Your guide to the 2014 Detroit auto show

It's time for the 2014 Detroit auto show, when the Motor City opens its doors to the world and puts on an event competitive with the best anywhere. It's like Christmastime for enthusiasts. This year's show promises to be a good one, with everything from a new F-150 pickup to a new Lexus sports car to the mighty C7 Corvette Z06.

VW Golf GTI priced from £25,845 in UK

The new Mk7 VW Golf GTI is now on sale in the UK priced from £25,845. That's only a £195 rise over the old Mk6 Golf GTI, despite the extra power, performance, and a 2.2mpg improvement in economy. Hang on - nearly £26k for a VW Golf GTI is a bit steep, isn't it?  Actually, it's better value than the old Mk6 Golf GTI. For a start, the new Mk7 Golf GTI's 29E insurance group rating is five groups lower than the old model's, so you should save on premium renewals as well as road tax and fuel fill-ups.

Consumer Reports ranks the Kia Sorento third among small, midsize SUVs

The 2011 Kia Sorento EX V6 now ranks third in the Consumer Reports ratings for small and midsize SUVs. Having earned an “excellent” overall score of 82 in recent tests, the Sorento trails only the Subaru Forester 2.5XT and the Toyota RAV4 V6. The magazine notes that the Sorento has a very firm ride and that the six-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly.