Audi A3 is the 2014 World Car of the Year

The Audi A3 (pictured) is the 2014 World Car of the Year The New York Auto Show is the place where the World Car of the Year winner is announced, so with the show now underway comes the news that it’s the Audi A3 that’s grabbed the gong for the best car in the world in 2014. It’s the second time Audi has won the award – the Audi A6 won in 2005 – and probably holds up a mirror to the changing face of the world’s car landscape; more compact, ‘Premium’ cars are now the most favoured buy. But really, the Audi A3 isn’t just a single car.

Reuss: GM considering 'something really fun' for Buick

Buick dealers still salivating over the Riviera concept that General Motors unveiled at last month's Shanghai auto show should take a deep breath: There's little chance that the flashy coupe will ever grace a Buick showroom. But they should view the Riviera -- which GM says points to the brand's design direction -- as a signal that GM is serious about adding pizazz to the Buick lineup now that the 110-year-old brand, which barely survived GM's bankruptcy four years ago, is getting comfortable in its born-again skin. "We've very carefully built Buick back to a brand that has respect," GM North America President Mark Reuss told Automotive News.

Free tyre safety checks during October

A NOT-FOR-PROFIT tyre safety organisation has produced a website that allows drivers to locate a free tyre ‘health check’ during October. The website, from safety campaigners TyreSafe, will let users enter their home postcode to find the nearest garage to them that is offering to check for any issues like too little tread depth, incorrect pressures and foreign objects like nails or glass. October is set to be Tyre Safety Month, and with the weather turning cold and the nights drawing in – especially when the hour goes back – it’s crucial that drivers make sure their rubber isn’t putting their safety in jeopardy.