Ford Kuga goes 4x2
I have to admit that I did not approach my road test of this Ford Kuga 2.0 TDCi in a particularly positive frame of mind. ...The fact that – at the end of my time with the new Kuga 2WD – I was more than a little fond of it, speaks volumes. ...That’s because, in normal road conditions, your Kuga 4x4 disconnects the power to the rear wheels and becomes front-wheel-drive. ...On my mix of country and city driving I got an average of around 37 mpg, which is about two mpg better than with the four-wheel-drive version. The combined figures of 46.3 mpg suggest there is greater economy to be had if you exercise even more care with the right foot, Emissions down 10 g/km to 1

New BMW 5 Series unveiled
The new car is not likely to cause quite the stir that the fifth generation model did when it was announced with its then controversial styling. ...While some are going for taller profiles, prestige manufacturers like Audi, BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes seem to be competing to see whose saloon looks most like a sports coupé. Much of the news with the 5 Series is under the surface, with features like a new automatic start-stop technology to boost economy, park assist, night vision, head-up display and an automatic gearbox with no less than eight gears! ...Opinions will have to wait until we have had a chance to drive the new car, but BMW are talking boldly of “unrivalled drivi

Spyker relocates to the UK
Spyker Cars, the Netherlands-based manufacturer of specialist sports cars, is relocating its assembly operation to the UK. The company says that relocating its assembly lines from Zeewolde to Coventry, will result in considerable improvements in efficiency and also substantial cost reductions. ..."In these challenging times, a small manufacturer like Spyker has to find ways to reduce costs as well as improve its efficiency,” says Victor R. ...“With approximately half of our vehicles’ parts and components sourced in the UK, and virtually all key suppliers being located there, moving closer to our suppliers and engineering partners will result in substantial savings a

Formula one news and rumour
As if the rumour mill was not hot enough, Autocar waded in on Wednesday, November 18 with the suggestion that Michael Schumacher would drive for Mercedes in 2010. This was quite the most surprising of the current rumours, given the on-again, off-again story of how he was going to take the seat for the injured Felipe Massa this past season. ...On Wenesday, November 18 the BBC was saying that Kimi Raikkonen was going to try for a drive in the World Rally Championship. ...On Tuesday, November 17, the BBC reported that Formula 1 returnees, Lotus, were feeling the pressure of rejoining the sport with a name that has so many associations with success in the past. ...On Monday, November

New Volvo S60 first official pictures
These are the first official pictures of the new Volvo S60, which the design team say is “sportier and more dynamic than any previous Volvo car”. Under the new-look exterior the Volvo S60 puts strong emphasis on safety as usual. Volvo say the new S60 will be available with Pedestrian Detection, a system that can detect pedestrians in front of the car and brake automatically if the driver doesn’t react in time. The new Volvo S60 will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in the beginning of March next year. Production will start early summer 2010 at Volvo Cars’ plant in Gent, Belgium.