Mazda CX-7 facelift pricing announced (UK)

The refreshed Mazda CX-7 crossover goes on sale next month at £25,785. The thirsty 256bhp petrol engine has been ditched and the only unit on offer now is the 171bhp turbocharged 2.2 litre diesel. CO2 emissions now rate at 199g/km, down from 243g/km while combined fuel economy is now 37.7mpg, up from 27.7mpg.

Visual tweaks include a restyled front with a larger grille with chrome detailing. Chrome strips now also run along the bottom of the doors, in addition to the window line trim.

A larger rear spoiler is fixed on to the rear and the CX-7 now wears new 19" alloy wheels. The CX-7 gets heaps of standard equipment including climate control air-conditioning, cruise control, 4.3" satellite navigation system, xenon headlamps, x4 electric windows, electrically adjustable leather front seats w/ heat function, electrically adjustable/heated/folding door mirrors, leather steering wheel and a BOSE sound system w/ steering wheel mounted controls.

The crossover goes on sale 1st November as a 2010MY.

Production Honda CR-Z to be hybrid only

Honda has ruled out any chance of fitting the forthcoming CR-Z with anything other than a hybrid powertrain.

The small sports coupé, which echoes the CR-X of the ‘90s, is expected to be launched with a 4-cylinder 1.5 i-VTEC petrol engine with around 120bhp, linked to a 14bhp electric motor.

But Honda is definite that the CR-Z will remain a inspiration for green technology and has no plans for a sister model with a conventional combustion engine, despite the car targetting at the Mazda MX-5 and Volkswagen Scirocco.

“This will definitely only be a hybrid. The whole direction of Honda is hybrids and this car is designed all around a hybrid powertrain. The car isn’t boring; it is responsive and fun.”

The CR-Z uses a shortened Insight platform, combining Jazz and Civic parts and is fitted with a 6 speed manual gearbox.

The CR-Z is expected to cost around £18,000 when it arrives in the UK Summer 2010. A pre-production model will debut at the forthcoming Tokyo motorshow.

Kia to launch a coupé by 2011

Kia is planning to launch a sporty front-wheel-drive coupé within the next two years, according to a senior Korean source.

The Korean firm plans to have a car in every major sector within the next five years. One of those cars will be a sports coupé, which would be based on the Cee’d platform and is currently in the early stages of development.

“At the moment we’re concentrating on further establishing the brand as a serious player in the UK but we’ve got ambitious plans for the future.”

The new coupé is likely to be displayed at a major motorshow within the next 18 months, possibly at Paris next autumn or at Detroit in early 2011.

The Kia Kee Concept from 2007 hints at a possible design direction the production coupé may take. The car has been designed by Kia’s European design chief, Peter Schreyer, and it is said to have met with approval from top Korean executives.

Sister firm Hyundai has confirmed its intentions to put the Veloster concept — a front-wheel-drive coupé based on the i30 — into production within the next two years. The Kia coupé would be priced between £15,000 and £20,000 as a direct rival to the Veloster and to undercut the Peugeot RCZ and Audi TT.

Dodge brand to be axed (EU)

The Dodge brand is likely to be dropped from the Chrysler Group’s European line-up as part of Fiat’s new plans for the company, to be announced in mid-November.

Dodge was launched in Europe in 2006 but failed to match Chrysler’s ambitions for it. Just under 4,000 Dodge vehicles were sold in the UK in 2008. At the same time, the Chrysler brand is to be moved upmarket. In its prime in the U.S, it was considered a more prestigious brand than Chevrolet and Ford.

Chrysler also plans to use the RAM nameplate as a brand for its commercial vehicles. This will allow the company to separate them from the Dodge line-up, whose performance credentials it plans to further develop.

As part of this strategy, Dodge will develop new models in concert with Alfa Romeo, despite the American brand’s planned withdrawal from Europe.

Current BMW 5 Series production to end this year?

According to a recent report, BMW will end production of the current 5 Series (E60) in December. While this is sooner than expected, it seems logical since the Dingolfing factory will be closed for the holidays and retooling for F10 production will take several months.

Sources also report that dealers will only accept special orders for the 5 Series. The remaining production run will likely be an assortment of moderately equipped cars, destined to become dealer inventory.

If the reports are correct, the new BMW 5 Series will likely be launched after the Geneva Motor Show in March 2010.

Peugeot 5008 pricing announced (UK)

Peugeot has confirmed its new 5008 MPV will cost from £16,895 when it goes on sale in January.

Five engines will be offered in the range; two 1.6 litre petrols (120bhp with a 5 speed gearbox and a 150bhp turbo with a 6 speed gearbox, both are manuals) and three diesel units; 1.6 litre, 110bhp HDi with either 6 speed manual or 6 speed clutchless semi-auto (EGC) and a 2.0 litre turbo-diesel with either 150bhp or 163bhp with a 6 speed manual or automatic.

Three trim levels (Active, Sport and Exclusive) are available and all models come with Peugeot's Multiflex interior, that includes seven seats, second row of which folds flat and the third row can be hidden below the floor. Alongside the Multiflex interior, ESP, Michelin energy saving tyres, air-conditioning, electronic parking brake w/ Hill Assist and electric front windows & mirrors are standard.

Sport models get 17" alloys as standard, as well as an Aluminium Pack (which features new trim for the front grille, front fog lights and chrome detailing), interior lighting pack with removable torch, Storage Pack (under seat and footwell storage), cruise control w/ limiter, leather steering wheel and front fog lights.

Flagship Exclusive models feature a Cielo panoramic glass roof, 17" alloys, Visibility Pack (automatic headlamps and wipers), Rear Vision Pack (electric folding mirrors & auto-dimming rear-view mirror), head up display w/ distant alert, rear parking sensors, USB w/ Bluetooth connectivity and climate control air conditioning. Options include xenon headlamps, leather interior, metallic paint and alloy wheels.

Prices rise to £23,695 for the top-spec Exclusive model with the 163bhp 2.0 litre HDi engine.

Entry-level Porsche is main precedence

Porsche has moved a step closer to producing its own version of the Volkswagen Bluesport concept, according to reports.

The VW Bluesport is a two-seater, mid-engined roadster which is powered by a 2.0 litre diesel engine. VW unveiled it at the Detroit motorshow earlier - this as a sports car designed with current emissions and budget-sensitive times firmly in mind.

Wolfgang Duerheimer, head of development at Porsche, said that creating a model “significantly cheaper than” than the Boxster was the top priority for the firm.

Volkswagen boss, Martin Winterkorn has already said he wants to create a Porsche model smaller than the Boxster and this is tipped to be its own variant of the Bluesport. Winterkorn has also said previously he wanted Porsche to sell 150,000 units "in the foreseeable future, say 2012 or 2013", with an additional version of the Panamera and a smaller SUV to the Cayenne is tipped for production, however, reports suggest once VW take over Porsche, both the 4dr sedan and large SUV will be axed.