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New car sales up 7.9 per cent in May (2012) – Vauxhall Corsa best-seller

New car sales jumped 7.9 per cent in May 2012 compared to a year ago and the Vauxhall Corsa ousted the Ford Fiesta as top seller. Yes, we’re still in the depths of a recession and the Eurozone is in meltdown. Banks aren’t lending money and everyone’s tightening their belts.

Toyota RAV4 EV (2012) - a Toyota/Tesla electric SUV

The Toyota RAV4 has been turned into the only all-electric SUV on the market after a heart transplant from Tesla Motors.  The RAV4 EV has been given batteries and drivetrain bits from the Silicon Valley start-up to turn Toyota's most popular SUV into an electric-only vehicle with a 100-mile range. Toyota RAV4 EV: how it works A massive 422kg of batteries provide the power for the RAV4 EV, mounted low down in the centre of the vehicle to improve weight distribution. Toyota says that despite the new powertrain, no compromises have been made on passenger space.  Two driving modes offer a choice of speed or economy, Normal and Sport. Normal will send the RAV4 from 0-60mph in 8.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 85mph; Sport mode will take you there in 7.0sec and up to 100mph.

How the Honda Civic got a fast makeover

Jay Guzowski was getting more nervous by the day. As senior product planner for the redesign of the 2012 Honda Civic, Guzowski was shepherding the compact car from design freeze to market. But as he listened to others around the American Honda conference table -- with a year to go before the car's on-sale date -- he heard a disturbing refrain: The upcoming Civic was not good enough.