The VW Passat Alltrack is a rugged four-wheel-drive version of Volkswagen's popular family estate. It's designed for buyers who need decent off-road ability and a big boot, but don't want a traditional high-sided SUV. Its closest rivals are the Audi A4 Allroad and the Subaru Outback. The Alltrack isn't simply a Passat with four-wheel drive, though. The higher ride height gives it more ground...

This is the Hyundai i30 Tourer, which makes its public debut at the Geneva motor show 2012, and goes on sale in July. The i30 Tourer is the estate version of the all-new i30. It’s 185mm longer than the hatchback, and 10mm longer than the current i30 Estate. Loadspace – with the seats in place and up to the load cover – is 528 litres; a 140-litre increase over the hatchback. This i30 exceeds...

These are the first pictures of the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class, which will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The interior shots were released today as Mercedes announced its new iPhone-integrated media system. The car maker hopes the technology, which involves hardware called Digital Kit Plus and a Digital DriveStyle App, will appeal to a younger generation of drivers. Audi A3 and...

The Seat Exeo ST has been updated for 2012. Changes include new optional bi-xenon headlights and LED daytime running lights for SE and Sport trims, while there's improved economy and reduced CO2 emissions across the range. There are also upgraded cabin materials and new alloys to choose from. Three 2.0-litre TDI diesel engines are on offer, with outputs of 118bhp, 138bhp and 168bhp. CO2...

Images of the new Audi A3 appear to have been leaked on the internet – two weeks ahead of it planned debut at the Geneva motor show. Russian websites revealed studio images of the car earlier today. They show a neat evolution of the current A3’s exterior styling, with a sharper, more focused front end – incorporating LED daytime running lights - and the retention of the A3’s characteristic...

The new Volvo V40 has been revealed ahead of its unveiling at the Geneva motor show next month. Leaked images of the new model – which is expected to replace the S40 saloon and V50 estate – have appeared on various websites. The images – which appear to be genuine – show the five-door hatchback has a similar look to Volvo’s S60, V60 and XC60 models. The V40 is expected to go on sale later this...

This is the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse – a high-performance version of the Veyron Grand Sport open-top model that makes its public debut at the Geneva motor show 2012. The Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse is based on the Veyron Super Sport and has the same W16 engine. It has four turbochargers and produces a staggering 1184bhp and 1106lb ft of torque. The Grand Sport Vitesse’s top...

Crash test results for the Honda Civic and Jeep Compass have been released by safety body Euro NCAP. Honda's Civic received the maximum five-star rating, after scoring highly for adult occupant, child occupant, pedestrian and safety assist. It was also given a Euro NCAP Advanced award for its Collision Mitigation Braking Assist system – a £1900 option with adaptive cruise control on top-spec...

More than 17% of cars on the road have previously been written-off, according figures from vehicle-check site MyCarCheck. The research looked at more than 46 million cars. Of 46,456,106 cars checked, the research revealed 448,307 (17.37%) were previously classified as ‘Cat A’ – described as having suffered too extreme damage to be repaired and should not be in use. Additionally, 2,049,415 ‘Cat...

More images of the Toyota FT-Bh concept car have been released ahead of its public debut at the Geneva motor show next month. Toyota has previously revealed a sketch of the new car, but the two new images show more details. One shows the rear light and tailgate, while the other appears to be a close-up of the headlight. The FT-Bh name stands for Future Toyota B-segment Hybrid. The B-segment...