Kia Cee'd Estate (2007): first official pictures

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 15 February 2007 02:59 Kia Cee'd Estate: the lowdown Kia is rapidly making inroads into European markets. This new Cee'd estate is light years away from the shonky Kias of old - and it'll go on sale in August for around £500 more than the hatchback. At 4.5m long, it's 235mm longer than the hatch and has a marginally stretched wheelbase to free up some more space for family clobber.

Opel Ampera: the full, official technical story

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 25 March 2009 10:05 Opel/Vauxhall predict that the new Ampera production car will sell more in Britain than anywhere else in Europe. The extended range electric vehicle, unveiled at the recent 2009 Geneva motor show, will go on sale here in late 2011 and marketing bosses say the UK is more accepting of hybrids and alternative vehicles than other markets. It’s not clear at this stage how much the Ampera will cost in the UK, but we’re looking at a likely cost around £20,000.

98% fear UK road safety not improving

Research conducted for the latest issue of the Auto Trader Owner’s Guide suggests that a staggering 98% of British motorists fear that the government is failing to improve safety on UK roads. Of the 3,000 drivers surveyed for the quarterly publication, 77% also want theory and practical driving skills to be taught in schools, while 60% are convinced the coming fixed penalty fines for careless driving will do nothing to benefit safety. Find out how much a used car costs on Auto Trader On Bing: see pictures of safe cars Going further, 81% felt the ever increasing rise of in-car gadgetry, including the ability to make hands-free phone calls and check social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, represents a “hazardous distraction” to drivers.