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Attempting to reach out to customers that like to really stand out from the crowd, Ford performed the debut of three special factory-fitted packs called Digital, Tatoo and Grand Prix for its all-new Ka minicar at the Paris motorshow. The most vibrant package of them all is without doubt the ‘Digital’ that uses a high-contrast green as the base color for the interior and exterior of the car.

If you’re looking to add o sportier touch there’s the Grand Prix theme with a chequered flag motif based on either a red or white exterior colour scheme while the less funky Tatoo package adds tribal-style tattoo designs (with a heart in the center…) on various parts of the outer body as wells as in the interior. Ford said that all three option packs are available only on the standard Zetec trim and that prices will be announced closer to the Ka’s official launch date. Read more about the new 2009 Ka by clicking here. Continued

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Audi’s much lauded S-Tronic seven-speed twin-clutch transmission has found its way into the recently facelifted S3 that is offered in 3-door and for the first time, 5-door Sportback forms. Available for order in the UK from October 1st at an extra cost of £1,450, the ‘two pedal’ S3 models are priced at £28,920 for the three-door and £29,420 for the five-door Sportback with UK deliveries expected to start in mid-December.

When equipped with the S-Tronic, the three-door S3 sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) in 5.5 seconds, 0.2 seconds quicker than the 6-speed manual version with which it shares its electronically governed top speed of 155mph or 250 km/h. Equally important, the twin-clutch transmission betters the S3’s combined fuel economy figure from 33.2mpg UK to 34mpg UK.

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Ford unwrapped the latest iteration of its Fiesta Panel Van at the IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Hanover that opened its doors today to the members of the press. Using the new generation Fiesta hatchback as a base, Ford’s engineers ripped out anything coming in-between the front passengers’ seats and the car’s tailgate, including of course the rear-sear bench and the side windows which have been replace by a metallic cover. Moreover there’s a solid half-height bulkhead to keep unruly goods off the drivers back while the separation between cabin and cargo is completed with a mesh upper section. The Fiesta Panel Van’s load space is around 1 cubic meter. Sales of the bread van Fiesta are expected to start in early 2009.

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Just a couple of weeks before Mercedes-Benz rolls out its new line-up of BlueTEC diesel vehicles, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) granted the German automaker the Qualified Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit, qualifying the ML 320 BlueTEC, R 320 BlueTEC, and GL 320 BlueTEC buyers for tax breaks up to $1,800. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certified to the IRS that the BlueTEC vehicles meet the strict emission requirements. So far, this is the first time that the IRS has granted the tax break to diesel vehicles. According to the IRS, buyers of the ML 320 BlueTEC are eligible for a $900 tax credit, purchasers of the R 320 BlueTEC may qualify for a $1,550 tax credit, and purchasers of the GL 320 BlueTEC for a $1,800 tax credit depending on their individual tax status.

The vehicles, which are the first diesel passenger vehicles to meet all 50 state emissions requirements and get up to 600 miles to the tank, are equipped with a 211 HP 3.0-liter V6 diesel unit. According to Mercedes, all three models will go on sale on October 1st.

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Spanish car maker SEAT has introduced a new selection of shades for the Leon entitled ‘Custom Palette colors’. Priced from £550, UK buyers can choose from a set of eye-catching shades including the Lumina Orange illustrated above with optional 18” Orion black alloy wheels. The vibrant orange color is available on the range-topping Leon FR and all Cupra models. The Custom Palette also introduces three new color options for the Leon, the Speed Blue, Kiwi Green and Furia Grey, the latter being a more ‘stealthier’ shade than the other two

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BMW of North America announced on Monday a price increase of 2.1 percent on average across its model range of 2009 BMW brand vehicles that are due to arrive at dealerships in October to help absorb higher costs of raw materials and the ongoing exchange rate pressure. The German automaker said that minor price adjustments will also be made to selected options/packages. As you can see in the price list after the jump, there is no 2009 pricing on Z4 Roadsters and Coupes as production of both models concludes at the end of the 2008 model year. “The significant structural and economic changes in the marketplace are prompting all automakers to further refine actions to respond to these pressures,” said Jim O’Donnell, President of BMW of North America, LLC. “At BMW, we’re responding with a number of internal efficiency improvements to offset our increased costs so that we can keep this price increase modest.

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 Trident is yet another small automaker that promises to save the world’s fuel supplies and at the same time allow us petrol heads to have a blast while we’re at it. The British firm said today that the Iceni, which has been under development for quite some time now, is nearing production. The compact two-seater that weighs in at 1,480 kg or 3,262 lbs is powered by a massive 6.6-liter V8 turbo diesel engine that can run on any kind of biodiesel without any invalidation of warranty, adjustment to the engine or affect on performance. The 6.6 V8 develops an output of 550 bhp at 3,800 rpm and an outrageous 950lb/ft of torque at just 1,800 rpm. The British automaker claims that the rear-wheel-drive Iceni can sprint from 0 to 60mph (96km/h) in just 3.7 sec and achieve a top speed in excess of 200mph or 321 km/h. At the same time Trident supports that its sports car can manage 68.9mpg UK (57.3mpg US or 4.1lt /100 km) at constant speed of 70mph or 112 km/h. Of course we’ll have to wait for an official figure on the combined cycle to make any serious conclusions, but the Iceni does sound promising.

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