Car News

The next-generation Kia Soul has been spied during cold-weather testing this week, giving us a first look at the boxy crossover. Like the current version, the new Soul will retain its funky, square aesthetic, but there are some obvious design changes visible through the heavy camouflage this prototype is wearing.

The platform underpinning the fourth-generation Mercedes-Benz A-Class will be used for at least eight variants in total, the company’s design chief has revealed. Mercedes-Benz chief designer, Gorden Wagener, was glowing in his praise of the company's new front-wheel drive platform with Australian journalists after the A-Class launch in Amsterdam. "I can assure you that all variants on this platform, there will be at least eight, will be stunning,” Wagener said.

New vehicle industry peak lobby group, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), reported a 4.3 per cent increase in sales and registrations for January 2018 compared to the same month last year. VFACTS data released today recorded 88,551 sales for the first month of the calendar year. By comparison, the tally for January 2017 - a year in which the all-time annual sales record was broken - was 84,910.

The next-generation BMW M3 has been spied during cold weather testing in Europe this week. Not much is really known about the super sedan at this point, nor does the heavy camouflage lend much to the imagination in terms of its design, though we can tell the next-gen M3 – and the 3 Series it will be based on – will be an evolution rather than an revolution. It's believed the new M3 will be revealed sometime next year, potentially as late as the Frankfurt motor show in September 2019.

The new MBUX infotainment system will be offered in quick order in other Mercedes-Benz models. According to Ola Kaellenius, head of research and car development at Mercedes-Benz, the new infotainment system will "quickly proliferate" through the company's range, and "within a couple of years" it will be available in every model.