Meggitt A/c Braking Dunlop Modulator Unit Acm22740 With 8130-3 on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes GLA: New B Class SUV in 2013

Mercedes GLA based on the new B Class (pictured) Another Mercedes niche car based on the new A Class platform will arrive in 2013 as the compact SUV Mercedes GLA. Mercedes’ nomenclature has got confusing in recent years so it’s quite hard to pin down exactly what they’re likely to call a new car we know is coming but which isn’t yet official. But it does now seem clear that the compact SUV we’ll see from Mercedes in 2013 – and based on the same platform as the new A and B Class – will be the Mercedes GLA.

New Opel/Vauxhall Astra saloon revealed – but not for the UK

The new Astra with a boot has been revealed but it’s not heading for the UK. It will, however, be offered in Germany and Spain. The hatchback has taken over the car world in recent years when it comes to family cars (although we could see the crossover / compact SUV supplant it before long), which has meant the demise of the traditional saloon, certainly in the UK market.

Autoweek in review: What you might have missed

At the start of the week, Kia announced that it will launch a rear-wheel-drive sedan code-named the KH in the first half of 2012. U.S.-based press officials wouldn't comment on whether the KH would come stateside, despite a 36 percent increase in U.S. Kia sales in 2011.