Ford’s Focus model has won the coveted Used Car of the Decade award at the CAP awards.

The independent car pricing experts recognized the Ford Focus to be the best used car range from the year 2000.

Mark Norman, chairman of the CAP judging panel, praised the engineering as well as both the durability and reliability of the popular model.

He said: "As a used car the Ford Focus has satisfied every criteria for the demanding consumer requiring a true five-seat family car."

The Ford Focus RS was recently voted car of the year by Nuts magazine.

Writing for the Times, Jeremy Clarkson gave it three stars out of five and compared it to its rival – the Volkswagen Gold GTI, saying: "The Volkswagen is a game of chess. The Focus is a game of strip poker."

There are currently 1.3 million Ford Focus cars on the UK’s roads.

Skoda has announced that prices for its latest estate model will start at £17,715.

The Superb Estate S – complete with 1.4 TSI 125bhp engine will be available to buy from February 26th 2010.

It will be available in three levels: the S, SE and Elegance.

The estate is to have a £1,050 premium over the hatch for the S trim model and £1,200 for SE and Elegance.

New features for the estate over its hatch sister models include roof rails, a removable LED torch, and load-bay lights built into the tailgate.

It will also have an electrically-operated boot with an automatically retractable parcel shelf as well as an electronic panoramic sunroof KESSY keyless entry and start system and a movable boot floor that can be pulled out the cover the rear bumper.

The Skoda Yeti was recently named the 2010 Czech Motoring Journalists Club Car of the Year at an awards ceremony in Prague.

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

The fifth-generation Passat was revealed to the public in 1996 at that year’s Paris Motor Show and the model has since received a number of accolades including the prestigious European Car of the Year at the 1997 Auto 1 awards.

CAP Black Book’s Mark Bulmer, commenting on the award, said: "The Volkswagen Passat is a byword for quality, and the model launched in 1996 was a quantum leap forward in every area most important to the trade and the used car buyer."

John French, national used car manager for Volkswagen UK, also commented on the award, saying that the brand’s image and residual values were to thank for its high demand.

The model has been available for 36 years and is now in its sixth generation.

Earlier this month, the Volkswagen Polo was named the best car of 2010 by the Car of the Year jury.

Drivers have been advised to prepare thoroughly and take care when driving in icy conditions in the run-up to Christmas.

The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has offered advice to drivers to avoid skidding, as heavy snow has been predicted for some areas of the UK leading up to the weekend.

This brings the possibility of frost and ice on ungritted roads.

And the IAM advises motorists to drive carefully as the wintry weather approaches.

IAM chief examiner Peter Rodger said: "When driving in snow, get your speed right – not too fast so that you risk losing control, but not so slow that you risk losing momentum when you need it – and brake, steer and accelerate as smoothly as possible."

The risk of accidents can be minimised by lengthening stopping distances, planning journeys to stick to treated roads, staying away from slush and ice and in a higher gear to improve control, the IAM advises.

In five years a quarter of cars will be purchased over the internet, according to online car-buying service, AutoeBid.com.

The prediction follows the revelation that the website increased its online car sales by 99.6 per cent over the course of the last year.

It says it has achieved these results by imposing security conditions on the dealers using its service.

They must have been trading for at least three years, have sold at least 100 cars, have at least three employees and take a small deposit only by credit card.

Amin Saleem, chief executive of Auto eBid, said that addressing people’s security concerns was the key to increasing the number of online car sales.

He added: "This is the future model for high value transactions that will change the way cars are bought."

eMarketer estimates that the number of online buyers will rise from 26.9 million to 31.8 million – over one-half of the UK population – between 2009 and 2013.

The Brussels Motor Show 2010 in January will feature new versions of Ford’s S-MAX and Galaxy models.

Complete with new interior materials and features, a range of more efficient powertrains and a host of driver focused technologies aimed at improving safety and comfort – Ford Europe hopes the cars will kick off an exciting year which will bring the launches of more new models.

John Fleming, Ford Europe chief executive, said: "We’ve given both models a fresh new look and more premium appeal, but it is beneath the skin that the major changes have been made."

The cars will feature Ford’s global EcoBoost family of direct-injection, turbocharged petrol engines which deliver more power and performance from a lower displacement powerplant, Ford says.

They will also be the first large cars to benefit from Ford’s PowerShift double wet-clutch transmission system.
Ford recently won two Top Gear awards for its work on the Focus RS and Fiesta ECOnetic.

Formula One star and commentator Martin Brundle recently spent a day at Lotus’ UK headquarters, sampling the company’s tradition and driving its newest model – the Evora – around Lotus’ test track.

He visited Classic Team Lotus where Clive Chapman (son of Lotus’ founder Colin Chapman) showcased some of his father’s Formula One projects.

The motorsport legend spoke to employees, signed autographs and answered questions.

Dany Bahar, chief executive of Group Lotus welcomed the "incredible opportunity" for Lotus to show off its cars.

Brundle said: "I remember first visiting Hethel in the 1960s, when my Father drove a Lotus Cortina. I am equally impressed now as I was then and as a Norfolk man, I am delighted Lotus is performing so well."

He enjoyed his most successful Formula One season – as Michael Schumacher’s partner for Ford Benetton – in 1992 when he finished sixth in the World Championship after scoring points in 11 of the last 12 races, including five podium finishes.

From January 2010, three new Suzuki Swift models will be available in the UK.

Previous GL and GLX models will be replaced by the SZ2, SZ3 and SZ4 models, which will start at a price of £9,190.

The new models will feature 1.3-litre petrol and 1.3-litre DDiS engines with the 1.5-litre petrol engine only available with automatic cars.

David Seward, director of sales and marketing at Suzuki, said: "By offering three new grades of Swift customers can tailor their car to their preference. The Swift is an excellent choice to make in the current climate as consumers look to downsize their vehicle and move to smaller, more tax efficient cars."

The Swift went on sale in the UK in mid-2005 and has since sold over 54,000 units in the UK and over one million around the world.

Suzuki recently appointed another franchise in the UK, expanding its dealership in the country.

The switchover to digital radio in cars was discussed today (December 14th) as leaders met to consider the government’s plans, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

At a seminar held by the SMMT industry and political leaders, attendees thrashed-out arrangements for the introduction of the digital economy bill.

The Highways Agency’s Alison Holliday said: "Looking to the future, the importance of in-car listening is clearly recognised by the Digital Britain Report which sets one of its criteria for switchover as when the digital signal reaches all major roads."

A government report in June stated that by 2013 all new vehicles will be required to be fitted with digital technology.

All cars currently on the road will also be equipped with digital radios by 2015, the government hopes.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills hopes that the bill – a second reading of which took place on on December 2nd – will allow for a smooth switchover to a digital economy in the UK.

Lexus car parts are likely to have been tweaked recently as the manufacturer has had to come up with "Formula 1-inspired acoustic engineering".

The Lexus LFA’s V10 engine sound is said to make it a more thrilling car, alongside its supercar performance.

In order to make the sound, the acoustic team at the company studied the sounds made by a Formula 1 motor.

Modifications were also carried out to make an extra exhaust note and to generally ensure that the vehicle’s acceleration and speed made driving it a unique experience.

The V10’s induction system underwent changes too, to enhance its acoustic qualities. It now mimics string and wind instruments.

Lexus’s design philosophy is "to be technologically advanced yet humanised, to create striking design but still be artistic yet unpretentious".

The brand states that it produces leading edge vehicles as it uses advanced technology, but states that this would mean nothing without adding refinement.