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Beijing Auto Show 2014 – the 15 cars that really matter

With somewhere around 90 world debuts, the Beijing motor show certainly had the numbers – if not the organization – to live up to its billing as one of the world's most important auto shows. The back-story to these figures however is that the majority of these unveils were of lightly-revised versions of existing models – from facelifts to localized versions of cars already on sale in other markets. That's not to say there was nothing of interest to see inside the maze of halls at the China Exhibition Center.

New car sales up by 3% on 2013

ANOTHER RISE in new car sales in February has meant purchases have increased every month for two years. A total of 68,736 vehicles were registered last month - a 3% rise on the total for February 2013, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said. Sales for the first two months of this year have totalled 223,298 - a 6.1% rise on the total for the first two months of 2013 SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said the two years of continuous growth was "a real endorsement of consumer confidence and the attractiveness of the new car market".

Audi A1 prices start at £13,145 in UK

Audi’s new A1 supermini has gone on UK sale today, priced from £13,145 for a 1.2 TFSI SE trim model to £18,280 for a range-topping 1.4 TFSI auto. That pitches the A1 slightly above the Mini, whose boggo First three-door kicks off at £12,620. But study the two rival supermini ranges from Audi and  BMW more closely and you’ll see they’re quite evenly matched.