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

Car makers to be forced to disclaim ‘Official’ economy figures

We’ve banged on for a long time about the futility of official economy figures, especially as car makers get better and better at ‘gaming’ the official economy tests to produce the results they want. Much of the impetus to create the best headline economy figure for a car is driven by taxation, with car makers well aware that the better the official economy results are, the lower their CO2 will be (CO2 isn’t tested for – it’s just extrapolated from the official mpg) and the more appealing the car will be to buyers, particularly fleet buyers. But a ruling by the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) against Audi could at least see car makers having to admit in their adverts that the ‘official’ economy figure bears no relation to what owners can expect to achieve in the real world.

Honda Small Hybrid Sports Concept

By Ben Whitworth First Official Pictures 08 March 2007 08:56 The world's first 80mpg sports coupe Green doesn’t have to mean dull and worthy – that Honda’s message behind its intriguing-looking Small Hybrid Sports Concept, star of its show stand and likely to enter production within the next two years. Sitting on a modified Civic platform, the European designed SHSC is powered by 1.4-litre VTEC petrol and electric engines, that will, Honda claims, return 80mpg on the urban cycle, with low emission levels of 120g/km. The teardrop-shaped two-seater also features massive low-resistance 20-inch tyres and a full-length glass roof that flows into its tail.

Future products: Leaf EV is just the start of Nissan lineup overhaul

The next 18 to 24 months will bring a major renewal of Nissan Division's lineup. In the coming weeks, the brand will see four new products released or revealed: the Juke crossover, electric Leaf sedan, redesigned Quest minivan and an ambitious but perhaps polarizing convertible Murano crossover. Late next year, Nissan will begin showing a string of restyled high-volume car lines, including the Altima and Versa.