Car News

The brand new five-door-only 2018 Renault Megane RS has made its high-profile world premiere at the Frankfurt motor show today, and damn it if the company hasn't knocked the design out of the park... The third-generation, painted in lurid orange, gets a new turbocharged 1.8-litre engine with 205kW at 6000rpm and 390Nm of torque - not exactly Ford Focus RS or Honda Civic Type R numbers... This engine is shared with the upcoming Alpine A110 coupe.

There is a distinction between "high-performance" and "higher-performance", the latter meaning more than current, but not so much as to be considered exceptional. That's where the Toyota C-HR Hy-Power concept comes into the picture, described as a preview of the Japanese car maker's plans for a more sporting extension of its growing hybrid family.

Renault Australia managing director Justin Hocevar is managing director no longer, with the company announcing his departure this week. Hocevar's exit comes as a surprise, having been expected to join Australian media at the Frankfurt motor show this week. The news follows the unexpected departure of his Renault Nissan Alliance counterpart at Nissan Australia, Richard Emery. As with Emery, no explanation has been offered for Hocevar leaving the business.

The Mercedes-AMG Project One hypercar might have stolen all the limelight at the Mercedes-Benz unveiling before the official opening of the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, but the diminutive Smart Vision EQ ForTwo is just as important to the future DNA of Daimler globally according to the man who should know. "We will actively shape the future of mobility, and invest massively in our future," said Dr Dieter Zetsche, chairman and head of Mercedes-Benz cars.

Long-time road safety advocate, and former Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) chairman, Lauchlan McIntosh, has been appointed chairman of the Global New Car Assessment Program (Global NCAP).