Honda Civic Type R – Mugen steps in

Mugen Honda Civic Type R - should rescue the new Type R from mediocrity But the latest version of the Type R is a bit of a let-down. It’s got old and soft. It’s bigger than its predecessor but has no more power so, instead of being an appealing car, it’s become a bit lost and overshadowed by the competition, such as the VW Scirocco R and the Ford Focus RS.

Nissan Qashqai production increased – jobs created

Nissan has increased production of the Qashqai to cope with demand We thought the original Nissan Qashqai was a decent car. It looks set to improve in a number of important areas when the 2010 Qashqai hits showrooms in March, and it seems that the great car buying public is in agreement as Nissan has just announced that they are to increase production at their plant in Sunderland to cope with demand for the new Qashqai. With all the grief in the car industry last year Nissan cut production back to two shifts in Sunderland.

Octavia Greenline hits new fuel economy high

BUSINESS users on a budget have been given some good news with the announcement of a fuel-sipping new Skoda Octavia Greenline. Thanks to its inherently lighter third-generation chassis, the spacious Octavia is now capable of 88.3mpg in EU standard tests, which corresponds to just 85g/km of CO2. The amazing figures put the car on an emissions par with the likes of the Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion and even the supermini Kia Rio 1.1 diesel.