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

Dacia Sandero: Looks just like a £33k car!

With Renault’s budget Dacia Sandero now hitting UK showrooms, one dealership has been asking shoppers to estimate how much a Sandero will cost. We’ve all been surprised with the reaction in the UK to the new Dacia range’s arrival in UK showrooms, and not just the price. Renault’s budget range is managing to offer properly credible new cars at prices that are almost a no-brainer, especially if value ranks higher on your wish-list than image or toys.

RAC to carry universal spare wheel

The RAC believes call outs to cars with punctures but no spare wheel will reach 250,000 a year by 2015, so has decided to roll out its own universal spare wheel as a hassle-reducing solution. The universal spare wheel, which has already been successfully trialled, should become standard equipment for all RAC breakdown patrols by early February 2014. On Bing: see pictures of universal spare wheels Spare wheel solution from the RAC The RAC has taken this step as increasingly few modern cars are sold with a factory-fitted spare wheel as standard.

Small but safe: the Fiat 500

By Ben Pulman Motor Industry 31 August 2007 10:29 Fiat’s new baby, the 500, has just achieved a full five-star Euro NCAP rating for adult safety. The 500's score of 35 points puts it ahead of cars like the Mini and Renault Clio while the 500’s closest rival, the Renault Twingo, only achieved four stars in the latest tests. The 500’s 35 points bettered the Twingo’s 28, as did its 14 point to the Renault’s 11 for pedestrian safety (though both ratings are equivalent to two stars).