Motor news

CITROËN is turning to technology to reduce the cost of younger buyers owning and insuring a new car by fitting its C1 Connexion special edition with a telematics 'black box' as standard. The Smartnav system, provided by Trafficmaster, allows Citroën to offer free insurance for the first year of ownership to all eligible drivers (19 to 75) when the car is funded with Elect 3 or Elect 4 finance. Younger drivers can drive off in a new C1 1.0i 68 manual three-door Connexion for just £109 per month plus deposit.

SKODA continues its model offensive with the new Octavia Estate. Only a few weeks after the launch of the Octavia Hatch, the third-generation Octavia Estate has its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show this month. Skoda says the latest version of this best-seller offers outstanding space, fuel efficiency, innovative safety and comfort and many "Simply Clever" ideas that set it apart from its competitors.

BENTLEY'S styling team has developed an athletic design for the new Flying Spur – also to debut at Geneva – that combines traditional Bentley styling cues with a sporting stance and contemporary details. It says a sharp exterior is matched to a luxurious, spacious cabin that dresses advanced acoustic and electronic technologies in exquisite hand-crafted leather hides and wood veneers.

THE new Audi RS Q3 is the first Audi SUV to be handed over to the specialists at Audi high-performance subsidiary quattro GmbH for the full, no-holds-barred RS transformation. The new 310PS, 155mph Q3 flagship is available to order in the summer.