HERE ARE the most interesting and talked-about stories over the past five days, collated and summarised by us.

Monday, May 21

ABARTH announces its new 695 Maserati Edition will cost £32k when it goes on sale in the UK at the end of this year. It boasts Pontevecchio Bordeaux paint and 17-inch Maserati-like alloys.

THE all-new second generation Kia cee’d will on sale in the UK on June 1, the Koream firm reveals. Prices start at £14,395 and top out at £23,795.

THE remarketing team at BCA Peterborough have won a new quarterly award from Inchcape Retail. The auction house is the first recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award. Read more

FOUR local authorities in Scotland are now using the 100 per cent electric Nissan Leaf to reduce their carbon emissions and improve air quality.

Tuesday, May 22

ALESHA Dixon has lit up Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower. The lights were powered by the electric charge from a specially converted Nissan Leaf.

ISUZU has announced that its all-new Isuzu D-Max pick-up will be covered by a unique-in-class five-year/120,000-mile warranty. Read more

TOTAL global sales of Toyota and Lexus full hybrid vehicles have topped the four million mark as of April 30 – the UK sits at 94,000.

ASTON Martin Works in Newport Pagnell has held its first event since its refurbishment – the annual Bonhams Aston Martin sale. Read more

 

Wednesday, May 23

SEWARD’S Hyundai dealerships in Christchurch and Salisbury have gone into administration. Read more

MG Motor UK is launching a special scheme for employees of local industry, councils and other organisations. Membership of the scheme is being offered to the 46,000 people who work for Birmingham City Council.

MAZDA and Fiat have announced they will work together to develop and manufacture a new roadster for the two marques. Read more

PRICING for the sixth generation Mercedes SL-Class Roadster has been confirmed. The SL 350 is priced at £72,495 and the SL 500 will cost £83,445. Both models will arrive in the UK in June 2012.

 

Thursday, May 24

ASTON Martin’s Vantage is the most popular convertible among consumers, says a recent survey by Auto Trader. Read more

MITSUBISHI has revealed the special edition L200 Barbarian Black. A number of black accessories feature, and the special edition is priced at £23,899 for the manual, and £25,299 for the automatic.

ECOVELOCITY show organisers have revealed that visitor numbers for the nine-day show were recorded at 57,909, representing a seven-fold increase on the numbers recorded for the 2011 launch.

BMW’s 3 Series, the Hyundai i30, Mazda’s CX-5 and the Peugeot 208 have all received Euro NCAP’s maximum five-star rating. Read more

Friday, May 25

RENAULT has shown off a stunning concept car that celebrates 50 years of the Alpine A 110. Designers used the DeZir concept car as a design basis for the Renault Alpine A 110-50 concept car.

MOTOR Codes, the automotive industry’s provider of OFT-approved codes of practice, has been given Investors in People status. Read more

FERRARI dealer Stratstone Manchester is to support “The Cholmondeley Pageant of Power: Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and Remount Charity Run” with a Ferrari California and 458 Italia.

BMW has given its 7-series a refresh. The new car boasts stylistic enhancements and a new range of more efficient engines. The new 7 will start at £58,115 when it goes on sale in September.

FRENCH marque Peugeot has announced it is ‘reinventing’ its naming policy to give better understanding of its models. Read more