2013 Skoda Superb Facelift: Price from £18,555

When Skoda sent us the first details on the new Superb they did say it would go on sale in June, but that’s now slipped to mid-July, but in advance of that revised date Skoda has now decided how much they want you to cough up for their take on the VW Passat. Starting point for the new Superb is £18,555 for the 1.4-litre TSI 125PS S hatch, with prices rising to the range-topping Laurin & Klement Estate at £32,455, but there’s plenty of engine and trim versions in between to fit your budget. There’s a total of six engine options on offer – 1.4 TSI, 1.8 TSI, 3.6 V6 are the petrols and a choice of 1.6 TDI and 2.0 TDI with 140PS or 170PS for the diesels – with trim choices of S, SE, Elegance and Laurin & Klement with a couple of Eco ‘GreenLine’ models in the mix too.

GM may use diesels in light-duty pickups

General Motors is considering a diesel engine for light-duty versions of its redesigned full-sized pickups. GM North America President Mark Reuss said in an interview that a diesel is among the options for the next-generation Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, which are due in showrooms next spring. Chrysler Group recently said it is considering a diesel for its light-duty Ram.

Careful young drivers penalised by hire companies

YOUNG DRIVERS with good driving records are being unfairly penalised by car hire firms. Rental companies are accused of imposing tough age limitations on those able to hire a car. In a study by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), it found car hire companies often have stringent minimum age limits that take no account of a driver’s clean record.