Vibrant Performance 2453 Exhaust Collector on 2040-parts.com

Hyundai ix35 Facelift goes further in Korea – and looks better for it

Last year we had spy shots of the Hyundai ix35 facelift floating round Korea – Hyundai’s home market – which showed a much more convincing nose than the, then, ix35 in Europe, but they eventually turned out to be photos of the ix35 FCEV which Hyundai had given a nose much more like the new Santa Fe and which we thought pointed at the 2013 facelift for the ix35. But when the Hyundai ix35 did turn up at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show with a bit of a titivate, it was exactly that – some very minor tweaking which kept the 2013 ix35 looking very similar to the 2012 model. But that’s not happening in Korea.

Mazda SkyActiv technology goes on offer to raise funds

Mazda is looking to license their SkyActiv Technology to raise capital (CX-5 with SkyActiv pictured) Mazda are predicting losses for the current financial year of £750 million and are looking to sell their SkyActiv technology to raise cash. Mazda isn’t having the best of times at the moment, despite an impressive range of cars that are getting more interesting with Mazda’s SkyActiv technology, and are predicting that they will post a loss of around £750 million for the current financial year. There are a variety of reasons for Mazda’s financial predicament – including the strength of the Yen and the production problems after the Japanese Tsunami – but this is the fourth year in a row Mazda has posted losses.

Vauxhall Insignia facelift stars at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show

Ten years on from the very first Insignia concept, unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show back in 2003, Vauxhall is showcasing a new, facelifted Insignia here at Frankfurt 2013. Part of the update to the Insignia is a new internet connectivity feature, which should make life on the road for travelling professionals a bit easier – now you can locate your nearest non-VAT qualifying hot food snack retailer in next to no time… We’re also fans of the rationalised trim range, down from 14 grades to eight for the new car. While the Insignia’s updated engine range boasts impressive efficiency (as we’ll see in a minute), we can’t help wondering if this might have been a good time to introduce a hybrid or range-extender powertrain, trumping Ford and its forthcoming Mondeo Hybrid in the process.