Silvrdo25 1999 Antenna 439105 on 2040-parts.com

New BMW 316d ES Saloon

BMW has announced the BMW 316d ES - its most economical 3-Series to date Car makers are falling over themselves to introduce new models that are more fuel efficient and less polluting than what went before, and this time it’s BMW’s time to play the game with the most economical 3 Series yet – the new BMW 316d ES Saloon. The 316d ES gets BMW’s 2.0 litre 4-pot diesel and a six-speed manual ‘box, which manages a quite impressive 62.8mpg and emits only 118g/km of CO2. That puts it in to the £35 a year VED band and makes this the cleanest and most economical 3 Series yet.

Where are Britain's biggest car buyers?

Jaguar If nothing else, the recent Used Car Market report – published by British Car Auctions (BCA) – reveals that when it comes to Great Britain and statistics, it's unwise to categorise us all into one great mass. How often do we read 'on average, a British driver does X', or 'a typical British driver will buy Y'? Well BCA's report suggests there's a real north/south divide and some of the results may surprise you.

Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake on the way

Mercedes’ design boss Gordon Wagener has revealed to WhatCar that they are planning to go exactly the same route with the CLA as they did with the CLS, and create a coupe estate. The CLS Shooting Brake (pictured below) has been very well received, and with much of the world downsizing its cars a CLA Estate is a very sensible way to go, offering all the good design elements of the CLA – which already looks like a CLS on a boil wash – in a car that has more practicality. Wagener gave no idea of time scale for the CLA Shooting Brake, but with the first CLAs expected to hit customers in June it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a concept CLA Shooting Brake arrive by the time of the Frankfurt Motor Show in September before going on sale in 2014.