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New Toyota MR-2 Hybrid planned?

Bset Car Magazine's take on a new hybrid MR-2 / MR-S The Toyota MR-2 was a much loved sports car in its day (despite the MR-2 bit sounding like ‘Sh*t’ if said in French) and lovers of the MR-2 have long bemoaned its passing. But if reports by Japan’s Best Car Magazine are to be believed, Toyota are planning a new MR-2 as a hybrid to take on the Honda CR-Z Coupe. Which does have a ring of truth to it.

2013 Ford Fiesta production starts

Ford has started to build the new 2013 Fiesta at their plant in Cologne which means the new Fiesta will be in a showroom near you soon. The facelift for the 2013 Fiesta sees the arrival of the ‘Aston Martin’ grill bolted to the front of the new Fiesta – a pitch for the AM Cygnet contract, perhaps – together with new headlights with LED running lights and a bulge up the bonnet. Small changes, but they do make the new Fiesta bolder, even though it loses some of its finesse in the process.

Mercedes B-Class gets a facelift for 2015 – debuts at Paris Motor Show

The Mercedes B-Class facelift goes on sale today (12 Sep 2014) from £22,575 It seems only five minutes since the second generation Mercedes B-Class arrived, but it’s getting a bit of a facelift – with the emphasis on the ‘bit’ – for 2015, with the main focus being the arrival for the UK of the B-Class Electric Drive which, for many considering an EV from a premium maker, is perhaps a better option than the ‘statement’ BMW i3. Tesla had a big input on the B-Class ED’s electric gubbins, and the result is an electric B-Class that develops 177bhp (and 251lb/ft of torque), enough for a scoot to 62mph in 7.9 seconds (top speed is limited to 100mph). Range, in an ideal world, is 124 miles from the 16.6kWh lithium ion batteries – enough for most commutes.