Kawasaki Diesel 3010 Mule 03 04 05 Transmission Gear Case on 2040-parts.com

Acura promotes movie role with secret-agent kit

Rarely do the lengths to which a carmaker will go in promoting a product raise eyebrows here at AutoWeek, but it still happens from time to time. Case in point: Acura sent us a kit of secret-agent tests showcasing the role of its cars in the movie Thor. Touting the carmaker’s first stint in a major motion picture, the so-called Acura S.H.I.E.L.D.

Car hire costs branded ‘extortionate’

MORE THAN 45% of hire car users described hidden costs such as insurance and fuel as extortionate, according to a new survey. 200 UK consumers aged over 30 and earning more than £20,000 per annum were quizzed for the survey, conducted on behalf of Carhiremarket.com, with over 45% agreeing that hidden costs for insurance and fuel were extortionate. Users cited greater transparency or an all-inclusive upfront price as a more desirable option.

New Datsun makes its first appearance

The first new Datsun in a generation )pictured) will be revealed on July 15th As we reported in 2012 Nissan, having spent countless hundreds of millions replacing the Datsun name with Nissan on its cars a generation ago, decided to revive the Datsun brand for a new range of affordable cars for emerging markets. It looks like the new Datsun – codenamed K2 – will be a mix of the current and last generation Micra with new styling and pitched at around £3500 when it launches in the Indian car market. With the same – but de-tuned – 1.2 litre petrol engine as the Micra, the new Datsun is aimed at cars like the Indian market Hyundai i10 and Maruti, and sales are expected to start in early 2014.