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

Jaguar: Four-wheel drive a priority. Hybrid Jaguars not.

Our long term Jaguar XJ would have been better in the snow with 4WD - but it's coming We’ve been talking about a four-wheel drive platform for Jaguars for a long time now. As far back as 2009, Jaguar privately confessed that the lack of an XF Estate was down to the lack of a 4WD platform to make the XF Estate a proper competitor in the luxury load-lugging market. And although we thought Jaguar could still make a success of the XF Estate without a 4WD option, we understood their perspective; Jaguar didn’t want to be the poor relation in the luxury estate market.

Porsche Macan gets four-cylinder powerplant

The new entry level Porsche Macan, shown alongside the new Boxster and Cayman GTS at the Beijing motor show, has become the first Porsche model since the 968 to use four-cylinder power. Parent company Volkswagen's EA888 engine -- as used by a wide range of models from Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and Seat -- will motivate the new Porsche SUV. The turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder direct-injection unit, boasting the same state of tune found on the Golf GTi Performance Package, develops 234 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque between 1,500 and 4,500 rpm.

Mercedes-Benz GLA stars at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show

The Mercedes-Benz GLA compact crossover is making its European debut at the firm’s home motor show, Frankfurt 2013, and it’s aiming to take on the BMW X1 and Audi Q3 in the up-market small SUV sector. Being based on the firm’s A-Class hatchback is a good way to start, too, with decent, efficient engines, plenty of premium quality and some striking styling to boot.