Suzuki Wagon R 2000 Rear Right Combination Lamp [0015500] on 2040-parts.com

Car-buying confidence hits new high

THE NUMBER of people who believe they will buy a new car in the next three years has jumped to 71%, according to the latest AA Car Purchase Index; up from 55% last year. Of the 19,786 survey respondents who said they were going to buy a new car, 42% said they would choose a petrol engine, with 38% saying definitely diesel. A further 13% don’t know what fuel type they will opt for, but 7% will choose some kind of hybrid and 1% will go fully electric – a total of exactly 100 respondents.

Mercedes A 45 AMG: Price from £37,845 – first deliveries August

The new Mercedes A45 AMG (pictures) starts at £37,845 The new Mercedes A45 AMG promises to be the first small Mercedes to put a dent in BMW’s baby M cars, and now you can place your order. The order book for the A45 AMG has opened, and with prices starting from £37,845 it promises yo be a lot of bang for your money, with 181bhp per litre from its 2.0 litre 4-cylinder and 0-62mph coming up in just 4.6 seconds. As we already know, the A45 gets an AMG body kit with new front bumper, front splitter, gloss black sill extensions, new back bumper and a set of 18″ or 19″ alloys.

2014 Beijing Motor Show: weird and wonderful Chinese cars

The Chinese auto industry might not be the most important in the world yet, but it’s getting there. It’s already the top market for a large number of top-tier brands like Mercedes-Benz, and the industry has progressed to the point where companies including Nissan are setting up brands specifically to cater to the needs of Chinese buyers. But as far as Chinese brands go, things are very much a work in progress.