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

New car sales still accelerating

NEW CAR SALES raced ahead again last month, according to official figures. A total of 72,163 new vehicles were registered in August 2014 - a 9.4% rise on August 2013 and the 30th consecutive month of growth, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said. Last month's figure took the year-to-date total to more than 1.53 million - a 10.1% rise on the total for the first eight months of 2013.

Honda Vezel urban SUV crossover stars at the Tokyo Motor Show 2013

Honda has unveiled its take on the burgeoning compact crossover sector at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, and it’s called the Vezel. You can do your own jokes, but rest assured it won’t be called that once it reaches the UK sometime in 2015. It’s based on the same platform as the all-new Honda Fit, the car we know as the Jazz, and will go on sale in Japan this December.

Volvo S60 Review (2014): S60 D4 SE Nav 181 PS manual

This Volvo S60 D4 has the new Drive-E engine Most of the Volvo news of late has been about the new XC90, and Volvo’s new range of engines – the Drive-E range – which look to offer improved economy and emissions with better performance and more flexibility. It’s a bit early to get our hands on the new XC90, but Volvo has sent us the S60 D4 SE Nav with the new 181 PS Drive-E engine to judge for ourselves just how big an improvement the new D4 Drive-E engine is over the old D4. Of course, the 2014 S60 may get the all-news Drive-E engine, but it is still a five year old design and runs on a platform that came from Ford in the first place, so although we get a good idea of what the new engines mean for Volvo going forward, the basics of the S60 are far from new.