A round-up of other motor stories in brief...
Audi reveals its new Q5
Audi has revealed its new midsized SUV, the Q5, at the Beijing Motor Show. The Q5 will compete with the likes of the BMW X3 and bears many of the design cues of the larger Audi Q7.
The Q5 will have three engine variants: a 2.0-litre TFSI petrol engine with 211bhp, a 170bhp 2.0-litre diesel and a 240bhp 3.0-litre diesel. The smaller diesel model employs a six-speed manual transmission, with the 2.0-litre TFSI and the 3.0-litre TDI using the Audi S-tronic sequential gearbox.
Sales begin here in late 2008 and it should cost around €55,000 for the 2.0-litre TDi.
Consumers confused on new motor tax
Two-thirds of motorists are aware of an impending change to the Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) system but are unaware of the details, according to a survey conducted by the Irish Taxation Institute (ITI).
Over half of those surveyed expect that the changes will encourage them to purchase a car in a lower emissions bracket.
On changes to the motor tax system, the survey found that 65 per cent of those who planned to buy a car in the next 12 months would be more likely to change to a car with lower emissions if it resulted in them paying less motor tax.
Joan O'Connor, president of the ITI said: "This suggests that further education of the public about the proposed changes as they come closer to purchase may lead to an increased demand for lower emission cars."
Manufacturers see fall in emissionss
Fiat produced the least CO2 of the top 10 car firms in Europe last year. That's the conclusion of research by industry analysts JATO.
They examined the volume-weighted average CO2 emissions from each manufacturer in 2007, which revealed that no other manufacturer could beat Fiat's average of 137.3g/km. The Italian company was just ahead of the French pair of Peugeot and Citroën, with averages of 141.9 and 142.2g/km respectively.
However, the top six manufacturers - also including Renault, Toyota and Ford - all recorded averages of less than 150g/km.
Nasir Shah of JATO said: "It's fair to say that all manufacturers have made remarkable progress in recent years."
BMW and Mercedes were at the bottom of the JATO table, but Shah added: "When analysing volume-weighted average CO2 figures, it's the manufacturers with product portfolios dominated by small cars that will perform the best.
"Given the product range of both BMW and Mercedes, their respective performances are particularly impressive."
Opel's Insignia revealed
The replacement to the slow-selling Opel Vectra, the Opel Insignia, has been revealed. The new car features dramatic styling and a coupé-like profile, as well as a newly designed Opel emblem. Available with both front- and four-wheel-drive, the Insignia will come initially with seven engines at launch and will come with both hatchback and saloon body styles.
In Europe, there will be seven engines available with six-speed manual or automatic transmissions. The petrol engines will range in price from a four-cylinder 115bhp unit up to a V6 with 260bhp. There are three new direct-injection 2.0-litre diesel engines with outputs varying from 110bhp to 160bhp. This range will later be added to with an EcoFLEX version offering low CO2 emissions in addition to other, more powerful variants.
The Adaptive 4x4 system for the four-wheel drive versions will distribute torque between the wheels both to ensure high levels of traction and give the car, what Opel calls, "dynamic handling."
The Insignia will make its debut at the London Motor Show on July 22nd and is expected to go on sale in Ireland in November.
That's the limit for Bremen
The city of Bremen became the first state in Germany to introduce a speed limit on its motorways last week. The 120km/h limit will affect just 60km of road because the city state is so small.