Subaru Impreza – the 2012 European one is revealed

Subaru will show this European-spec Impreza five-door at the 2012 Geneva motor show, as well as the BRZ sports car in European trim. This is the fourth-generation of the Impreza, but traditionalists expecting a return to the four-door saloon format will be disappointed: it remains a five-door hatchback bodyshell. Subaru abandoned its distinctive four-door style for Golf-alike hatch style in the last generation.

Lexus Hybrid sales top half a million

Lexus has revealed that they’ve sold more than 500,000 hybrid cars, with the Rx 450h the top seller and the CT 200h catching fast. Unsurprisingly, as it was the first Lexus hybrid to be introduced in 2005, the biggest seller - accounting for half of all Lexus hybrid sales to date (259,000) – has been the RX 400h / RX 450h, but the CT 200h, which was only introduced in 2011, is catching up fast with sales to date of 122,000 to date. During the last seven years Lexus hybrid sales have risen from 26,000 to 113,000 a year and 25 per cent of those Lexus hybrid sales now happen in Europe, even though we don’t get cars like the HS 250h (56,000 sales) and the ES 300h (8,000 sales).

BMW vs Alfa design. Separated at birth?

CAR Online reader reckons there's something in the water in Munich and Turin By Nour Kanafani Motoring Issues 22 December 2008 17:19 CAR Online reader Nour Kanafani sent in this photo and a delightfully succinct caption, which got us thinking... Remember you can upload your own scoops and news stories by scrolling to the foot of each page and clicking 'Upload stories, photos or videos direct to the site''If BMWs looked like Alfas and Alfas drove like BMWs'... At least we have the first one settled!