Refreshed Fiat 500 Hits The Streets

FIAT has released the refreshed version of its popular 500 supermini. The car boasts style, comfort and technological enhancements for 2014 A key new feature is the market-first seven-inch digital instrument display, which is said to combine cutting-edge technology without disrupting the trademark aesthetics of the cabin. Standard on 500S and Cult models, the layout of the speedometer, rev counter and trip computer will be familiar to existing 500 fans, but the centre of the display - which contains a digital image of the car - can be configured to show various trip computer readouts, such as distance travelled, instant fuel consumption and range.

Junction auto-brake for next Volvo XC90

THE NEXT Volvo XC90 will be able to brake itself if its driver attempts to pull out in front of an oncoming car, as one of two world-first safety innovations. This auto-brake technology detects whether an approaching car is technically on a collision course and will hit the stoppers to prevent a possible accident. However, there is no mention of an increased risk of rear-end collisions where drivers following the XC90 might also accelerate, not expecting the Volvo to stop suddenly.

Portugal commits to the Electric Car

Renault Electric Car [ad#ad-1] Portugal has today committed to building 1,300 recharging stations around the country by 2011, in a deal agreed with Renault to supply Electric Cars (EV). This is a further indication of the global rush to go green, with ‘carbon’ taxes and ‘carbon’ incentives sprouting from the desks of politicians throughout the West. But how logical is this phenomenon, and is it a fools errand, based on dubious facts’?