Auto News 5

The Fiesta was Ford's first 'supermini' hatchback and also its most compact car ever. However, it wasn't Ford's first hatchback (that was the Capri), nor its first front-drive car (Taunus 12M).

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No one builds hot hatches like Ford... From the original Fiesta XR2 of 1981 to the brand new ST, the company has put a nation of young drivers behind the wheel of their first performance car. The firm's sporting superminis are legendary for their compact dimensions, gutsy four-cylinder engines and back-to-basics driving thrills, and anyone wanting to get a better feel for the character of the next evolution of Ford's fastest Fiesta could do worse than look to the past.

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We knew Renault's new Clio would be a supermini - but we weren't expecting it to be this small. An exclusive picture in this week's magazine reveals exactly how the newcomer will look when it goes on sale at the end of this year - but the image is of a 1/43 scale model!

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Auto Express has doubled-up! Exclusive pictures of the new Renault Clio and Vauxhall Corsa in this week's mag reveal how two of the UK's most popular superminis will look when they hit showrooms over the coming months.

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It's the third helping of va va voom from Renault - and big is beautiful! The French firm has unwrapped the Clio III, and our exclusive studio shots reveal a supermini that keeps on growing.

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This car has had a real grille-ing! The massive air intake on the front of the Renaultsport Clio is good news for hot hatch fans. Only weeks after the firm announced the end of Clio V6 production, this is the world's first look at the performance version of the all-new French supermini.


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The next Clio's design has finally been officially outlined. Following our exclusive shots of the new supermini in issue 857, Renault has now released this artist's impression.

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Workers at Fiat's Termini Imerese plant in Sicily stopped work and blocked a road on Thursday. They are upset following reports that the facility would be closed under plans to create the world's second-largest carmaker. Full story...

MINI has come up with a fresh interpretation of George Harrison's extravagant original Mini to coincide with the brand's 50th birthday. The one-off model will be handed over to Olivia Harrison at the MINI United event. Olivia will accept the MINI on behalf of the Material World Charitable Foundation, a charity set up by George Harrison in 1973. Full story...

In a subtle indicator that some parts of the vehicle market are slowly beginning to recover, auction prices rose in April for trucks and minivans over 2008, though cars remain behind last year’s pace. Full story...

Staff at Fiat's Termini Imerese plant in Sicily stopped work and blocked a road on Thursday in protest at reports the factory would close if the automaker merged with Chrysler and General Motors Europe to create the world's second-biggest carmaker. Full story...

The German government wants more detailed concepts in the next week from the two rival groups interested in investing in Opel, economy minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg was cited as saying today (14 May). Full story...

Exclusive images in this week's mag show the car that's set to B the final solution to Ford's supermini-MPV problem! It's the stunning replacement for the slow-selling Fusion - and it's called the Fiesta B-MAX.

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Workers at Fiat's Termini Imerese plant in Sicily stopped work and blocked a road on Thursday. They are upset following reports that the facility would be closed under plans to create the world's second-largest carmaker. Full story...

German government ministers will on Thursday discuss possible bridge financing for carmaker Opel until a partner for the General Motors' unit is found, government sources said. Full story...

German government ministers will on Thursday discuss possible bridge financing for carmaker Opel until a partner for the General Motors' unit is found, government sources said. Full story...

A cost-cutting deal between the Canadian Auto Workers and General Motors that was reached in March is no longer sufficient to ensure the viability of GM's Canadian operations and more cuts are needed, Industry Minister Tony Clement told Reuters... Full story...

German government ministers will on Thursday discuss possible bridge financing for carmaker Opel until a partner for the General Motors' unit is found, government sources said. Full story...

German government ministers will on Thursday discuss possible bridge financing for carmaker Opel until a partner for the General Motors' unit is found, government sources said. Full story...

Japan's Mitsui Mining and Smelting has asked for US government guarantees on about JPY300m (US$3.07m) owed to it by bankrupt Chrysler, according to media reports. Full story...