Škoda Australia has added a new variant to its Octavia model line up – the high performance Octavia RS TDI with a new 125kW 2.0 litre common rail diesel engine. The new performance-oriented diesel engine joins the 2.0 TFSI 147kW four-cylinder petrol engine, which is still available in the Octavia RS. 

Mitsubishi has released more details about its second major debut planned for August's Moscow Auto Salon, the all-new Mitsubishi Challenger seven-seater mid-sized SUV. The Mitsubishi Challenger, as it is known in the Australian market, will carry a different name in other markets: it is known as the Montero Sport in South America, the Nativa in Latin America and the Pajero Sport in other non-Spanish speaking markets.

Cadillac was busy at the recent Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance motoring event in California, revealing a preview of its new CTS wagon, which is set to go on sale in the United States during the first half of next year. The new model is called the Sport Wagon and is based on the CTS sedan, which is already confirmed for Australian sale at the end of this year.

Th LS, a prototype vehicle in development by a German company called Loremo, proves that hybrids and electric vehicles aren't the only ones capable of impressively high fuel efficiency. Rated at a minimum of 2.94L/100km - and that's for the high-performance version - Loremo's two-cylinder turbodiesel powerplant promises to deliver efficiency as high as 1.96L/100km, over twice as efficient as the Toyota Prius.

Demand for diesel-fuelled cars and SUVs is shooting through the roof as fuel prices rise and more models are made available. Despite the added cost of purchase, which sometimes tips the balance of affordability out of diesel models’ favour for the first few years of ownership, there’s no denying their growth in popularity as consumers look for more fuel-efficient means of motoring.

Diesel power, stability control and more airbags as standard equipment are the tools Holden is using to add value and draw more customers to its Epica midsize sedan. Backing up the new engine and safety features is a new automatic transmission and fresh styling.