One of the most important new models in the history of ŠKODA is now officially on sale.

The all-new Citigo marks the start of a new era in the company’s 117-year history. As the sixth model in the multi award-winning line-up, and ŠKODA’s first ever city car, it expands the brand’s value-for-money appeal to a new type of customer.

With a classically simple yet charismatic design and outstanding around-town manoeuvrability, the Citigo sets new standards – comfort, convenience, environmental considerations and technical sophistication.

The brand’s debut in the fast-expanding city car segment, it’s also the first new model to wear ŠKODA’s revised ‘winged arrow’ corporate badge. It’s a fact that perfectly illustrates the Citigo’s huge significance for the company.

The newcomer is aimed at younger drivers, families who need a second car and older motorists with an active lifestyle. Citigo has a spacious and bright cabin which can easily accommodate four adults, no matter how long the journey. It also has the largest boot in its class and a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating.

The 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine comes with a power output of either 60 or 75PS, plus the option of GreenTech fuel-saving technologies including stop/start and brake energy recuperation. A newly developed five-speed manual transmission is standard, though an automatic gearbox is available on selected models. It means the Citigo has official combined fuel economy as high as 68.9mpg and CO2 emissions as low as 96g/km.

ŠKODA’s recognised high specification ...

Third generation Audi compact hatchback opens for UK order this week with an impressively strong specification and numerous technological advances

All-new three-door A3 model opens for order this week priced from £19,205 OTR to £26,560 OTR - first deliveries in September

Features major advances in quality, infotainment and driver assistance technology, efficiency and driver appeal

Three reworked engines at launch delivering efficiency gains averaging 12 per cent – 1.4 TFSI (122PS) and 1.8 TFSI (180PS) petrol and 2.0-litre TDI (150PS)

Three specification levels – SE, Sport and S line - all including alloy wheels, air conditioning or climate control, MMI radio with electrically folding screen, Audi Music Interface iPod connection, Bluetooth interface and navigation preparation

A breakthrough in premium compact hatchback quality and capability is about to be made as the all-new Audi A3 opens for UK ordering in its three-door form with prices starting from £19,205 OTR. Subtly redefining the look of its supremely successful predecessor, and decisively elevating its dynamic character, fit and finish and on-board technology to a new plane, the third generation car also now has a UK specification which impresses at every level.

Redesigned from the ground up following the principles of ‘Audi ultra’ lightweight construction, the all-new A3 tips the scales an impressive 80 kg lighter on average than its predecessor, pegging the 1.4 TFSI model at just 1,175kg. The same painstaking pursuit of progress is evident in the very high quality cabin, which genuinely breaks new ground in the class with standards of materials, workmanship and ergonomics that genuinely push the boundaries at this level.

UK A3 models launch ...

Following its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, the new Golf GTI Cabriolet is now available to order at Volkswagen Retailers across the UK, with prices starting at £29,310 RRP OTR for the manual version and rising to £30,610 for the DSG. It sits at the top of the Golf Cabriolet range, combining all the pleasures of practical and safe open-air motoring for which this model is renowned, with all the performance and on-road dynamics for which the GTI name has stood since 1975.

Living up to this name, the Golf GTI Cabriolet has all the classic design cues. The radiator grille has a honeycomb structure with red edging and GTI badge, while the front bumper incorporates a deep honeycomb air dam and distinctive fog lights. Side sill extensions help give the GTI a wide, well-planted stance, while a bespoke rear diffuser is framed by a chrome tailpipe on either side. Smoked LED tail lights complete the look, along with standard 18-inch ‘Monza Shadow’ alloy wheels.

Inside, and under the insulated fully automatic electrically powered roof are four seats covered in the classic tartan ‘Jacara’ cloth upholstery; ‘Vienna’ leather upholstery is optional. The bespoke GTI multifunction steering wheel is wrapped in leather, as are the handbrake and gear lever gaiter, all finished with contrasting red stitching. The pedals have brushed stainless steel caps, while there are black ‘Edge’ decorative inlays on the doors and facia. The hood, which can be folded away in just 9.5 seconds, even while travelling at ...

Volkswagen is adding even more style to its popular supermini, with the launch of the Polo R Line, which builds on the impressive specification of the Polo Match with unique styling touches inside and out.

On the outside, the R Line is distinguished by a unique styling pack. This consists of deeper, sportier R Line front and rear bumpers, a black gloss radiator grille with R Line badging, deeper side sills and 16-inch ‘Mallory’ alloy wheels. From the B-pillars back, the glass is dark-tinted and 65 per cent light-absorbing, while the standard front foglights also include a static cornering function.

Step past the brushed aluminium scuff plates with R Line logos, and inside there are sports seats with ‘Kyalami’ cloth upholstery and an R Line logo on the headrests, along with a leather-trimmed three-spoke steering wheel with R Line logo and aluminium-capped pedals, while the roof lining is finished in black cloth.

Standard equipment is comprehensive, including an RCD 310 radio/CD player with six speakers and multi-device interface, for plugging in an iPod or other compatible device, ‘Climatic’ semi-automatic air conditioning, a multifunction trip computer, electric windows (including in the rear on five-door models), height-adjustable front seats, a split-folding rear-seat backrest, electrically operated and heated door mirrors, illuminated vanity mirrors, front and rear reading lights, a tyre pressure monitor and, of course, remote central locking.

The R Line is available with just ...

New TT RS plus Coupe and Roadster models combine even more power and torque with an enhanced specification
TT RS plus Coupe and Roadster join UK range in addition to existing TT RS models
Available with manual or S tronic twin-clutch transmissions priced from £48,945 OTR to £52,265 OTR (£3,085 premium over TT RS)
Ordering possible from early May, first UK deliveries in the summer
Power boosted by 20PS to 360PS, torque up by 15Nm to 465Nm
Top speed increased from 155mph to 174mph, Coupe 0-62mph down to 4.1 seconds with S tronic transmission (from 4.3), combined MPG 33.2
Additional equipment, including sports exhaust system

Audi has just loosened the leash on the already extreme TT RS to create the new TT RS plus, an even more focused version of the high performance sports car with a new, autobahn-devouring 174mph top speed, increases in power and torque to 360PS and 465Nm and an equipment upgrade. The new RS plus duo joins the UK range in addition to the existing ‘standard’ TT RS models, and will be available to order from early May priced from £48,945 OTR – first deliveries are expected in the summer.

The step up from TT RS to TT RS plus involves tuning the 2.5-litre, five-cylinder TFSI petrol engine to extract an additional 20PS and 15Nm of torque compared with the ‘standard’ car. The resulting 360PS and 465Nm can be channelled to the quattro all-wheel-drive system through either a six-speed manual gearbox or the seven-speed S tronic twin-clutch transmission.

With the latter installed, the TT RS plus Coupe catapults from rest to 62mph in just 4.1 seconds (manual ...

Latest incarnation of mid-size SUV combines subtle styling enhancements with significant efficiency gains and equipment upgrades
New generation Q5 range opens for order in late May priced from circa £33,400 OTR – first deliveries expected in October
Four engines at UK launch, all either heavily revised or new to Q5 - efficiency gains of up to 15 per cent
2.0 TDI with 177PS and 380Nm, 3.0 TDI with 245PS and 580Nm, 2.0 TFSI with 225PS and 350Nm, 3.0 TFSI with 272PS and 400Nm
Start-stop for all engines, new electromechanical steering, suspension revisions
New options including Audi connect bringing in-car internet services such as Google Earth, Google Street View, online traffic information, internet radio

The Audi Q5 is about to climb to a new peak on the efficiency scale as new generation versions of the popular mid-size SUV are readied for their October debut on UK roads. Combining subtle styling revisions and equipment enhancements with power increases and economy gains of up to 15 per cent, the remodelled range will be available to order from late May priced from circa £33,400 OTR.

The updated Q5 will arrive in the UK with four engine options: two TDI and two TFSI. All of these engines combine direct fuel injection with forced induction, and a start-stop system is standard in all versions. Although most of the engines have enhanced performance, their fuel economy has been improved by up to 15 per cent.

The 2.0 TDI with 177PS and 380Nm of torque (with S tronic and quattro drive) is the entry point to the diesel range, and delivers 47.1mpg on the combined cycle. The 3.0 TDI delivers 245PS and 580Nm of torque. This acclaimed V6 diesel has been completely redesigned and now combines the potential for up to 44.1mpg according to the combined cycle test (previously 37.6mpg) with a torque increase of 80Nm over its predecessor ...