Subaru Oem 34630sa001 Power Steering Reservoir/steering Pump on 2040-parts.com

BMW 7-series hybrid due in 2009

By Nick Gibbs Motor Industry 07 July 2008 14:30 BMW will launch a hybrid petrol version of the newly unveiled 7-series in 2009, but admits it’s more for green-leaning V8 addicts than seriously eco-aware bosses. Even with the latest lithium-ion batteries, the forthcoming 4.4-litre V8 petrol-electric version will struggle to match the astonishing 39.2mpg and 192g/km of CO2 of the new six-cylinder diesel, especially when BMW will launch stop-start technology for the whole range within two years. The hybrid is likely to cost several thousand more than the £65,000 it’s estimated you’ll need to buy the regular, twin-turbo 750i that goes on sale in November 2008.

2013 Land Rover Freelander 2 facelift coming

Land Rover are working on a mild facelift for the Freelander 2 for 2013 as it comes towards the end of its shelf life. It’s almost two years since Land Rover last facelifted the Freelander 2, a car that’s been with us since 2006, when they threw in some minor cosmetic tweaks, the first FWD Land Rover and gave us a more powerful diesel option. Somewhere prior to that Land Rover had quietly dropped the V6 petrol engine (in the UK, at least), so adding a more powerful version of the 2.2 litre diesel made sense as did providing a lower price entry point in the FWD Freelander.

Road drainage problems increasing

ROAD DRAINAGE during the mid-summer heatwave was no better than in the early-year floods, according to 40% of drivers. A further 9% said drainage in June was even worse than during the winter downpours, the AA/Populus survey of more than 18,000 AA members showed. Most dissatisfaction with the state of the roads in mid-summer was shown by drivers in Yorkshire and Humberside, with 46% of them reckoning drainage was no better than during the winter.