Stowmaster/roadmaster 5000 Tow Bar on 2040-parts.com

Ford Escort set for Beijing motor show debut

Ford is set to unveil a production version of the Escort sedan at the China auto show this month in Beijing, meant exclusively for the Chinese market. The Escort was previewed in near-production concept form last year at the Shanghai motor show, and is meant to take on competitors positioned just above the Ford Focus sedan. Even though the Ford Escort has been absent from the automaker's global lineup since 2000, Ford of China is reviving the nameplate for this sub-Fusion/Mondeo model which will compete with cars such as the Volkswagen Sagitar and Chevrolet Cruze in the Chinese market.

New Peugeot 308 SW (Estate) prices and spec – costs from £16,845

The 2014 Peugeot 308 SW (pictured) costs from £16.5k The new Peugeot 308 SW – the estate version of Peugeot’s 308 – was revealed back in January and now, with the estate available to order from May, Peugeot have revealed the specifications and prices. There will be four trim levels available – Access, Active, Allure and Feline – all with up to 1,660-litres of boot space, with four petrol and five diesel engine options on offer including the new 3-cylinder PureTech 1.2-litre e-THP with either 110 or 130bhp as well as BlueHDI models with emissions as low as 85g/km. Access trim buys you LED running lights, colour-coded door handles and mirrors, AirCon, electric one-touch windows, Cruise, DAB, Bluettoth and remote locking, with Active trim adding in 16″ alloys, Dual Zone AirCon, rear parking sensors, electric handbrake, auto lights and wipers and a 9.7″ multi-function screen with SatNav.

General Motors to keep green car technology in house

For the first time in its 100-year history, General Motors plans to design, develop and manufacture electric motors for its growing array of gasoline-electric hybrids and electric vehicles. The electric motors used in GM's current lineup of hybrids are made to GM specifications by outside vendors. GM wants to bring the design and manufacturing in-house to save money and to apply its own technology to boost performance, lower weight and reduce power consumption, said Larry Nitz, GM's chief hybrid powertrain engineer.