The ‘small, yet mighty’ Picanto is seen leaping through the streets alongside a rather cute, acrobatic cat. The advert concludes with a confrontation between the cat and a fierce looking dog. I won’t spoil the ending for you just in case you haven’t seen it.

It’s a nice looking car too with ‘an eco friendly engine,’ which is always an attractive prospect these days with the worry of global warming and despite its compact size its crammed with the latest driving technology from electronic stability control and voice activated Bluetooth.

KIA are pretty confident about the quality of the new Picanto and as they say in the advert, all purchases of the car come with an impressive seven year warranty. Check it out in action below.

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Introducing The Small Yet Mighty Kia Picanto is a post from: Reviews 4 Cars

Nissan are trying to change that though, with the genius titled Nissan Leaf, a brand new fully electronic car. Some of us will think it’s a wonderful step forward for eco-friendly transport, and others will be put off by some of the myths surrounding electronic cars. You know the ones, ‘it’ll be too expensive’, ‘it will run out of juice every five minutes,’ that sort of thing.

In an attempt to change our minds and debunk some of the electric car myths Nissan have made a series of video about the Leaf tacking some of the common misconceptions, the first being the misconception an electronic car will die on the way to work.

In the first of the videos some doubters who demoed the Leaf, having managed to last a week on one charge, the doubters are converted. Check it out below and see if Nissan can change your mind and prove that electric cars are a genuine alternative to petrol or diesel powered cars, or at least for those of us who live in big cities which actually have power-points.

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Nissan Leaf: The 100% Electronic Car is a post from: Reviews 4 Cars

Laguna: Priced from just £19,995 on-the-road, the Coupé TomTom also includes Arkamys 3D Sound 140W audio system with MP3 CD reader and Bluetooth, 18 inch ‘Interlagos’ alloy wheels, eight airbags, automatic lights and wipers, dual zone climate control, electric heated door mirrors, MP3 player connection, rear parking sensors, Super Fold rear seat system and xenon headlights.

Renault is keen to point out that the Coupé TomTom undercuts its rivals, the BMW 320d SE by a significant £8,535 (£28,530 OTR) and Peugeot 407 Sport HDi 163 by £2,995 (£22,990 OTR).

The Carminat TomTom is a built-in navigation solution co-developed with Renault which includes features such as: a large “birdview” 5.8 inch screen, reliable navigation under all circumstances, traffic news with alternative itinerary, speed limits and numerous points of interest.

Megane: The new entry-level Mégane Sport Tourer Extreme launches with two models the 1.6 petrol and 1.5 dCi diesel, costing £14,935 and £16,685 respectively.

There is a generous level of equipment on offer, with a 4×15W radio RDS CD system with AUX input, air conditioning, ESP, Renault keycard and front electric windows all as standard.

As with the Laguna, Renault is happy to point out that the Megane undercuts its rivals, the Ford Focus Estate Style 1.6 Duratec 100PS by a considerable £3,010 (£17,945 OTR) and theVolkswagen’s New Golf S Estate 1.2 TSI by £1,445 (£16,380 OTR).

Renault Launches Special Edition Laguna Coupe and New Megane Sport Tourer Extreme is a post from: Reviews 4 Cars

For the last seven years, September has been the key month for new car registrations following the introduction of the new style number plates. However this year the credit crunch looks set to take its toll on the number of new 58 plate registrations.  With many putting the decision to buy a new car on the back burner,  HPI offers some words of wisdom on used cars that will not only be more cost effective to run and environmentally friendly, but are most likely to hold their value.

“Those keen to trade in their current vehicle for something else need to think carefully about their next purchase,” says Martin Keighley, HPI’s used car valuation’s expert. “It is really important that consumers think about a car’s potential to depreciate before parting with their cash.  Winners will be anything small and economical, with low CO₂ ratings.  My top picks include the Toyota Aygo (and its sister cars, Citroen C1 and Peugeot 107), Fiat 500 and Hyundai i10. Image conscious drivers will plump for the Mini, which is a bullet-proof buy as long as they stay away from the high end models.”

HPI’s valuation expert goes on to recommend that when it comes to medium sized cars, the latest eco-friendly models will also win the day. The VW Golf Bluemotion, Audi A3 1.9 economy models and Seat Leon 1.9 Ecomotive are all sound investments in terms of low running costs and hold their values.

Keighley concludes, “With money tight, many drivers have been panicked into downsizing their vehicles in a bid to cut their fuel and Vehicle Excise Duty bills. As a result, the list of undersirables is growing with large petrol engines top of the no-no pile.  I would even consider that the 2.0 is too large in 4×4, people carriers or Vauxhall Vectra-sized models, these days.  However, as times get tougher, we need to be aware of all the factors that impact on vehicle values. Although common sense has a lot to do with buying decisions, don’t forget that desirability can also rule the day.”

HPI Valuations’ Top Ten Sound Investments

1. Mini
2. Citroen C1/Peugeot 107/Toyota Aygo
3. Fiat 500
4. Hyundai i10
5. Audi A3 Diesel models
6. BMW 1 Series Efficient Dynamics
7. Ford Focus diesel models
8. VW Polo
9. VW Golf Bluemotion
10. Seat Leon 1.9 Ecomotive

Make Sure the Price Is Right is a post from: Reviews 4 Cars