Latest Type-R undergoes testing.

Ahead of the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, Honda has showcased the latest Civic Type R development car at its in-house test track in Tochigi, Japan. The currently camouflaged car is being put through its paces as part of an extensive testing process taking place in Europe and Japan, ahead of its much anticipated launch in 2015.

The Civic Type R will be the first model in Europe to have one of Honda’s all-new VTEC TURBO engines from Honda’s Earth Dreams Technology range. This 2 litre, direct injection, 4-cyclinder turbo engine is expected to have class-leading output in excess of 280PS and will be EURO 6 compliant.

Speaking during recent testing at the Nurburgring, Germany, Honda’s WTCC driver Gabriele Tarquini, gave his first driving impressions ‘The car and the characteristics of the car were fantastic. I was really impressed by the power and the torque of the engine but also by the set-up they achieved…The car is very pointed on the front and very fast to change direction’. ‘This car is very close to my racing car and you can feel very well the DNA of Type R.’

To hear Gabriele Tarquini’s comments in full, please go to the following link - www.myjourneys.com/typer

Vauxhall/Opel updates the Meriva with improved diesel engines.

• Vauxhall’s innovative MPV gets new engine and design flourishes
• Revolutionary FlexDoors and FlexSpace systems remain unique in sector
• On sale from next month

Vauxhall’s Meriva will come of age with a new look and class-leading Euro-6 diesel engine when the model goes on sale in the UK next month.

Launched in 2010, the second-generation Meriva turned the compact MPV class on its head, with its clever FlexDoors system – rear-hinged rear doors which allow a 20 per cent larger opening for passengers – and FlexSpace system, which allows rear passengers a variety of different seating combinations.

The Meriva now gets a new grille, chrome accents that frame the front fog lamps and newly-designed headlamps with an ‘eagle-eye’ graphic. For the first time, LED daytime running lights and LED tail lights are available as an option. Complementing the design revisions are new optional 18-inch alloy wheels.

Fresh from its launch in the Zafira Tourer, Vauxhall’s all-new 1.6 CDTi diesel engine is now available in the Meriva. The Euro-6 compliant engine, which is already setting a high benchmark in the industry for efficiency and refinement, produces 136PS and 320Nm of torque at 2,000rpm, yet achieves a remarkable 64.2mpg combined and 116g/km of CO2 emissions. This equates to a 10 per cent improvement in economy/emissions over the 1.7 CDTi, which the new unit replaces.

Diesel engine performance from the new Meriva has also been improved, the 1.6 CDTi model accelerating from 0-60mph in 9.1 seconds, nearly a second quicker than the 1.7 CDTi, thanks to its additional 6PS and 20Nm of torque. The Meriva’s petrol engine range (1.4 100PS, 1.4T 120 & 140PS) remains and is now fully Euro-6 compliant.

Like all Vauxhalls, the Meriva comes with Lifetime Warranty, which offers first owners peace of mind for as long as they own the car, up to 100,000 miles.

A separate pricing announcement will be made next month when the new Meriva goes on sale, with first customer deliveries in January 2014.