Chevrolet HHR pricing and specification announced (UK)

We've seen prototypes of the Chevrolet HHR SS undergoing high-speed testing in Germany but it seems that the regular HHR will arrive in Europe. The retro cruiser has been on the U.S market since 2006.

The HHR will be well equipped with front fog-lamps, Glass deep-tinted 2nd row doors, quarter windows and rear, 4x electric windows, leather wrapped steering wheel and gear-shift knob, leather seats with heated front seats, 8 way electrically adjustable drivers seat, cruise control and more. The only options will be metallic paint and electric sunroof. Accessories will be available at your local Chevrolet retailer. 3 trim-levels will be available; entry-level LS, LT and range-topping LTX.

Only 1 engine will be available at launch and this will be the 2.4 litre petrol engine. The engine is mated with both a manual gearbox and an automatic gearbox. Prices will start at £16,995 for LS, rising to £24,145 for the LTX.

Chevrolet HHR microsite

Chevrolet HHR specification

Chevrolet Cruze to be unveil in Paris (EU)

Chevrolet Europe will revealed their new C-Segment sedan at October's Paris motorshow. Prototypes of the new sedan have been spied in the U.S, Germany, UK and Northern Scandinavia.

According to Chevrolet, the Cruze will be sold alongside the current Lacetti hatchback and wagon. The newcomer will be available in Europe in early 2009 with global sales following after. A North American version of the Cruze is slated to go into production in mid-2010 at GM's Lordstown plant in Ohio and will replace the Cobalt.

At 4.6 metres or 181 inches, the Cruze will be larger than most small-family sedans like the VW Jetta and Ford Focus sedan. It will be the first product to use the revamped Delta 2 global compact platform that also will underpin replacements for the Vauxhall/Opel Zafira, Chevrolet HHR and related siblings. If you want more variants of the Cruze, you're out of luck, since the Cruze will only be offered as a 4 door sedan with a seating capacity of 5 people.

European customers will be offered the choice of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines developing around 120bhp -140bhp. For the U.S market, GM intends to fit a turbocharged 1.4-litre direct-injection petrol engine that will deliver up to 40 mpg in motorway driving.

GM previously used the Cruze nameplate on a re-badged version of the Suzuki Ignis that was sold in Japan as the Chevrolet Cruze and in Australia as the Holden Cruze.

Official: Russia is #1 in Europe's car market (RU)

Russia has officially knocked Germany off the top spot as Europe's largest car market. A document showed that new car sales in Russia rose by a huge 41% during the first half of this financial year, totalling sales of 1.65 million cars.

Russian car deliveries are expected to total 3.8 million by the end of the year, with Germany's expected to reach just 3.2 million.

Spending on new vehicles in Russia totalled a record $33.8 billion during the first half of the year, of which $27 billion worth of new cars were imports.

The country's oil-based economy is to thank for its growing wealth. But few big industry players predicted the speed in which Russia has become a key European market.

Carlos Ghosn, boss of Renault-Nissan, said six months ago he thought the Russian car market would overtake Germany's "within two years". While John Fleming, Ford's European chief, said it might happen in 2009.

Russia is predicted to account for 20% of global growth in the automotive market through to 2015.

Its not all bad news, Germany takes 2nd place after holding the number 1 spot in car sales, past last few years, while the UK is shoved into 3rd place.

Thanks to Russia's growing economy, will this make the country the highest carbon dioxide emitter in coming years?