Power Steering Pump 03 Bmw 525i Mi0675 on 2040-parts.com

Audi A3 crowned 2014 World Car of the Year

10 years in, the World Car Awards are now the most recognised awards for new car excellence on the planet. As a member of the UK jury, I strive to appraise, analyse and drive every contender, from what is a long roll call.   The final shortlist was announced at the Geneva motor show in March, with the results revealed at the New York Auto Show.

New 2010 Toyota Prius Video

But things are changing. The world is starting to wake up to the down-sides of the hybrid, and is starting to focus on real ‘Green’ technology, such as the Hydrogen EV. But there is life left yet in the Hybrid model, and Toyota is not going to let the grass grow under its feet (especially as Prius sales are falling rapidly).

2014 Subaru XV – less choice, more refinement

The 2014 Subaru XV (pictured) gets a bit of a tweak The Subaru XV arrived in the UK in 2012, and it’s a perfectly able and reasonably-priced compact crossover from Subaru. But within a year of launching the XV Subaru decided to inject a bit more appeal in to the XV with a price cut of £2,300 across the range and now, not more than six months later, they’re fiddling with the XV range again. The 2.0 litre petrol XV gets new valve-train components to cut engine noise and revised suspension, with extra soundproofing improving NVH levels across the range, a revised power steering system for added stability and feel  and thicker and reshaped suspension lower arm and extra reinforcement around the base of the A-Pillar for better crash performance.