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New Mercedes A Class: Production increased to meet demand

With over 70,000 orders already in the pipeline for the new Mercedes A Class, Mercedes are increasing production to meet demand. The increase in production at Mercedes plant in Rastatt, Germany, means adding a third shift to effectively increase production by almost 50 per cent and make a dent in the 70k plus orders Mercedes already has for the new A Class. That’s in stark contrast to the recent news that Mercedes is having to slash production of the S Class as sales falter, partly due to a new S Class in the pipeline for 2013 but also because buyers are falling in love with more compact offerings.

Audi S3 Saloon goes on sale in the UK – price from £33,240

The Audi S3 Saloon (pictured) is now on sale in the UK If you want a relatively compact pocket rocket, Audi has you covered with the S3. So far, we’ve had the regular S3 and S3 Sportback (and the S3 Cabriolet is on the way), but if you prefer your S3 in a standard four-door saloon guise, you’re in luck – the Audi S3 Saloon has arrived in the UK. With the same 296bhp 2.0 litre TFSI engine as its S3 siblings, the S3 saloon offers strong performance – 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds – and an official combined economy of 40.9mpg (which means emissions of 159g/km (if you opt for the S Tronic gearbox).

New Opel/Vauxhall Astra saloon revealed – but not for the UK

The new Astra with a boot has been revealed but it’s not heading for the UK. It will, however, be offered in Germany and Spain. The hatchback has taken over the car world in recent years when it comes to family cars (although we could see the crossover / compact SUV supplant it before long), which has meant the demise of the traditional saloon, certainly in the UK market.