Ford S-Max is Car of the Year

By Phil McNamara Motor Industry 14 November 2006 08:54 Ford's S-Max MPV has been crowned European Car of the Year, by a panel of journalists. Is it a victory for originality, or yet another duff decision from Europe's motoring journalists? The shortlist for the award comprised: • Citroen C4 Picasso • Fiat Grande Punto • Ford S-Max• Honda Civic• Peugeot 207 • Skoda Roomster • Vauxhall Corsa • Volvo C30 The panel of 58 writers selected those eight contenders for the 41 cars eligible for the award.

Honda Accord hybrid unintended-acceleration claim under review

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a preliminary investigation into whether some Honda hybrid vehicles are prone to unintended acceleration. The federal auto safety regulator said Monday it had agreed to look into a complaint stemming from a fatal July 2005 crash. The driver of a 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid said she was driving over rumble strips on the side of a freeway when she tried to apply the brakes.

Mercedes E class Cabriolet (2010) – Air Cap

The 2010 Mercedes E Class Cabrio with AirCap deployed The next generation Mercedes E Class Cabriolet is due to turn up at next month’s Detroit Motor Show and go on sale in the Spring in the UK – just in time for some open-topped motoring as the sky clears and the sun starts to shine (or it pours with rain – global warming, don’t you know). Which is all fine and dandy if you’re just cruising round town at low speeds and you’ve got hats on, otherwise the expensive coiffures of your passengers may well get wrecked by the buffeting once the roof is down as you blat along, leaving them looking as if they’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards. But not any more.