Motoring briefs: Baby Aston to cost $110,000

The Aston Martin Cygnet. Photo / Supplied

Aston Martin's city-focused Cygnet, could cost up to $110,000 when it goes on sale this year - though only Aston owners can buy it. The car is based on Toyota's iQ and uses a Toyota 1.3-litre motor, but it will be rebuilt at the Aston factory with a redesigned cabin and new exterior panels.

World Car of the Year

The Toyota Prius, Mercedes E-class and VW Polo have made the shortlist for the World Car of the Year, picked from 30 finalists by 59 jurors worldwide. Audi's R8 V10, Ferrari's California and Porsche's GT3 vie for best performance car, and the Prius, Honda Insight and VW Bluemotion for Green Car of the Year.

Sneak peak at F800 Style

Mercedes previewed a four-door entry-level coupe at the Geneva Motor Show. The F800 Style will share its mechanical underpinnings with the next-gen front-drive A and B class, though the concept showcases a modular rear-drive platform. The hero powerplant will be a 3.5-litre turbo V6 petrol hybrid.

Skoda tunes in to sports

Skoda's Fabia vRS is its second sports-tuned car, this time using a double-supercharger set-up to spice up the 1.4-litre engine for 132kW of power. Sports-tuned stability aids, lightweight alloy wheels, minor body kit changes and tinted windows complete the picture.

New look for Kia Rio

The latest Kia Rio has had a facelift which imparts the tiger-nose styling applied to all the brand's latest cars. The restyled nose and rear bumper, plus new eight-spoke alloy wheels, are matched by a cabin redesign. Engines and price remain unchanged.

Compliance hits top gear

One hundred thousand vehicles have gone through Low Volume Vehicle Certification since the safety-based compliance guidelines were set up 21 years ago. The milestone Kiwi was Te Awamutu's Steven Payne, complying a Vanglia Special destined as the workshop vehicle for his restorations business.

Green petrol station

Queenstown has launched NZ's first public biodiesel refuelling facility, aimed at enhancing this country's green rep to tourists.

BMW front-drive set to roll

BMW will introduce a front-drive entry model priced beneath the 1 Series. It will share its underpinnings with the new Mini Cooper due in 2014, and go head-to-head with the incoming Audi A1 to meet the increasing market for small premium cars.

Hire an electric

Want to reduce the carbon footprint of your European holiday? Avis will offer electric-powered Renault hire cars from 2011. Avis has offset more than 147,000 tons of CO2 since 1997.

Lada joins F1

The world's fastest Lada joins Formula One next year - sort of. The Renault F1 car will carry Lada branding to promote F1 in Russia ahead of Moscow's bid to host a GP there. Renault has a 25 per cent stake in Lada.

GM plans posh city car

GM will build an upmarket city car using the Corsa platform being developed in Korea, and could do it without Suzuki help - that relationship souring since VW bought a 20 per cent stake in the Japanese small-car specialist.

Speed pack takes Jag higher

A new speed pack which recalibrates the engine and transmission will lift the Jaguar XKR's top speed from 250 to 280km/h.

Ferrari goes easy on gas

Ferrari will introduce stop-start to its California model this year, reducing fuel use by six per cent.