual phase out to lessen the impact its withdrawal will have on the market.

Spanish sales were up 18% year-on-year in September, although September 2008 was a very poor month in the country for sales.

Germany also saw an increase in its new car sales in September, despite the end of its scrappage scheme. The VDIK association of foreign automakers said sales rose between 20 and 25% year-on-year last month. It also raised its forecast for the full year to 3.7 million units from its previous outlook of 3.45 million. In 2008, new registrations stood at 3.1 million.

Italian sales figures are expected to be announced. Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi has pledged to extend his country’s scrappage scheme beyond the end of the year should there be sufficient demand.

Infiniti M35 Hybrid due in 2011 (UK)

This is the hybrid version of the new Infiniti M35. The M35 is the firm's first hybrid and could pave the way for the technology to be used across the range.

Power comes from a 3.5 litre V6 and the hybrid system has been developed entirely in-house. It uses a novel twin-clutch arrangement with the first clutch installed between the electric motor and the engine. All the components power a single propshaft to the rear differential, helping to give the car a “consistent feel” under all conditions.

The electric motor boosts the V6 in “power assist” mode when maximum acceleration is required, and also works as a generator. It both charges the battery in the normal way and recovers energy otherwise lost during deceleration and braking. The M35 Hybrid can also run solely on its electric motor in certain driving conditions. The battery pack is a “laminated” lithium-ion (Li-ion) unit that Infiniti says offers twice the power of a nickel metal hydride battery of the same dimensions. Lamination is used to enhance the pack’s cooling performance, giving improved reliability.

No performance or economy figures have been disclosed but expect a large improvement on the 26.7mpg combined currently claimed for the Infiniti G37 saloon.

Hybrid technology could “potentially” find its way into other Infiniti models, said a company source, although it is likely this would be in the next-generation models. The M35 Hybrid will arrive in the UK mid-2011.

Ford Fiesta due in December (U.S)

Ford will launch the U.S Fiesta at the Los Angeles motorshow in December. The U.S firm launched the ‘Fiesta Movement’ earlier this year, which saw 100 Euro-spec range-topping Fiestas being given to people to blog about their experiences and drum up interest in the car. Due to the amount of publicity, Ford has 100,000 test drives prepeared for when the car goes on sale in Spring 2010 as a 2011 model.

Sam De La Garza, Ford Fiesta marketing manager, said: “This is the perfect time to show the North American Fiesta”.

“The Fiesta Movement will have wrapped up, and after hearing so much about this car leading up to the reveal, everyone will finally get to see what we are so excited about.”

2010 Vauxhall/Opel Meriva shows suicide doors

Spy photographers where in two different places in Germany to get you the best spy pictures yet of the new Vauxhall/Opel Meriva. The photos show the newcomers innovative rear-hinged rear doors and overall design. Previous cars had false rear door handles, extensive disguising around the 3/4 window, front & rear lights and bodywork and 5-spoke alloy wheels.

The new compact MPV is an all-new design, and these pictures, taken in Germany, show the car takes styling cues from both the Insignia and new Astra, whilst staying to true to concept, introduced in 2008 at the Geneva motorshow.

These pictures clearly show the wide-opening rear-hinged doors, without the flunky door handles previewed on earlier mules & prototypes. The car's flexibility is also reported to have been improved by a redesigned monorail system for the rear seats that allows them to be folded away entirely or slide back and forth independently for better leg room or luggage room.

Russelsheim designers have also worked hard to eliminate the Meriva’s often-criticised blind spot at the base of the windscreen pillar and have included stepped rear-side windows to allow children a better view. The new Meriva has a longer wheelbase and wider track than its predecessor, as well as a longer front overhang for better crash protection. The newcomer should measure around 4.1 metres long.

Engines will be taken from the new Astra. Two 1.4s & 1.6s will be available including the new 138bhp turbo petrol with 147lb ft of torque for the former. The latter will get a new turbocharged engine. Three diesel engines will be available – a 1.3, a 1.7 and a 2.0 litre, all featuring common-rail fuel injection. EcoFlex models will join the line-up after launch. Due to slow sales, there will be no sporty VXR/OPC variant.

Before the Vauxhall/Opel Meriva is expected to be launched at the Geneva motorshow in March 2010, engineers will take pre-production prototypes to Scandinavia for final cold-weather testing, Austria for engine testing and the UK for some chassis tuning, before going on sale in during Summer 2010.

Meriva Concept: