Renault-Nissan and Mercedes get very cosy

The Mercedes Twingo? Almost, but not quite In yet another – highly expected – sign that the future for car makers is more and more co-operation, Renault-Nissan and Daimler (Mercedes-Benz) have today announced a wide-ranging alliance which will see much of the output of each company utilised by the other. Top of the list for starters is the joint development of the platform for the next SmartForTwo which will be shared by the next generation Twingo.

Hybrid owners sue Ford over Fusion, C-Max mpg claims

Pennsylvania car owners are suing Ford Motor Co., claiming that the 2013 Fusion hybrid and C-Max hybrid are not delivering on promised fuel-efficiency figures, according to a report from Bloomberg. Both hybrid models are advertised to return 47 mpg, but the owners say that number is inflated to seem more competitive among other midsize sedans, according to their court filing. The complaint says car owners who have submitted estimates to a fuel-economy tracking website averaged 38.5 mpg, a 10-mpg difference that can cost an additional $1,800 in fuel costs over five years, Bloomberg reports.

Petrol cars twice as likely to fail MOT on emissions

The latest MOT test data shows that 26.2% of all cars tested fail on excess exhaust emissions – and surprisingly petrol cars fail more than twice as often as diesels in this part of the annual roadworthiness test. According to the official Vehicle Operator and Standard Agency (VOSA) figures, which cover all of 2010 and the first nine months of 2011, 9.7% of petrol cars failed to meet MOT emissions standards compared to just 3.9% of diesels. On Bing: see pictures of the MOT test Find out how much a used car with 12 months MOT costs on Auto Trader The analysis has been carried out by fuel additive “provider” Redex, which naturally has an interest in the findings, since its products are designed to breakdown engine deposits and improve efficiency.