Hyundai will offer a variety of new special edition add-ons to selected models in the new year.

The company says that the new variants of its i10, i20 and i30 models will combine stylish looks with great driving characteristics and comfort.

New features of the flagship of Hyundai’s Edition range, the i30, will include a modified front grille, hexagonal air intake and sculpted fog lamps, plus side skirts and a new rear bumper incorporating twin exhaust trims.

Priced at £13,400, the Hyundai is also a reasonable choice but incorporates nice features such as sports pedals, electric heated door mirrors, and a six-speaker stereo-radio CD player with Aux and USB connections and steering wheel audio controls.

To celebrate being named official automotive sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Hyundai recently decided to tour Europe with 33 specially-designed vehicles – decorating 32 of the i30 cars with the qualifying countries’ national colours.

The Volkswagen Scirocco will be available with a new engine from the new year.

An efficient entry-level engine will be available with the model from January 4th 2010.

From then, buyers will be able to order the two-door compact coupe with the 1.4-litre TSI 122 PS engine at a recommended retail price of £18,860.

The new engine means that the car can accelerate from zero to 62 mph in 9.7 seconds and has a top speed of 124 mph.

With a small capacity, the new Scirocco is economical – returning a healthy combined economy figure of 44.1 mpg and CO2 emissions of 146 g/km.

The Scirocco has a number of new features including a six-CD autochanger with iPod preparation, rain and dusk sensors, a multifunction computer, air conditioning and 17-inch ‘Donington’ alloy wheels and safety features including ABS, ESP (Electronic Stabilisation Programme) and six airbags.

Volkswagen’s Passat was recently named as Large Used Car of the Decade at the CAP awards.

The Aston Martin One-77 is threatening the all-time record for the British marquee after easily breaking 200 mph in initial high-speed testing.

Tests were conducted at a top secret location in south Europe as part of the supercar’s strict development process ahead of its 2010 release.

In a series of runs it reached a top speed of 220.007 mph in dry, wintry conditions – smashing the manufacturer’s original expectations. Further testing is scheduled for the new year.

The model gets its name from the fact that only 77 individually numbered cars will be made and it is expected that deliveries will commence in mid-2010.

Aston Martin says that the One-77 represents everything that the company stands for and combines modern technology and design with craftsmanship and exclusivity.

A 1950 Aston Martin DB2 recently sold at auction for £550,000 – the highest price ever paid for any car of its kind at auction.

Electric vehicle recharging company Elektromotive has been given the Green Innovation award by TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk.

The award – given out for the second time – is given to a company which judges believe to have contributed greatly to the use of greener technologies or ideas within the car industry.

Faye Sunderland, the website’s editor, said: "When we considered the potential winners for this award, there was one name that instantly sprang to mind. Elektromotive is unique in its position as the UK’s leading supplier of electric car recharging stations."

She added that the company was vital to the government’s implementation of electric car recharging stations.

Elektromotive currently has around 250 recharging stations around the UK and has recently expanded to Saudi Arabia as well as European countries such as Ireland, Germany, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium.

Volvo recently unveiled its new electric battery-powered C30 which could be on the road as early as 2011.

According to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), car output was up for the first time since September 2008 with a 15.7 per cent rise in November.

The SMMT believes this is a result of the impact of the government’s car scrappage scheme and economic stability in a number of major European markets.

Auto expert at PricewaterhouseCoopers Michael Gartside said that uncertainty over the economy and the curtailing of the government’s scrappage scheme will see tough times at the start of 2010.

But he still believes that the upward trend will continue into the new year.

He added that "owing to the measures taken by UK based manufacturers to reduce output and inventory in the first half of 2009, we anticipate that UK light vehicle output will increase by around eight per cent in 2010".

The scrappage scheme will cover 400,000 transactions but will come to an end on February 28th 2010 or when the funding runs out – whichever comes first.

Demand for new car finance grew in October but 2010 could spell difficult times for the motor industry, according to the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI).

Figures released from the Finance and Leasing Association (FLA) revealed that October saw a strong demand from consumers for new car finance.

The findings showed that the number of new cars using forecourt finance was up 18 per cent in October. The RMI has suggested that this growth will continue up until the end of 2009 before a number of changes hit the industry.

Commenting on the new figures Sue Robinson, RMI director, said: "2010 could see a tougher market place for vehicle sales as consumers are hit with increased VAT, the removal of scrappage incentives and constricted disposable income."

She added that point of sale finance has been important in helping consumers return to the market in the wake of the reduction of other forms of finance such as personal loans.

Three 200mph supercars will be on display at the Autosport International racing car show in Birmingham next month.

The Noble M600, Lamborghini Murcielago LP670 SV and Lexus LF-A will be featured on the Autocar stand at the show which runs from January 14th to January 17th 2010.

It will mark the first European appearance for the Lexus and Noble and the Lamborghini LP670-4 Super Veloce – the most special and expensive version of the Murcielago model – will also be on show at the stand.

Autocar editor Chas Hallett said: "We are absolutely delighted with the cars we have put together for the Autocar stand at the ASI show in January. The line-up is a dream for car enthusiasts, and will be absolutely unmissable for show-goers."

British manufacturer Keating’s 260.1mph TKR supercar was on display at the MPH Show last month. The appearance followed its successful attempt at the production car land speed record in California.

Almost a million of Britain’s drivers have had an accident due to a braking error, according to a study by Kwik-Fit.

The car repair specialist revealed that 980,000 motorists in the UK have crashed because of bad braking and many drivers do not follow the Standards Agency’s guidelines for braking.

Kwik-Fit’s study revealed that 35 per cent of motorists are ‘gear grinders’ – they use the gears to slow down, using brakes as little as possible.

Fewer than half – or 14.8 million – of the UK’s drivers are ‘by the book brakers’.

David White, customer services director at Kwik-Fit, said: "There’s a tendency for motorists to adopt different driving styles and braking is clearly no exception. Worryingly, some of the braking styles followed by motorists are a long way from what’s recommended and in certain conditions could be unsafe."

With the UK currently being subjected to heavy snow storms, the Institute of Advanced Motorists advised drivers to keep their foot off the brake pedal should they start skidding on an icy surface.

Those planning on road trips for Christmas and New Year may benefit from a factsheet released by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

The RoSPA’s Safer Journey Planner offers tips for drivers planning long journeys.

Kevin Clinton, head of road safety at the RoSPA, said: "Safer winter driving is about good preparation – making sure that you are in a good state to drive, that your vehicle is in a good condition and that you’ve planned your journey."

He added that drivers must remember the dangers of driving while tired and avoid driving in the early hours of the morning, after having less sleep than normal, or after having a large meal in the middle of the afternoon.

The Highway Code advises motorists to take a minimum break of at least 15 minutes after every two hours of driving and not to stop on the hard shoulder.

Jaguar Land Rover has announced its aim to recruit 100 graduates in 2010.

The manufacturer plans to invest in graduate engineering, manufacturing, finance, human resources, marketing, IT and purchasing.

Closing date for applications for the scheme – which last year recruited 70 graduates and undergraduates – is December 31st 2009.

Jaguar Land Rover is also offering a placement scheme for undergraduate engineering students.

Des Thurlby, Jaguar Land Rover HR director, said: "Jaguar Land Rover is looking to recruit passionate graduates to join the business and help to develop our next generation of world-class products."

"We also need graduates in our business and commercial functions as we respond quickly to consumer desires and wants," he added.

Chairman of the Association of Graduate Recruiters Carl Gilleard welcomed the news and was encouraged that the company was continuing to invest in its future through graduates.

The unemployment rate for 18 to 24 year olds reached 18.4 per cent in November – the highest figure since records began.