11 HRS AGO - The show will now take place in 2023 with the aim of celebrating 100 years since its inception The 2022 Brussels motor show has been cancelled because of the worsening coronavirus situation in Belgium and the expected announcement of stricter Covid-19 restrictions in the country, the event’s organisers have said.   The show was set to mark 99 years since its inception in January but it now looks likely that it will be rescheduled for January 2023. “We anticipate that the worsening health situation and the expected introduction of special restrictions will not allow us to accommodate the expected number of visitors in optimal conditions,” said Andreas Cremer of the Belgian Federation of Bikes and Automobiles (FEBIAC). The statement also said the rearranged show would aim to celebrate 100 years of the exhibition. A further announcement is expected soon. It has been confirmed that the event will be supported by the launch of a new digital platform to answer questions from drivers and Collapse

12 HRS AGO - Ford aims to take the crossover class by storm as it revives the Puma name Given that the Ford Puma of the late 1990s arrived with the bold tagline ‘A driver’s dream’, Ford's decision to reprise the name of its pint-size coupé on the tailgate of a crossover seems perplexing.With a larger frontal area, a higher centre of gravity and more weight, this new Puma clearly distances itself from traditional ‘driver’s dream’ territory where the 1034kg original did everything budgets would allow to get closer.But times have changed. Today, the compact crossover class is bursting at the seams with members as manufacturers cash in on demand and the mass-market space for more unusual, enthusiast-minded projects has rapidly shrunk.However, what this segment has long been devoid of is something genuinely good to drive, which is where – Ford says – this new Puma will justify its name. The car will slot into the range between the dreary Ford EcoSport and the Ford Kuga and it shares a platform with Collapse

14 HRS AGO - M4-based customer racer is expected to make its debut in 2022 BMW’s Motorsport division has previewed the design of the new GT4 customer racing car and has confirmed the model has entered an “intensive” testing phase.  The GT4, based on the firm’s M4 Coupé, is expected to make its debut in 2022. BMW Motorsport shared a rendered image of the model’s exterior design on social media.  The design reveals the return of a large exterior spoiler, wide wheel arches and a front splitter. The GT4 will be based on the G82 generation of the M4 production model, replacing the GT4 variant that made its debut in 2018.  The current motorsport-focused M4 is driven by the same twin-turbocharged straight-six engine as the road-going model, but it produces less power because of racing regulation restrictions. It is equipped with carbonfibre doors and bonnet for reduced weight, with other racing modifications including an FIA-standard roll cage, racing suspension and a less restrictive exhaust Collapse

21 HRS AGO - We take a look at a few American heroes with some real bang-for-your-buck Everyone's fancied having a slice of Amercian muscle on their drive at some point. But what should you go for?  Ford Mustang 5.0 V8 GT Fastback, £29,995: American performance cars make no sense in the UK, what with our expensive fuel prices and narrow country roads, but that doesn’t make them any less desirable.  The Ford Mustang is one of the most recognisable, and it’s today’s Mk6 car that we’ve taken a liking to on the used market. It was launched in 2013 as the first ’Stang to be sold globally and to offer right-hand drive.  Coming with a fastback or slightly pricier convertible body, it offered a few engines. The 300bhp 3.7-litre V6 continued from the Mk5, joined by a new 435bhp 5.0-litre Coyote V8. But the headline-grabber was a new, more planet-friendly turbocharged four-cylinder unit with 310bhp. This provided a 0-62mph time of 5.5sec when mated to the six-speed manual gearbox (a six-speed automatic Collapse

1 DAY AGO - REE is building a facility which will produce its unique 'corner' hardware Israeli start-up will expand its UK operations, which already include a Warwickshire development centre Israeli electric start-up REE is building a factory in the UK to complement its development centre in Warwickshire. The company dubs the new facility a ‘launch integration centre’ that will serve as a pilot factory for the production of REE’s innovative ‘corners’, which bundle suspension, wheel and electric drivetrain into a single package to free up space in electric commercial vehicles, CEO Daniel Barel told Autocar. The plant will have the capacity to assemble 200,000 corners when it comes fully on stream. REE hasn’t said where the facility will be, only that it will be in the Midlands. The factory will start work from spring next year. The ‘practice factory’ will still build commercially ready corners, but at a slower rate than its full-pace assembly centres, with the first planned for Austin, Collapse

1 DAY AGO - China’s equivalent of Rolls-Royce heads into BMW territory with this big electric SUV Hongqi has traditionally been the car maker for the top echelons of the CCP. Founded in 1958, it’s often referred to as the Rolls-Royce of China. But while its L series is still very exclusive, with the L5 limo available only to those with the right connections, it now enjoys growing commercial success with its H series.Last year, the FAW-owned firm sold almost 200,000 cars, with most analogous to models from Germany’s big three and Jaguar. In 2018, FAW hired former Rolls-Royce man Giles Taylor to oversee Hongqi’s design direction. The Brit was responsible for the Cullinan, and certainly there are echoes of that in the first design under his stewardship: the E-HS9 electric SUV. Sales have already commenced in Norway, and more European countries are likely to follow. Collapse

1 DAY AGO - Cost of charging an electric vehicle increases in line with rising energy wholesale costs The cost of charging an electric vehicle is climbing in the UK as some of the biggest charger providers increase prices in line with surging energy costs. In an email to customers, BP Pulse – which operates more than 8000 public chargers across the UK – explained that "significant rises in the wholesale costs of electricity" have impacted its own procurement costs so it's raising charging costs to compensate. "We've always worked hard to keep the cost of charging as low as possible, and we've been cheaper than our competitors for some time," said network lead Mark Bloxham, but "we're now no longer able to absorb the rising costs." From 1 December, new prices will apply across the BP Pulse network. The cost per kWh of energy for subscribers has risen from 23p to 32p for the firm's standard public chargers (AC 43kW/DC 50kW) and from 29p to 38p for registered users.  The firm's fastest (150kW) Collapse

1 DAY AGO - Facelifted Polo remains a very grown-up small car, but it’s pricey Time waits for no man. Or car. In the time since we road tested the current Volkswagen Polo and declared it top of the supermini class, quite a few new or thoroughly refreshed rivals have entered the fray.So it’s facelift time for the Polo. Its design is awkwardly caught between VW’s older, more rectilinear design language and the more recent swoopy monobrow style first seen on the Mk8 Golf, which makes the fussier headlights and bigger tail-lights sit slightly uneasy on the more restrained body.VW has also revised the trim levels with more kit fitted as standard. Not counting the GTI, there are just three: Life, Style and R-Line. The cheapest Polo, costing £17,885, is now a Life with a 79bhp naturally aspirated 1.0-litre, but really you want at least the 94bhp turbocharged version costing £18,825, which can be paired with a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic as well as a five-speed manual. There is also a 108bhp Collapse

1 DAY AGO - Japanese firm's soft-roader enters second generation with a major design overhaul and improved standard equipment Suzuki has revealed the new SX4 S-Cross with a fresh design, mild-hybrid engine technology and a higher level of standard equipment.  The Japanese firm’s soft-roader enters its second generation with a bulkier design featuring smoother lines and larger wheel arches. It has a new front end with a raised bonnet line and a piano-black grille, plus an integrated rear spoiler and roof rails. Suzuki says the new design means the SX4 S-Cross now has a more spacious and versatile interior, as well as improved safety.  Power comes from a 127bhp turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol engine with a 48V mild-hybrid system - an uprated version of that used on the Ignis and Swift. The SX4 S-Cross is capable of a 0-62mph time of 9.5sec (10.2sec for four-wheel-drive models) and a top speed of 121mph.  Top-rung models are equipped with Suzuki’s Allgrip 4WD system with four selectable modes as Collapse