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

School run puts pressure on parents

PRESSURED PARENTS are often operating the school run in a rush, according to a survey. Many mothers and fathers worry about being late for work and have difficulty getting their children up in the mornings, the poll by insurance company Allianz showed. As many as 42% of parents said feeling rushed was their main school-run worry, while 20% got distracted while driving their offspring to school.

SEAT Altea XL

Two years after the Seat Altea hatchback was launched comes the extended XL version, which effectively becomes a mini-MPV thanks to a 187mm increase in length. This of course benefits the interior most, the trunk growing from 409 liters to 635 with the rear bench pushed forward - though is conspicuously without the extra row of seats offered by rivals. Outside, changes are most noticeable at the rear where the styling theme has been softened to reflect the car's renewed family-focus.

CAR tech: what's next for car interior design?

Your new car could soon be as thoughtful, powerful and communicative as KITT from the Knight Rider TV series. That’s the ultimate expression of the connected car, a trend which is intensifying rapidly. Over the next five years, car cockpits will be able to relay more information on bigger, multiple screens and through the windscreen, and you’ll be able to give commands far more intuitively thanks to voice recognition and gesture control software.