Kia’s flagship car, the Magentis, is about to take on a whole new look; a look which I’m convinced is going to be a major boost to the Korean manufacturer’s image in Europe and the USA.

Peugeot is telling us that if you drive one of its regular diesel cars you can, if you try, wring almost 90 miles of motoring from a single gallon of fuel.

Smoking Citroën

There’s a new rally car lookalike about to go on the market in the UK based on Citroën’s DS3 hatchback. It’s not just a cosmetic makeover either. There’s a major power boost at the heart of it and the rest of the gear has been upgraded to cope.

Ford fancies Ford is preparing to unveil a few new cars at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

Volkswagen has whipped the wraps off the latest version of its top of the range 4×4, the Touareg.

It’s said to be lighter, cleaner, more fuel efficient and still able to combine hot-hatch acceleration with off-road and touring ability.

New cars for old Vauxhall is the latest car company to take an idea of the government’s and turn it into a sales pitch.

With the demise of the scrappage scheme, there is clearly an opportunity in the market and Vauxhall is making the best of it, just like Toyota did a few weeks ago.

Can it really be 20 years? Mazda is celebrating the 20th birthday of its little MX-5 sports car with a special anniversary edition it’s launching at the Geneva Motor Show.

Do you remember that gladly optimistic, chirpy little smile of affection that Frodo Baggins regularly gives Sam in the Lord of the Rings films? Well you can now buy a car wearing that very expression.

Toyota has come up with a clever marketing ploy to sell more of its cars. The hugely popular govern­ment-sponsored scrappage scheme comes to an end in February, but Toyota is planning to extend the benefits it offers for another few months.

The next generation Ford Focus has just had the covers whipped off it at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

A former Lerwick optician is suing his estranged wife and erstwhile business partner for more than £800,000, claiming that her actions after they went their separate ways six years ago effectively left him out of work.

New SIC chief executive Alistair Buchan came face to face with all councillors this week for the first time since taking up the post for what he described as “very positive” initial discussions about how to react to major criticisms in the Accounts Commission’s recent report on the local authority.

Multiple Grammy winner Steve Earle, the outspoken singer-song­writer responsible for a host of classic Americana songs including Copperhead Road, Guitar Town and Galway Girl, will be stopping off in Lerwick next Thursday for a re-arranged show at Clickimin.