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Toyota Hybrid-R Concept – a Yaris with 400bhp – teased for Frankfurt

The Toyota Hybrid-R Concept (pictured) is a 400bhp Yaris Hybrid heading for Frankfurt We’ve always believed that the best use for hybrid powertrains is to get extra performance without the penalty of increased fuel consumption. Toyota, on the other hand, have primarily used their impressive – if complicated and expensive – hybrid powertrains to yield improved economy and emissions from more prosaic cars like the Prius, Yaris and Auris. But now it looks like Toyota are ready to show us what hybrid technology can offer in the way of performance too, with a tease for what Toyota are calling the Hybrid-R Concept, which appears to be a Yaris with more than 400bhp on tap.

New (2014) Mazda 3 revealed – no prices yet

The new Mazda3 (pictured) arrives – and it looks good. The Mazda3 is already a better car than its sales would suggest, and the all new Mazda3 looks to be even more competition for the Ford Focus and VW Golf than ever before. Perhaps the only complaint about the Mazda3′s design is that it looks a bit too much like a shrunken Mazda6, but that’s a bit like moaning the DB9 looks like the Vanquish (well, the Mazda3′s not that good looking, but it makes the point).

New Kia Magentis / Kia Optima (2011) revealed

Kia will reveal the 2011 Magentis/Optima at the New York Motor Show in April Hot on the heels of the sketches we saw of the 2011 Kia Magentis just before the Geneva Motor Show, we now get a photo of Kia’s take on the Hyundai i40 (well, a CGI anyway). Which does seem a long lead time. We know that Kia intend to show the Magentis/Optima at the New York Motor Show next month, but we’re not expecting to see the Magentis in showrooms until 2011.