08 Saturn Vue Automatic Transmission Xr Fwd Opt Mh2 Thru 10/07/08 183447 on 2040-parts.com

Toyota Prius plug-in to cost from £31k

Toyota Prius plug-in will cost £31k We thought it was probably too good to be true. When we revealed that the US price for the new Toyota Prius plug-in was 36 per cent more than a regular Prius, we did hope that price increase would apply to the UK too. Because if Toyota were to do the same in the UK, the plug-in Prius would have come in – after the taxpayer very generously chipped in a £5k subsidy for ‘eco’ cars – at a ‘buy’ price in the UK around £2.5k more than the non plug-in Prius.

Car hire costs branded ‘extortionate’

MORE THAN 45% of hire car users described hidden costs such as insurance and fuel as extortionate, according to a new survey. 200 UK consumers aged over 30 and earning more than £20,000 per annum were quizzed for the survey, conducted on behalf of Carhiremarket.com, with over 45% agreeing that hidden costs for insurance and fuel were extortionate. Users cited greater transparency or an all-inclusive upfront price as a more desirable option.

New car sales up again in October (2013). Should hit 2.25 million by year end

The Ford Fiesta (pictured) tops the UK new car list in October It’s another growing month for car sales in the UK, with SMMT reporting that new car sales in the UK for October 2013 rose by 4 per cent to 157,314 and registrations for 2013 so far up 10.2 per cent to 1,952,238. This is the 20th month in a row that new car registrations have increased, forcing the SMMT to increase its forecast for total 2013 sales to 2.25 million. Topping the sales charts is once again the Ford Fiesta which sold 8,574 – 65 per cent more than the Vauxhall Corsa in second place.