2014 Vauxhall Meriva facelift gets new diesel engine

2014 Vauxhall Meriva facelift (pictured) gets new diesel engine It’s more than three years since the Vauxhall Meriva arrived – at Geneva in 2010 – as Vauxhall’s compact people carrier, so it’s time for a bit of a titivate and a few updates. The cosmetic makeover for the 2014 MY Meriva isn’t huge, but Vauxhall has thrown in a new grill and new headlights to fulfil the ‘new nose’ requirements of a facelift, there’s new alloys and new alloy options and daytime running lights. But the biggest change comes under the skin, with the old 1.7 litre turbo diesel being supplanted by the new 1.6 litre from the Zafira which offers 134bhp and 236lb/ft of torque.

MINI Countryman Coupe to be the MINI Paceman after all

MINI has revealed that the MINI Paceman Concept which we thought was going to hit production as the MINI Countryman Coupe will be the Paceman after all. There was always little chance that the MINI Paceman – a two door Countryman Coupe first seen at Detroit last year – was doing anything other than heading for production. After all, making a coupe version of the Countryman is an obvious niche for MINI – that great seeker of niches – to extend the MINI franchise in to.

Tesla Roadster: RHD hits the UK – Tesla Roadster production to end in 2011

Tesla has launched a RHD version of the Tesla Roadster A right hand drive Tesla Roadster is something that should help Tesla shift more cars in the UK – and other RHD markets as well – so it’s welcome news that Tesla has announced you can now order up your Roadster in RHD for £86,950. Tesla has titivated the Roadster a bit for the RHD launch, adding a new sound system and some extra soundproofing. It also looks as if – judging from the picture they sent us – that they thought a picture of the RHD Tesla taken in the rain would make UK buyers feel at home.