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

Are new car sales figures a fantasy?

A recent report from Germany claimed up to 30 per cent of new car sales were a fiction. Could the same be true in the UK? Despite the recession – and the lack of finance deals for a huge number of potential customers – new car sales in the UK seem to be rising inexorably.

Maserati Levante SUV confirmed for 2015 – Alfieri could arrive in 2016

The Maserati Levante SUV (pictured) will arrive in 2015 Fiat’s plans top revive the Maserati brand are off to a good start after sales grew strongly last year to more than 22,500 cars in the first nine months with the new Quattroporte and new Ghibli contributing strongly to those figures. But with a target of 50,000 sales a year, Maserati need new models too and the next in line for production is the Maserati Levante SUV, which Sergio Marchionne has now confirmed will arrive in production guise in 2015. It was expected the Levante would be a re-working of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee, but with the Grand Cherokee selling in droves – and with a desire to make the Levante as ‘Italian’ as possible – it now looks like the Levante will get a version of the platform underpinning the Ghibli and use Maserati’s own 4WD system.

Seeing and being seen are keys to winter-driving safety

It's that time of the year when we here at AutoWeek feel duty-bound to give you a primer on winter-driving safety. We are compelled to tell you to steer in the direction of the skid, to stock emergency supplies in your trunk, to make sure your car is shod with the proper rubber to get you through the season. But winter brings more than snow, ice and cold.