Winter checks boost Seat owners' festive cheer

SEAT DRIVERS can rest assured their cars are ready for winter this year with a cool deal that’s just been announced. Owners can take advantage of a 28-point Winter Safety Check heck at their local Seat dealer, with technicians checking tyres, brakes, all fluid levels and more, with top-ups if needed. The fixed-price £29 offer includes inspections of the cooling system, handbrake linkages, steering and electrics.

Opel Ampera preview

Opel has released a teaser sketch of its new five-door extended-range electric car ahead of its public debut at the Geneva Auto Show in March. Based on the Voltec powertrain and chassis architecture of Chevrolet's Volt, the Ampera promises to surpass that car in terms of style by some margin. The body appears to be nearly identical between the A- and C-pillars, but the deformed horseshoe-shaped headlamp design and two-bar grille come straight from the 2007 Flextreme concept, as do the car's tree-branch alloy wheels.

Ford earns $2.6 billion in first quarter

Ford, helped by new models, rising U.S. sales, and a rebound in Europe, reported a first-quarter profit of $2.6 billion today. In the first quarter of 2010, Ford earned just over $2 billion.