The Boxster has an all-new lightweight body, new flat-six engines with direct petrol injection, a completely revised chassis and evolutionary styling. Considerably lower weight, a longer wheelbase, widened track and larger wheels significantly enhance the driving dynamics of the mid-engined sports car. These attributes, combined with many other new features including electro-mechanical power steering, result in the new Boxster not only offering superior performance but also up to 15 per cent greater fuel efficiency.

Even before it has hit UK roads, the new Volkswagen up! has claimed top honours at the prestigious What Car? awards, being named Car of the Year for 2012 as well as best City Car.  Taking the Car of the Year title for the sixth time makes Volkswagen the most successful manufacturer at the What Car? awards since they began in 1978. It was a highly successful night for the manufacturer overall at the motor industry’s annual ‘Oscars’ held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, with the Golf returning as winner of the Small Family Car category for the sixth time overall and fourth consecutive year, and Volkswagen also taking the coveted Safety Award. Commenting on the awards, What Car? editor-in-chief Chas Hallett said: ‘The Volkswagen up! sets new standards for a car at £10,000.  It’s a city car that can seat four adults, while offering new levels of refinement, quality and maturity at this price; none of its rivals feels quite so grown-up.  Buyers will be looking for even more for their money than ever in 2012, so the up! is a worthy winner of the What Car? Car of the Year.’

Positioned as the ultimate Toyota Land Cruiser, the Land Cruiser V8 has never wanted for much in terms of quality, performance, luxury and unmissable road presence. That formidable combination notwithstanding, the newly unveiled 2012 model goes even further in terms of sharper design inside and out, more creature comforts and advanced handling technologies for exceptional off-road capabilities. Making its debut this week at the Brussels motor show, the 2012 Land Cruiser V8 will go on sale in the UK in March. More details of the UK range will be announced nearer the time of launch.

Kia Motors introduced Korea’s first electric vehicle, with the launch of the new Kia Ray EV – a zero-emissions city car with lively performance and a range of up to 139 km (86 miles) on a single charge. For supply exclusively to the domestic Korean market, the Kia Ray EV is a close relative of Kia’s 1.0-liter gasoline powered Ray CUV, which went on sale in Korea last month.  It shares that model’s major dimensions and, in a global first for an EV manufacturer, can share a production line with conventional combustion-engine cars. 

It’s the time of year when car companies try to entice shoppers into their showrooms with big bows in hopes of landing some big sales. And if you’re looking for car deals, those sales can be pretty tempting. With car makers promoting their “best deals of the year,” it’s easy to get dazzled by the new car incentives and offers. But you may not want to get your sleigh ready to trade in just yet. New car sales in November were very strong, reflecting a lot of pent-up demand. And, as any economics 101 student can tell you, when demand rises, prices tend to rise too.