Rear View Mirror, Triumph Tr3 on 2040-parts.com

Diesel hybrid cars avoid BIK penalty. Peugeot, Citroen & Volvo rejoice.

Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4 is the first car to benefit from BIK rates on diesel hybrids As a company car driver the Inland Revenue gets its cut no matter what. With BIK rates set based on CO2 emissions and list price, it’s hard to find a way to beat the system. Even opting for a diesel car doesn’t help because, despite much better economy on the whole from diesels than petrol engined cars, HMRC adds an extra 3% to your BIK rate because diesels emit more of the stuff that matters – particulates and NOx – than a petrol-engined car.

Mazda prices 2012 Mazda 5 from $19,990

Mazda will sell its six-passenger 2012 Mazda5 van for a base price of $19,990, including shipping, when it goes on sale in January. The 2012 Mazda5, which Mazda calls a multi-activity vehicle, saw its North American debut at the Los Angeles auto show earlier this month. Mazda increased the base price by $730 compared to the 2010 Mazda5.

Ford Focus RS has 1000 UK orders

By Nick Eaton Motor Industry 11 September 2008 16:05 Ford UK has confirmed its dealers have received more than 1000 orders for the new Focus RS, despite the rampant hot hatch having only been unveiled at the British motor show two months ago. By way of comparison, Ford UK only sold 2200 previous-generation Focus RS models in two whole years. According to Ford, 40 percent of customers have requested the Electric Green paint (pictured in CAR's exclusive photoshoot above), while Frozen White and Electric Blue have also been popular choices. There’s been no word on ASBO Orange just yet… As well as the choice of colour, punters can spec a Lux pack, a premium sat-nav system and leather, though we’d recommend sticking with the standard trim on the excellent Recaros.