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

Bentley promises '90% hybrid range by 2018'

By Ollie Kew Motor Industry 19 April 2014 17:07 Bentley will offer a plug-in hybrid version of 90% of the cars on its range as early as 2018, the company's CEO has confirmed. Speaking at the debut of the Mulsanne Hybrid Concept at the Beijing motor show, Dr Wolfgang Schreiber announced that a plug-in hybrid option was ‘the right choice for the future of Bentley’. He also confirmed that the first production-spec Bentley with a part-electric powertrain will be the marque's controversial new SUV.

Mitsubishi upgrades the Outlander Sport

The base version of the 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport will cost $19,470, not including destination. The Japanese company is touting the SUV as being American made due to its birthplace in the funnily named Normal, Illinois. All-wheel-drive models start at $22,070.

2014 Subaru XV – less choice, more refinement

The 2014 Subaru XV (pictured) gets a bit of a tweak The Subaru XV arrived in the UK in 2012, and it’s a perfectly able and reasonably-priced compact crossover from Subaru. But within a year of launching the XV Subaru decided to inject a bit more appeal in to the XV with a price cut of £2,300 across the range and now, not more than six months later, they’re fiddling with the XV range again. The 2.0 litre petrol XV gets new valve-train components to cut engine noise and revised suspension, with extra soundproofing improving NVH levels across the range, a revised power steering system for added stability and feel  and thicker and reshaped suspension lower arm and extra reinforcement around the base of the A-Pillar for better crash performance.