2002 - 2008 Mini Cooper Automatic Climate Control Panel Hvac R50, R53 on 2040-parts.com

U-turn for wheelchair row taxi firm

A TAXI firm that refused to pick up wheelchair users has had to perform a U-turn. Middlesbrough-based Boro Cars, the largest taxi firm in the North East, had originally said refusing disabled passengers was "morally wrong", but it brought in the policy anyway. The firm insists that minibuses cost drivers more to rent and that the standard fares, which are the only fares that can be charged to disabled passengers, are not high enough to earn operators any money.

Vauxhall / Opel Mocha (Corsa SUV) Geneva 2012 debut

The Vauxhall Opel Mocha SUV - Geneva Debut (render by Auto Bild) Vauxhall Opel are developing a sub-compact SUV based on the Corsa and called Mokka / Mocha which will debut at the 2012 Detroit Show. Downsizing is all the rage as every day it gets more expensive to buy and run a car. But despite buyers looking for smaller and more economical cars, they want those cars to be smaller versions of what they’re used to, not cheap and cheerful runabouts.

Manufacturers report 2013 sales boom

CAR MANUFACTURERS are reporting strong surges in sales for 2013, with one mainstream brand up by more than 55%. So far Ford, Vauxhall, Skoda, MG, Lexus, Renault, Audi and Mercedes have all reported excellent sales performance, with Mercedes having passed the 100,000 registrations per year mark for the first time in the UK. Largely thanks to the introduction of the Dacia brand this year, the Renault Group has seen a 55.3% rise in sales, to 63,319 units.