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How the Nissan Qashqai reinvented the family car

The 2014 Nissan Qashqai (above) arrived in showrooms this week, but will the second-generation model be as groundbreaking as the first? Inevitably, the all-new Qashqai looks very similar to the outgoing model, but why change a winning formula? The original Qashqai was, arguably, the most successful new family car launch since the original Volkswagen Golf from 1974. And it came out of the blue, because Nissan was perhaps the last company anyone would have expected to come up with such a revolutionary design.

UK car sales up 11% in May (2013)

The Ford Fiesta (pictured) was again the best selling car in the UK The rise and rise of new car registrations in the UK continues to defy the rest of the economy, with figures up in May 2013 by 11 per cent year on year, and private sales up a massive 20.9 per cent to levels last seen in 2007. It’s the fifteenth month in succession new car registration have risen in the UK, with sales for May at 180,111 and total sales to date in 2013 hitting almost 1 million units, at 948,666. The SMMT think the big jump in private registrations is down to a number of factors, including cars bought under the scrappage scheme now being traded in for a new car, strong incentives from car makers and the promise of new cars offering lower running costs, and they’re probably right, although there are other factors in play too.

New Mazda3 Hatchback & Fastback priced from £16,695

The New Mazda3 (pictured at Frankfurt) costs from £16,695 Mazda revealed the new Mazda3 back in June, but didn’t manage to come up with prices for the UK. But now, with the Mazda 3 going on sale and due to arrive in the UK in January, Mazda has decided what it’s going to charge. The starting point for the new Mazda3 will be £16,695 for the 1.5 litre SKYACTIV-G petrol 100ps SE hatchback rising to £23,345 for the diesel 2.2-litre 150ps Sport Nav Auto hatchback.