Brake Master Cylinder on 2040-parts.com

Kia Ceed (2012) first official pictures

The first Kia Ceed, launched in 2006, signalled a step change for the Korean car company. Not only was it designed and built in Europe (in Germany and Slovakia respectively) but it was also good enough to be considered a worthy rival for the Focus, Golf, Astra et al. From Soul to Optima, from Picanto to Rio, nearly everything that's followed has been good or great.

Are used car prices about to spiral down?

CAP – the used car price specialists – are warning that used car prices, particularly ’almost’ new car prices, are set to tumble as nearly new cars hit the market. The car market in the UK has proved amazingly resilient to the general malaise in the economy, with new car sales continuing to rise strongly and used cars seemingly immune to big depreciation drops. But CAP – who gauge used car prices for the motor trade – are warning that this could be about to change as the impact of recent trading in new cars is about to start impacting on used car prices, particularly prices for cars less than a year old.

Electric vehicles promoted

THE SCOTTISH Government is teaming up with industry leaders and environmental campaigners in a new drive to get more electric cars on the roads. Transport Minister Keith Brown has launched the E-Cosse partnership which brings together government body Transport Scotland with car manufacturers, power companies, local councils and environmental charity WWF Scotland. Mr Brown said the new group would "develop a shared vision and set future priorities to promote the uptake of electric vehicles in Scotland".