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

Kia's chief designer seeks a sporty car to blow the doors off its image

Kia's design boss wants to add a sports car or convertible to lend more appeal to the brand. No such car is officially in the pipeline, said Peter Schreyer, Kia's chief design officer. Kia first needs to get on more solid footing, he said.

Nissan teases all-new 2014 Qashqai crossover

Nissan has revealed a teaser image of the next Qashqai, the all-new second-generation version of its ground-breaking crossover, which is due to go on sale in 2014. The real thing is set to be unveiled on Thursday 7 November 2013, and Nissan is promising the new Qashqai will “redefine the crossover sector and set new standard across the board.” On Bing: see pictures of the Nissan Qashqai Find out how much a used Nissan Qashqai costs on Auto Trader This is no small matter for Nissan – in fact, the firm describes the new Qashqai as the most significant car in its modern history, the original version having defined an entirely new sector of the marketplace. If the Qashqai didn’t strictly invent the crossover concept, it certainly made it popular beyond even Nissan’s wildest dreams, offering buyers an SUV-style image with the running costs and driving dynamics of a conventional family hatchback and the practicality of a people carrier.

Skoda confirms two new models

Skoda Vision D at Geneva - Skoda's new design direction It’s now got to the point with Skoda where the skip-on-wheels reputation of the ’70s and ’80s – and even the ‘Cheap’ VW tag of the ’90s and ’00s – has been completely eclipsed by the perception of Skoda as quite simply the maker of some crackingly good cars. Cars like the brilliant little Skoda Fabia vRS – which we’d take over the Polo GTI (much more character) – and the equally brilliant Skoda Yeti which, although it might not quite live up to Clarkson’s recent tongue-in-cheek assertion as the best car in the world is, nonetheless, exceptionally good. That change in perception is clear in the confident model range on offer from Skoda and the clever way in which it’s marketed.