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New MINI 5-door Hatch revealed – but will you fit through the back doors?

The 5-door MINI hatch arrives We’ve already had the more BMW-like new MINI arrive, and now, for the first time, we get a MINI 5-door hatch to try and extend the appeal of the MINI range to families. The 5-door MINI gets an extra 72mm in the wheelbase and a pair of doors at the back – which do look very tight for full-size people to use – and there’s also an extra 15mm of headroom, a bigger boot and seating for three in the back. In terms of design, there’s little to choose between the 5-door and the 3-door, but the new 5-door does look a bit like the off-spring of the new MINI and the Countryman; just a little dumpy.

New car sales surge again

NEW CAR sales have risen again in September thanks to rapid growth in demand from private buyers, according to statistics released today. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said that a rise of 16.7% in the private sector helped to drive a ‘super September’ that saw overall sales rise by almost 11% over the same month last year. The new 63 registration plate has helped drive customers to showrooms across the country, with the latest breed of fuel-efficient, smooth and quiet petrol engines selling particularly strongly.

Lincoln holds steady on the base price of the MKT for 2012 model

Lincoln on Thursday said the base price of the 2012 MKT crossover will be unchanged from the 2011 model--$45,175, including the $875 shipping charge. The base MKT is powered by a 3.7-liter V6 and is front-wheel drive. The major change for the 2012 MKT is that all-wheel-drive versions will be powered by the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6.