New Castle X Barrier 2 Winter Snowmobile Riding Boots on 2040-parts.com

CAR tech: who's to blame for your car's terrible fuel economy?

In early 2013 Audi lost a case brought by the Advertising Standard Agency (ASA) because of ‘misleading’ fuel economy figures used in an advert, after a customer complained they couldn’t get anywhere near the 68mpg quoted. The court case once more exposes the yawning gap between officially sanctioned mpg figures and those experienced by owners. A recent study by the Independent Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) looked at cars sold in the UK and Europe, and discovered the difference between official mpg figures and real-world driving had grown from 8% in 2001 to a barely believable 21% in 2011.

New diesel engine for revised Meriva

VAUXHALL’s clever Meriva compact MPV is to benefit from a new 1.6-litre diesel engine. The quieter, smoother and more efficient engine replaces the aging 1.7-litre unit that had been in service across the Vauxhall, Chevrolet and other General Motors brands for many years. This is the second application for the new engine, following its debut in the much larger Zafira Tourer.

2014 Acura MDX gets new platform, FWD option

Acura gave us the full rundown of the 2014 MDX SUV on Wednesday. The seven-passenger people-mover goes on sale tomorrow, and for the first time includes a base front-wheel-drive version which stickers at $43,185. The Acura MDX has a new platform for 2014 that's lower and narrower, but with a 2.8-inch longer wheelbase.