Car and Van News

Volkswagen is to add its R-line trim level to the Passat range.

A new turbo and supercharged 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine will also join the line-up.

Mercedes-Benz has given its SL 350 and SL 500 models AMG Sport status, which sees the two cars gain a range of extra standard equipment.

The SL 63 AMG has also gained more kit as standard, like its sisters the changes applying to cars built from June onwards.

Audi will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its performance sub-division by launching four new RS models this year.

The division, quattro GmbH, is also promising to produce more sporting versions of Audi cars more quickly.

Volkswagen dealers in the UK have opened order books for the latest Golf GTI, and revealed it will be available in two power levels.

Alongside the stock 217bhp model, a GTI Performance version will be offered with 226bhp on tap.

Land Rover has unveiled its latest Range Rover Sport in headline-grabbing style, by having James Bond star Daniel Craig drive it through closed Manhattan streets.

Craig was driving the car to a reveal party held on the eve of the New York Auto Show.

Ford’s hot hatch Fiesta ST arrives in showrooms at the end of the month, with more than half of the entire European production heading for the UK.

According to Ford UK’s Product marketing manager Alan Wood 600 pre-orders have already been taken for the 137mph Fiesta in Britain, with dealers expecting 5,000 sales.

Mercedes’ new compact four-door coupe, the CLA, will be available with special aerodynamic tweaks that can reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 20g/km at speed.

A reduction of just 0.01 in a car’s drag co-efficient, or Cd, brings down CO2 by 5g/km at motorway pace, say Mercedes aerodynamics engineers.