New car buyers seeking a good bargain early this year, could do well to pay a visit to the Renault Internet Sale, which for a limited time, sees the French brand offering some tempting deals on 2010 stock cars.

As a result of the recent simplification of its UK range, Renault is clearing its 2010 stock to make way for the new 2011 range. So, instead of bracing the wintry weather to traipse around car showrooms with one’s nearest and dearest, a new Renault can be checked out in a matter of minutes from the comfort of the living room, simply by logging onto www.renault.co.uk/sale and making an online enquiry which will be handled by a local dealer.

Most of the Renault range is included, however, national stock is limited. Among the cars available are just over 100 versions each of the Clio I-Music 3 door and Mégane Hatch I-Music, with savings of £3,565 on the former in 1.2 petrol guise at £8,995 and £5,335 off the latter dCi 106 at £13,995. Prices include delivery to dealer, number plates, 20% VAT, 12 months Government road fund licence and first registration fee.

The offers apply on cars ordered and registered by 31 March 2011, but with such limited stock available, customers are advised to take a look sooner rather than later.

Customers can find further information at www.renault.co.uk, Renault TV on Sky Guide 883 and Freesat 651, or by following on twitter @renault_uk.

Prices released for Nissan’s new compact crossover
Sector-defining new model available from only £12,795
190PS flagship turbo offers intense performance from just £15,695
Two and four-wheel-drive versions offer innovation, distinctive style and versatility
Compact SUV meets sports car…
On sale late September with order books open in June
Dominance of crossover segment continues with Juke joining Murano, Qashqai & Qashqai+2
Sector-defining innovation is no longer priceless… Nissan has today announced the prices of its ground-breaking compact crossover model, the Juke. Priced to put another Nissan in the UK’s best sellers list, the Juke will be available from a supermini-rivalling £12,795 on the road.

Shunning conventional design in favour of more creative thinking, the Juke will shake up the small car sector with a line-up that’s set to appeal to a broad spread of drivers. At the top of the range sits a thrilling 190PS turbocharged model available from only £15,695, extending the Juke’s unique appeal as a compact SUV with the genes of a sports car.

Offering both innovative design and great value in a British-built package, the Juke is available with a choice of three engines. The range kicks off with a frugal 117PS 1.6-litre petrol engine, backed up by a fuel-sipping 110PS 1.5-litre dCi diesel.

The ultimate Juke comes equipped with a new 190PS 1.6-litre direct injection turbo petrol engine in both two and four-wheel drive. The £19,995 all-wheel-drive range-topper is mated toNissan’s XTRONIC CVT transmission, with six-speed manual mode and adds lateral torque-vectoring – a first in the small car segment and a technology that has, until now, only been found on top-of-the-range, premium vehicles.

Innovation is central to every part of the Juke’s design. Inside, another world first for the small car segment is Nissan Dynamic Control System. A central command and display module like no other, it allows the driver to alter dynamic drive settings as well as easily control functions such as climate control. What’s more, the system adopts different displays, colours and functions depending on the mode selected by the driver.

Juke will officially go on sale in late September with order books opening next month [June]. The range will consist of three core specification levels already familiar to Nissan drivers: Visia, Acenta and Tekna. The entry-level Visia will be available from £12,795 and come equipped with 16-inch alloy wheels, ESP, six airbags, sports seats and air conditioning, while also offering the practicality of the Juke’s funky five-door shape.

Acenta spec is available from £13,795, growing the standard equipment list to include 17-inch alloys, climate control, Bluetooth with USB connectivity and the Nissan Dynamic Control System.

Two option packs have been developed to allow buyers of Acenta grade versions to tailor their perfect Juke. The £300 Sport Pack will be the obvious choice for anyone wanting to capitalise on the Juke’s athletic image. Including 17-inch Sport alloys, rear privacy glass and premium seat fabric, it emphasises the Juke’s bold design. If luxury is more your thing, then the £900 Premium Pack brings Nissan Connect – the acclaimed combined satellite navigation and audio system – a reversing camera and six speakers, combined with the Sport Pack’s extras.

However, the ultimate Juke will always wear a Tekna badge. Available from £15,795, the range-topping specification includes leather upholstery, Nissan Connect, a reversing camera, Intelligent Key with engine start button and much more.

Nissan’s UK MD, Paul Willcox comments: “For many years buyers in this sector have had a pretty conservative range to choose from. Now we have Juke crossover which offers something innovative and exciting for the same price as a bland five-door hatchback. We firmly believe the Juke is going be another huge success for Nissan and our Sunderland plant.”

Like its big brother Qashqai, two-wheel drive versions of the Juke will be built at Nissan’s award winning Sunderland Plant, giving a further boost to the UK’s manufacturing industry. The range-topping all-wheel drive model will be produced at Nissan’s factory in Oppama, Japan.

Peugeot 5008 wins Diesel Car, Car of the Year 2010
Skoda wins both best large car and estate car with new Superb
Jaguar XF wins best executive car for the third time in succession
Ford’s Fiesta wins best small car for the second year running
Volkswagen Golf does the double by winning best medium car again this year
Toyota’s Prius wins best Eco Car Award in this new category
Peugeot grabs gongs with 3008, 5008 and RCZ
Diesel Car magazine is proud to announce the winners of its annual car of the year awards 2010, with Peugeot’s 5008 MPV grabbing the top spot in this year’s awards.

More than 275 new cars have been put through their paces by Diesel Car’s expert testers, to bring winners in ten classes. This year’s awards are sponsored by Evolution Chips, one of the leaders in diesel tuning in the UK. For 2010, Diesel Car introduces three new categories – best crossover, best sports car and best eco car. The last recognises the best in the hybrid world of motoring.

In revealing this year’s winners, Ian Robertson, Editor of Diesel Car magazine said “We have seen a lot of talented contenders this year, despite the turmoil the motor industry has faced.” He went on to say “I’m really pleased to be able to announce that Peugeot’s spectacular 5008 is Diesel Car’s Car of the Year 2010. It truly is the right car for the right times, with competitive pricing, generous equipment levels, a good all-round driving experience that is all wrapped up in a package that seats seven. What more could a family buyer want from a car.”

Not content with winning best MPV and Car of the Year for 2010, Peugeot also grabbed titles in two of the newest categories – best crossover with the 3008, and stormed the sports car class with the stylish new RCZ.

Some of the winners will be familiar, as they topped their respective classes in last years awards, with the Ford Fiesta grabbing best small car for the second year running, Volkswagen’s Golf winning the double in the best medium car class, and Skoda’s Superb again stealing the best large car award from its stable mates. Jaguar’s stunning XF did better than all of them, by running away with the best executive car award for the third year in succession.

Skoda’s Superb proves that not only is it a winner in the large car class, but also in the estate car category too, taking the top gong in both classes.

In the 4×4 class, Land Rover’s updated Discovery 4 took the top spot, narrowly beating last year’s winner, the Freelander 2, and the upgraded Range Rover.

The 2010 Diesel Car, Car of the Year Awards coincides with a new owner for Diesel Car magazine, with Blaze Publishing having bought the title last month. The Midlands based publisher specialises in niche magazine markets and has already brought about improvements to the best selling diesel magazine, with significant investment in many areas.

The Awards issue of Diesel Car magazine goes on sale in all good newsagents on Wednesday 12th March.

Diesel Car, Car of the Year Award Winners 2010

Best small car Ford Fiesta
Best medium car Volkswagen Golf
Best large car Skoda Superb
Best executive car Jaguar XF
Best estate car Skoda Superb Estate
Best MPV Peugeot 5008
Best crossover Peugeot 3008
Best 4×4 Land Rover Discovery 4
Best sports car Peugeot RCZ
Best eco car Toyota Prius

Car of the year 2010 Peugeot 5008

TDISport are offering the chance to win a custom remap by CCTuning worth up to £399.
The prize will also consist of a before and after Rolling Road run, allowing you to see the power of the car before and after the tuning session.

The winner will be drawn at random at the next TDISport Rolling Road Day, currently planned for the 24th July 2010 at the CCTuning Headquarters.

Two runners up will receive an official TDISport T-Shirt.

Visit the Win A Remap Thread

GT versions of Mégane Hatch, Coupé, Coupé-Cabriolet and Sport Tourer available to order from April with first deliveries in June, priced from £21,910 on-the-road

New version features a choice of 2.0 turbo-charged 180hp petrol engine or 2.0 dCi 160 diesel, together with exterior and interior styling and Renaultsport-developed chassis

GT-Line option pack available on lower-powered engines with GT styling and sports chassis for £1,290

Developed by Renaultsport, the GT range adds a further dash of excitement to the Mégane line-up. Available for the Hatch, Coupé, Sport Tourer and Coupé-Cabriolet versions of New Mégane, this new specification includes a sports chassis setting, new GT-design front and rear bumpers, 18-inch wheels, Renaultsport 250-specification seats with specific GT upholstery and additional lateral support, Renaultsport 250-style steering wheel, aluminium pedal set and a dark charcoal interior trim with polished carbon highlights, rear parking sensors and bespoke badging on the grille and boot lid.

The GT versions bridge the gap between the Privilege versions and Renaultsport are exclusively available with the TCe 180 petrol engine or the powerful, high-torque dCi 160 diesel powerplant.

Customers wanting the GT look with a smaller engine and price tag can have the GT-Line option pack fitted to the Dynamique trim level for just £1,290. This features a sports chassis, 17-inch alloy wheels, GT front and rear bumpers, anthracite door mirrors and the Renaultsport 250-specification seats with specific GT upholstery and extra lateral support.

Nine body colours are available in total for these new versions:

Malta Blue is reserved exclusively for GT and GT Line versions of the Mégane range,
three colours are exclusively available for Mégane Hatch, Coupé and Sport Tourer: Cayenne Orange, Glacier White and Mercury,
two colours are specific to Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet: Pearlescent White and Royal Blue,
three colours are available for all four body styles: Ruby Red, Pearlescent Black and Eclipse dark grey.
Optional equipment includes metallic paint (£405), Malta Blue or Cayenne Orange i.d. paint (£495), extra-tinted rear windows (£205), dual-zone climate control (£410), heated front seats (£305), electric panoramic sunroof (£615), leather upholstery (£920), bi-xenon headlamps (£665), Carminat TomTom satellite navigation (£460) and the Arkamys 3D sound radio with multifunctional TunePoint (£360).

Southfield, Michigan, January 25, 2010 … To reduce CO2 emissions and improve fuel economy, vehicle manufacturers are extracting ever increasing power outputs from smaller diesel engines. Federal-Mogul Corporation (NASDAQ:FDML) has developed an innovative aluminium piston design that can withstand the severe mechanical and thermal loads produced by these heavily boosted engines, allowing significant improvements in engine performance and durability.

Called DuraBowl®, Federal-Mogul’s design strengthens the crown of a diesel engine piston by locally re-melting the alloy around the bowl, significantly improving the fatigue strength of the aluminium where it is most needed. The result is an extension of component life to between four and seven times that achieved with a conventional cast piston.

During the last decade, typical performance outputs for automotive diesel engines rose from 50kW/litre (67bhp/litre) to around 70kW/litre (94bhp/litre). According to Rainer Jueckstock, Federal-Mogul senior vice president of Powertrain Energy, the trend is likely to accelerate driven by increasingly pressing legislative targets for CO2 reduction in most major global markets. “Rising specific outputs place higher mechanical and thermal loads on many of the components where Federal-Mogul has considerable expertise,” he said. “The DuraBowl piston process is an example of how we are succeeding in delivering specialised process technologies that help our customers successfully address these challenges across a range of growing market sectors.”

In a diesel engine, combustion takes place in a hollow bowl in the top of the piston, where temperatures can reach over 400 degrees Celsius (750 degrees Fahrenheit) and pressures over 200 Bar (200 x atmospheric pressure). Federal-Mogul says that under these increasingly difficult conditions, the rim of the piston bowl has an increased risk of failure. Following extensive analysis, the company has identified that both thermal and mechanical failures of the piston bowl can be traced to the presence of free primary silicon particles distributed throughout the aluminium matrix. Aluminium expands eight times as much as silicon, creating stresses within the piston as the temperature fluctuates. Furthermore, each time the cylinder fires repeated mechanical loads could initiate fatigue failure from the corners of the silicon particles. Silicon is a necessary constituent of the aluminium alloy, offering favourable properties such as low expansion and good castability, so it currently cannot be eliminated.

The only potential solution to this problem, until now, has been fiber-reinforced pistons. “Fiber-reinforced pistons increase manufacturing complexity as the molten alloy has to infiltrate the fibres during casting,” said Frank Doernenburg, Federal-Mogul director of technology, pistons and pins. “Furthermore, there is not yet a reliable, non-destructive way to test the integrity of the finished part whereas, with our DuraBowl process, we can do an Eddy Current test to ensure the quality.”

Federal-Mogul’s solution is to pre-machine the cast piston and then re-melt the alloy around the rim of the bowl. The re-melted alloy cools a thousand times faster than it did when originally cast, which leads to much smaller silicon particles; only one tenth of the previous size. Metallurgists refer to this as refinement of the microstructure; a technique known to increase the strength and durability of metal alloys.

“The strength and efficiency of our solution is that the process is physically simple,” said Doernenburg. “The sophistication is in the control of key parameters, which ensure consistent quality. The result is a technically advanced, high-performing and very cost-competitive product when compared with both fibre-reinforced and steel pistons.”

The technological and cost benefits have been validated during extensive engine testing, both by Federal-Mogul and its customers. Doernenburg concluded, “The re-melting process certainly increases piston life and performance substantially, making a significant contribution to improving fuel efficiency and reducing CO2. A conservative estimate would be a fourfold improvement in the life of any cast piston which suffers from bowl rim failures.” The first application of the DuraBowl process is on a high-performance diesel engine recently launched for a leading global vehicle manufacturer.

About Federal-Mogul
Federal-Mogul Corporation is an innovative and diversified $6.9 billion global supplier of quality products, trusted brands and creative solutions to manufacturers of automotive, light commercial, heavy-duty and off-highway vehicles, as well as to the power generation, aerospace, marine, rail and industrial sectors. It is recognised as a premier global innovator in the areas of powertrain, sealing, safety and protection and a leading source of advanced technologies that help increase vehicle performance, improve fuel efficiency and reduce engine emissions for a cleaner world. Federal-Mogul employs nearly 39,000 people located in 36 countries. More information can be found at www.federalmogul.com.

New Clio ‘S’ designed to give sport-look and accessible style with affordable prices and frugal engines
Clio S range priced from £11,209 to £13,458 on-the-road
Available to order now and in showrooms from March
While its flagship Renaultsport models continue to raise the hot hatch bar and obliterate their rivals in equal measure, Renault is also seeking to bring the sporty look and feel to the core Clio range with the launch of a new ‘S’ version.

Resurrecting the successful Clio S formula from the early 90s, the new three-door versions hark back to the original through their trademark white 16-inch ‘Polar’ alloy wheels. Among the other cosmetic changes, are a white front bumper insert and white ‘GT’ rear spoiler, while to the sides and roof, some optional slightly less subtle white racing stripes catch the eye with an ‘S’ incorporated into each band. Completing the package, are extra tinted rear windows and tailgate for a truly contemporary look.

The sporty theme continues on the inside, with a bespoke interior including ‘S’ embossed upholstery, leather steering wheel and striking white centre console, dashboard inserts and instrument dials.

The new entrants are based on the Expression specification, currently only available on five-door. They come with a choice of three responsive and frugal engines, 1.2 16V 75, 1.2 TCe 100 and 1.5 dCi 86, all of which meet Renault’s eco2 criteria.

Pricing for the new Clio S versions starts at £11,209 on-the-road for the 1.2 16V 75, rising to £13,458 for the 1.5 dCi 86 A/C. Buyers have a choice of four colours for the latest addition to Renault’s ever-popular supermini range: Glacier White, Pearl Black, Capsicum Red and Extreme Blue.

New entry-level Coupé dCi 150 launched at £19,995 MRRP
Carminat TomTom fitted as standard
Over £2,100 saving on previous dCi 150 version
Available to order now with first deliveries from January
Renault pre-empts the Christmas sales with the introduction of a new entry-level version of its stunning Laguna Coupé. The Coupé TomTom is based on the dCi 150 with the addition of Renault’s innovative Carminat TomTom system, automatic parking brake and stylish satin chrome centre console.

Priced from just £19,995 on-the-road, the Coupé TomTom represents a saving of over £2,100 compared to the previous entry-level version when equipped to a similar level.

As befits a luxury coupé, standard equipment levels are already impressive. The Coupé TomTom also includes Arkamys 3D Sound 140W audio system with MP3 CD reader and Bluetooth, 18” ‘Interlagos’ alloy wheels, eight airbags, automatic lights and wipers, dual zone climate control, electric heated door mirrors, MP3 player connection, rear parking sensors, Super Fold rear seat system and xenon headlights.

As well as its generous equipment list, the Laguna Coupé TomTom offers ample opportunity to tailor versions to individual tastes through several options including cruise control with speed limiter (£250), metallic paint (£395), Multi-functional TunePoint (£175), hands free card (£250) and tyre pressure monitor (£250).

The stylish coupé undercuts its rivals, the BMW 320d SE by a significant £8,535 (£28,530 OTR) and Peugeot 407 Sport HDi 163 by £2,995 (£22,990 OTR).

New Laguna Coupé TomTom is available to order now with first deliveries due in January. For more information, visit www.renault.co.uk or your nearest Renault dealer.

New entry-level Mégane Sport Tourer Extreme launches with 1.6 100 petrol and 1.5 dCi 86 diesel engine, costing £14,935 and £16,685 respectively – £1,000 less than Expression model
Core equipment includes: 4x15W radio with RDS and CD, air conditioning, ESP and front electric windows
Available to order now and in showrooms from January
Renault has boosted the appeal of its stylish New Mégane Sport Tourer range with the launch of an all-new Extreme trim level, priced from £14,935.

In the current economic climate, value-for-money is a key priority for purchasers and the two new Extreme models – 1.6 100 and 1.5 dCi 86 – offer a well-equipped entry-point to the New Mégane Sport Tourer range in a frugal, refined and stylish package.

Value-conscious buyers opting for either Extreme model will not be disappointed by the generous level of equipment on offer, with a 4x15W radio RDS CD system with AUX input, air conditioning, ESP, Renault keycard and front electric windows all as standard. Notably, the chic French newcomer undercuts its rivals, the Ford Focus Estate Style 1.6 Duratec 100PS by a considerable £3,010* (£17,945 OTR), not to mention Volkswagen’s New Golf S Estate 1.2 TSI by £1,445* (£16,380 OTR).

Available to order now, New Mégane Sport Tourer Extreme is set to arrive in UK showrooms in January.