New Volkswagen Polo Sedan

You're looking at the all-new four-door sedan version of the latest Volkswagen Polo that was officially revealed today in a world premiere in Moscow. The new Polo Saloon extends the German firm's range of sedans into the small car segment and will be built on a completely new assembly line at Volkswagen AG's plant in Kaluga, Russia.

VW says that the Polo Saloon is the first car in the history of the brand to have been developed specially for the Russian market, bearing in mind its specific climate and street conditions.

Among other things, this translates to the use of more robust paints and chrome parts that are highly resistant to aggressive agents, and a suspension geared to bad roads.

In Russia, the Polo sedan will be offered with a new 1.6-litre Otto engine producing 105-horsepower. It can be combined with either a 5-gear manual gearbox or a 6-gear automatic gearbox with sequential shift function (Tiptronic).

It will be available in three trim levels - Trendline, Comfortline and the range-topping Highline that comes with standard side air-bags and ESP.

The company did not release any more details on the car nor did it say if and when it will be available in other markets outside Russia.

Why Buy Used Parts

Buying Used or Discount Parts The parts we offer here are the highest quality used parts from nationally recognized salvage experts. They offer an expertise that is unparalleled in finding the right part for your car.

In most other countries Insurance Companies insist on salvage parts being used to fix vehicles and this will become the norm in the UK very soon. By buying a used part you get the same part as you would from the dealer but a fraction of the price.

Then simply take the part to your local garage and they will fit it for you, or you can fit it yourself. With over 25,000 parts each for Fords, Vauxhalls and Peugeots and over 10,000 for most other major makes, the part you need is more than likely going to be available at a significantly reduced cost. All the sellers of the parts offer a warranty on the parts they sell so that you can buy with peace of mind.

Chrysler and NASA partner on advanced technologies

Now here's a partnership we didn't see coming: Chrysler and NASA have jumped into bed to share research on things like radar, materials and robotics. While we can't imagine Chrysler has too much to add to that discussion, the partnership could have a wide-ranging impact on the company's future products. Neither NASA nor Chrysler is exactly willing to say how the government agency will benefit from joining up with the smallest of the Big Three, but the mind reels...

It's also worth noting that NASA will be sharing some of its battery tech with the Penastar people, including "other energy storage mediums." That's good news for a company that just put its ENVI electric-vehicle program out to pasture. While hybrids still make up a small portion of the total vehicle sales here in the US of A, any manufacturer without a decent hybrid showing would seem to be at a serious disadvantage going forward.

If nothing else, we may see more Velcro, memory foam and freeze-dried ice cream in our Chrysler products of the future, although there's no word on sending a Sebring into space.

Welcome to Auto Car Sales Ltd

(We currently have 97 vehicles in stock ..)

Our showroom decor is modern and offers a relaxed atmosphere. We handle all major instrument for a good selection of German and Japanese cars. We overlook one miles away from junction 1 of the M1, one miles from Staples Corner A406, five miles from London, and is based on five miles of the main A1.On known better known as the A5. That makes us very easy and convenient to find. (Customer parking available).

We are fifteen miles from Heathrow Airport, less than one miles from Cricklewood station and one miles from Kilburn tube station. Pick-up service is available on request from one of these sites.

We have a family business and in our current location since 1994, although we are already in the car market since 1980.

We are proud of it than the general requirements of the customers eleviate emphasize quality vehicles at very competitive prices and friendly service that buys a car.

For our customers in all our vehicles are carefully prepared calmed our high standards.

Services:

1 - full control over the history of the HPI
Test Drive 2 - complete and thorough
3 - Full Service
4 - MOT's
5 - Pre Delivery Inspection
6 to 3 months warranty (expandable)
7 - Credit cards (2% Charge)
8 - Debit Cards
9 - Finance () depending on the status
10-Part Exchange Welcome
11 After-sales support and advice

All that with a careful selection of the best, only the available stock of car sales, helped as a prominent car dealer in the region.

Car Auto Sales, we do not believe in pressure sales, we sell our customers know that they have bought the right car at the right price.

All our vehicles come from an extensive network of distributors and business contacts in the country.

Our finances are very low and hit some of the quotes given by certain high street lenders.

Since we are only interested in selling cars and giving our customers the best deals we do not win, the finance committee.

Car Auto Sales is 7 days a week, and in many national holidays, Monday / Saturday 9am/7pm Sunday 12pm/6pm.

We take this opportunity to thank all our customers (old and new) to drive sales of cars to help the success it is today. We commit ourselves to work for you quality at competitive prices in the market for used cars.

Rukus to rival Soul

Toyota has announced that it will launch its Rukus 'urban utility vehicle' around the middle of the year.

Nissan has said it can't build a viable business case for the Cube, but Toyota shares no such misgivings about the Rukus, a Toyota-badged variant based on the Scion xD. Presumably stung by Kia selling over 400 units of the Soul last year -- right on target for that company's sales forecast -- Toyota has decided to get in the game also.

The Rukus, being based on the Scion xD, is believed to be powered and underpinned by Yaris mechanicals. Toyota says that the Rukus will be aimed at "young, urban trend-setters" and the company is planning for this vehicle to conquest the sort of buyer who has never previously owned or considered owning a Toyota.

"It will be a case of 'Rukus' by name and ruckus by nature," said Scott Thompson, Toyota Australia's marketing manager.

"This is a car that's designed to be different, with a boxy shape that has become iconic. When it's launched late in the first half of this year, it will certainly stir up the small-car market -- creating a 'ruckus', if you will."

The Scion in the US comes well equipped and the Rukus will likely follow that path when it arrives in the country. Thompson intimated as much and furthermore, the car will be aiming directly at Soul.

"It will be loaded with great standard features, but we expect many owners to express their individuality by making their car stand out from the pack.

"That might involve wild paint jobs, funky wheels or other ideas, limited only by the imagination of owners - and what's legal. Potential customers have told us they want this style of car. We've listened and we're responding. Rukus is designed to be different: it's not for everyone. It's a bit like Vegemite: it's an acquired taste."

Kia must be feeling sincerely flattered...

REVIEWS: First Drive: 2011 Jaguar XJ

Here's one reason not to judge a book by its cover: the outgoing Jaguar XJ8. You look at it and think, "It's a hundred years old."

But a hundred years ago, cars didn't have on-board fiber-optic digital networks or an impossibly light, aircraft-inspired aluminum chassis. Yes, under that antediluvian façade lurks a vehicle that, as recently as yesterday, was thoroughly modern.

Today is a different day. As a new dawn emerges, the sun's angled rays tickle the protracted fastback roofline of tomorrow's hope for the storied brand's survival: the 2011 Jaguar XJ. You've heard it before, but the two dimensions of paper are insufficient to capture the shape, proportion, and visual impact of this car in real life. Yes, the XJ looks a bit awkward on paper. But when you see one on the road for the first time, you'll do exactly as we've just witnessed literally hundreds of awe-struck pedestrians do: Stop, stare, and mutter, Pour l'amour du ciel! Cette voiture est vraiment magnifique!

Your particular exclamation may well be in English. But we're in Paris, and there's probably good reason why Jaguar chose this city to let us drive the XJ. Aside from the breathtaking opportunity to ogle the Eiffel Tower by night through the double glass sunroof, that is. Paris is chic central, and the French love rolling drama. And tell me those draping, dramatic taillights couldn't have just as easily found their home on the rump of a Citroën.

We do have one design-related confession to make: we purposely asked Jaguar for a dark-colored XJ to photograph. As you might remember from pictures of the XJ on the auto show stand, the D-pillars are black, no matter what color the car is painted. Purpose: create the effect of a wraparound rear window to de-emphasize the car's relatively tall, narrow proportions. (The new XJ is about the same overall size as the XJ8 it replaces, except it's a significant 1.9 inches narrower.) The effect works - with the blacked-out limo-tint on the rear windows of the European-specification long-wheelbase XJL. As this issue goes to press, Jaguar wasn't sure whether U.S. regulations allow the dark tint, and we're guessing that they won't. The visual trick will be less effective without the tint, and frankly the black pillars may look downright strange on light-colored cars.

But it is a conversation piece. Like the rest of the car. This XJ is a work of art - its design is the key to its success in a market crowded with relatively lookalike, traditional three-box luxury sedans.

Like its predecessor, the XJ uses all-aluminum construction, riveted and bonded together for exceptional structural rigidity and light weight. The body is about eleven percent stiffer in torsion than the XK8, and even though it weighs nearly 300 pounds, it's still hundreds of pounds lighter than most of its competition - including the aluminum space-frame 2011 Audi A8.

Hyundai Accent GS Base test drive

At $9,970 -- actually $10,665 once you factor in the destination charge, possibly less once you finish haggling with the dealer -- the bare-bones 2009 Hyundai Accent GS Base 3-door hatchback is the least-expensive car sold in America. But as I've discussed before, a low price doesn't always mean a good deal. Does that apply to the 2009 Hyundai Accent GS Base? Read on. $10,665 base, $10,760 as tested, EPA fuel economy estimates 27 MPG city, 33 MPG highway.

First Glance: Oh no they didn't!

Larger photos: Front - rear - all photos

Just a few weeks after Nissan announced that their new stripped-down Versa 1.6 was to be priced at $9,990 (actually $10,685 with destination charge), making it the cheapest car in America, Hyundai announced a new version of the Accent, the GS Base, priced at $9,970 ($10,665 with destination) -- exactly twenty dollars less than the Versa 1.6.

Before the GS Base came along, the cheapest Accent was the plain ol' GS, priced at $11,765. So what did they do to the GS to cut the price by $1,100? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It's the same exact car. Ah, but there's a catch: If you want any options -- air conditioning, power windows and locks, even a stereo or an automatic transmission -- you have to buy the one that costs $1,100 more (and then pay for the options). Hmmm.

Now, before I go on, I do have to give kudos to Hyundai. Automakers often put well-optioned cars into their press fleets in order to coddle us journalists into writing a nicer review. But the Accent that Hyundai supplied for this test was the actual base-model Accent. No air conditioning, no radio, no nothin'. (Well, except for a $95 set of floor mats, but those don't really count.) Even Nissan slipped air conditioning and antilock brakes into the Versa 1.6 I tested. And I'll tell you what: I liked the Accent better than the Versa. I wouldn't recommend buying it, but I did like it.

In the Driver's Seat: Funny, you don't look cheap

Dash is made of cheap-looking plastics, but the layout is great

Photo © Aaron Gold

Larger interior photo

If I parked the $9,970 Accent next to the $9,990 Nissan Versa and asked passers-by to pick the cheaper car, I bet most would pick the Versa. The Granted, the Accent sports typical cheap-car cues like plastic wheel covers (link goes to photo) and black (as opposed to body-color or chrome) side mirrors and door handles. But it's still a cute little car, a sharp contrast to the homely Versa.

Inside, the Accent is done up in cheap-looking gray plastic, with cheap-looking black plastic as a no-cost option. But there are lots of pleasant surprises, like variable-delay wipers, headlights that automatically shut off when you turn off the car, a driver's armrest, a luggage cover, even an ashtray and a lighter. Not that I have any use for an ashtray and a lighter, but with many cars now offering extra-cost "smoker's packages"... well, free stuff is free stuff.

The seat cloth is of higher quality than I expected, and instead of putting a blank plastic plate over the missing radio, like you'll find in the Versa, the Accent has two trays perfectly sized for storing all those CDs you can't play. (The Accent does come with four pre-installed speakers, so adding a radio is pretty straightforward.) I thought the non-adjustable steering column was set a bit too low, but other than that, I found the driving position comfortable and visibility excellent. The back seat is cramped and hard to get in to -- this is, after all a 3-door car -- but it does have three proper headrests. I do wish it came with a rear window wiper, though; every hatchback should have one.

On the Road: It's all fun and games 'till you crash it

The Accent is powered by a 110 horsepower 1.6 liter engine, which gets an A for effort, a B for overall performance, and a C for decorum -- the engine turns a frantic 3,500 RPM at 70 MPH, and it's a noisy little bugger. I really liked the Accent's manual transmission -- the shifter is precise, if a bit notchy, and the clutch is light. Fuel economy wasn't all that great: I averaged 29.8 MPG, which isn't a bad figure, but quite a bit lower than other small cars I recently tested, including the Nissan Versa 1.6 (34.6 MPG), Honda Fit (39.3 MPG!), and the Toyota Yaris (34.4 MPG, and that was with an automatic transmission). Most small cars are inherently fun to drive, and the Accent is no exception. The ride is a bit soft and bouncy, but man, does it cling to the road.

Safety is the one area where the Accent falls down. Front-seat-mounted side airbags and two-row side curtain airbags are standard, but antilock brakes aren't available, nor is electronic stability control. And the Accent's crash test scores aren't very good. Actually, they're kinda bad. In government tests, the Accent scored 5 out of 5 stars for front impact -- as do most new cars -- but side impact scores were 4 stars for front passengers and 3 for rear passengers. In the more realistic Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests, the Accent is Acceptable (the second highest rating) for frontal impacts and Poor (the worst rating) for side impacts -- and that's with side airbags! The Versa 1.6 aced all of its crash tests, as did the Honda Fit and the Toyota Yaris.

Journey's End: Like it? Yes. Recommend it? No

2009 Hyundai Accent GS Base

Photo © Aaron Gold

I went into this test expecting a basic car that provided basic transportation. What I found was a cute, cheeky, playful little runabout with a winning personality. I liked it quite a bit better than the $9,990 Nissan Versa 1.6. But just as there's a catch to the Accent's pricing, there's a catch to this review: Between the Accent and the Versa, I'd recommend the Versa.

Why? Several reasons. First, the Versa is just more practical. It has four doors, a huge back seat, and a big trunk. The Versa has significantly better crash test scores, plus it offers antilock brakes as a $250 option; the Accent doesn't offer them at all. (And let's face it, given the Accent's crash test scores, it needs all the help it can get.) Air conditioning and an automatic transmission are also on the Versa's option list, and you don't have to buy a more-expensive model to get 'em. And finally, the Versa has better resale values -- an important factor to consider, since most buyers of inexpensive cars are planning to eventually trade up to something nicer.

Downsides to the Versa? It's as ugly as the Accent is cute, its warranty is shorter, and you probably won't be able to negotiate as good a deal on it as you will on the Accent. Neither reason is enough to sway my recommendation. As much as I love the Accent -- as cute as it is, as enjoyable as it is, and as inexpensive as it is -- if you only have ten and a half grand to spend, you're still better off with a Nissan Versa 1.6. Or a used car.