Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

2013 SEAT Toledo price from £12,495

The new SEAT Toledo – sister car to the new Skoda Rapid – will cost from £12,495 when it arrives in the UK in early 2013. When SEAT told us about the new Toledo in June they said it would arrive first in the Iberian peninsula (which makes sense) at the end of 2012 before rolling out in Mexico, Turkey and Germany. But no mention of the UK.

The safest cars of 2014 revealed by Euro NCAP

Safety in modern cars continues to move on at a relentless pace, and in 2013 the story was no different. We saw the first Chinese car ever to get a full five-star Euro NCAP rating with the Qoros 3, signalling Chinese manufacturers are really starting to think about the needs of other markets around the world – in fact, just to prove that point, Euro NCAP voted the Qoros 3 the safest car of 2013. What a result.

Toyota Auris Hybrid emissions cut to 84g/km

We’ve long believed that car makers better serve their customers by offering ‘Green’ options as add-ons to regular car models, and adding the hybrid option from the Prius to the Auris has seen Auris sales climb steeply whilst Prius sales drop off. There’s only so many buyers who want to shout their green halo from the rooftops, so incorporating green technologies in the regular range opens up far more possibilities for a sale. Now, with the Auris Hybrid sales growing by 69 per cent year on year in the UK, Toyota has had a play to make the Auris Hybrid even more efficient.