Corvette C6 Emblem License Plate Chevrolet on 2040-parts.com

New options make Prius pricey

High-tech features and luxury options will push the redesigned Toyota Prius into new territory--namely, $30,000-plus. The 2010 Prius hybrid will offer options found on luxury cars: systems that automatically park the car in a parallel parking space and slow the vehicle when a crash is likely. But Toyota is aware of a new competitor--the 2010 Honda Insight, a hybrid that is a little smaller and expected to be less expensive than the Prius.

Skoda Ocatvia vRS gets a new face

Skoda Octavia vRS gets a facelift and a titivate to bring it in line with the rest of the range In keeping with the changes made to the rest of the Octavia range late last year, Skoda has now rolled out the new look for the vRS (and the Scout) to bring the family looks to the whole range. Up-front you get a redesigned grill with a vRS logo and the option of xenons with adaptive lighting. You also get a set of front fog lamps with optional cornering, and some daylight running LEDs.

Henrik Fisker leaves his eponymous company

Henrik Fisker, co-founder of Fisker Automotive, has resigned from the company as Fisker seeks funding to move forward. But Henrik Fisker managed to convince the car world his Fisker Karma was credible, even if its gestation has been plagued by problems,  the latest of which has been the demise of its battery supplier – A123 Systems – and the wrecking of a dock full of seemingly uninsured Karmas by Hurricane Sandy. The current problems at Fisker has seen them seeking a new investor, with two Chinese companies – Geely and Dohnfeng – vying to take a majority stake in Fisker Automotive and help Fisker recover sales of the Karma and move on with Project Nina, the smaller Fisker Atlantic.