The long-serving Renault Espace will be overhauled for 2005 to give it extra appeal for family buyers.

Originally launched in 1984, the latest generation model this year celebrated the Espace's 20th anniversary. Renault is now offering a new version to help consolidate on a 12 percent rise in sales in 2004. The all-new Dynamique model provides better value for money, while the rest of the range is revised with new interior trim, option packs and improved engine choices. Dynamique trim level gives the range a more sporting look, with features that prove popular on other Renault models.

It will be available in a choice of two petrol and three diesel engines, including the 3.0-litre V6 dCi Auto and 3.5-litre V6 Auto, which were only previously available on top-of-the-range Privilege and Initiale trim.

Honda will take over entire advertising breaks to repeat their weird and wonderful TV adverts during the Christmas period.

The famous 'Cog' ad, the flying animated diesel adverts and 'everyday' Civic will all be showcased during prime time slots.

"For all those people who heard about our adverts but were just too busy to see them throughout the year this should be a treat," said spokesman Simon Thompson. "People often say the best thing on TV is the adverts - well this Christmas they may well be right!" 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire', the 'Star Wars' movie, football matches and 'The 100 Greatest TV Moments' amongst many others will all feature the Honda ad extravaganza.

The diesel advert entitled "grrr" has just had a double accolade having been named Campaign magazine's number one advert and interactive advert for 2004. The advertising success has been mirrored by car sales - the company comfortably hit its target of 90,000 car sales in the UK this year - Honda's best ever performance.

Audi is set to report its fifth successive record year in Britain - selling 77,500 cars.

The UK arm is currently outrunning its American counterpart for the title of most successful Audi importer outside Germany. The increase is around 11 percent up on 2003's record-breaking figure. Britain looks set to deliver the largest contribution outside the brand's home market to the predicted 2004 global sales total of 770,000 units.

This sharp rise is the latest in a series of leaps since 1995, when 25,555 Audis found homes in Britain. By 1999 this figure had jumped to 40,000 cars, and since 2000 the ascent has been consistently steep, rising from 43,168 sales to 54,037 in 2001, 65,656 in 2002 and 70,107 in 2003.

Key cars in the Audi boom include the new A3 and the latest A4 saloon.

BMW is to launch a lightweight, high performance version of the 6 Series Coupe. However the latest M6 won't go on sale until the end of 2005, and prices are likely to be in excess of £70,000. It comes hot on the heels of the new M5 and is the fourth M car of the decade.

The BMW M6 is the new standard-bearer for BMW's M car range, as well as the return of a much-loved BMW badge. Under the bonnet is an impressive 5.0-litre V10 engine producing an awesome 507bhp, mated to a seven-speed gearbox. Lightweight body panels, including a carbon fibre roof, mean the car will accelerate from 0-62mph in just 4.6 seconds.

  Nissan Sets Up China Engine Plant

Japan's Nissan and a local partner will spend 190 million pounds on an engine plant in southern China to help it sidestep hefty import tariffs on motor parts.

The plant, to be built in Guangzhou by Nissan Motor and China's Dongfeng Automotive Investment, will start up in early 2006 and be run by their joint venture, Dongfeng Motor, both companies said on Tuesday.

Building engines locally not only saves Nissan money - imported engines are currently taxed at as much as 30 percent - it also pleases the central government, which is eager for foreign players to localise parts sourcing.

Foreign parts makers such as Delphi, Visteon and France's Valeo are increasing investment in China, further raising the quality of domestically available components and reducing the need for automakers to import.

"It reduces costs and is an easy way for foreign car makers to raise the local content of their products," said Yale Zhang, an analyst at CSM Worldwide. Nissan's investment underscores its confidence in a sharply decelerating, cut-throat market where tightening credit conditions are sapping demand.

Car sales should grow 10 to 15 percent this year after doubling to 2 million units last year. Next year could be worse - prompting Volkswagen to announce a delay or cutback in investments.

Executives complain it can be tough finding suppliers or getting parts shipped quickly through a creaky logistics web. Engines are one of the most costly and complex parts of a car.

Logistics and other non-production costs are estimated to make cars sold in China up to 30 percent more expensive than in other countries, though under World Trade Organisation commitments tariffs on imported parts could slide to about 10 percent on average in 2006, less than half of what they are now.

Engine Trend

Volkswagen and Toyota also have similar engine plans. Volkswagen said earlier it would spend 540 million euros on two engine plants to help boost engine-making capacity to more than a million units per annum eventually.

It can already make about 750,000 engines a year - nearly its entire local production capacity - in China, its largest market after Germany. Nissan's new factory will supply the company's plants in the southern boomtown of Guangzhou and elsewhere in China.

Capacity is expected to hit 360,000 units annually, with a workforce of 1,500, by 2008, Dongfeng Motor said in a statement. Nissan plans to quadruple car sales to 300,000 by 2007.

"The construction of the engine plant is a significant step forward in (Dongfeng's) strategic development in China, and it will provide a solid base for our business expansion," Mamoru Yoshida, the joint venture's managing director, said.

Guangzhou is becoming a focus for Japanese auto makers. Apart from Nissan, a relative latecomer, Honda and Toyota are also present in the city, about two hours by train from Hong Kong. Nissan and Dongfeng opened a plant in May in Guangzhou to make Bluebird and Sunny sedans, with capacity for 150,000 units a year. If another plant in central Hubei province is included, Nissan's venture has capacity to make 240,000 cars a year.

  DaimlerChrysler Sued over Heated Seat

DaimlerChrysler has been hit with a multimillion-dollar lawsuit filed by a paraplegic who says the carmaker's heated car seats caused him a severe burn injury.

Matthew Beller, 20, who has paralysis in his lower limbs and complete loss of sensation below his mid-back due to a training accident sustained while in the U.S. Marine Corps, said his condition prevented him from sensing the burn while it was occurring and that the seats are "unreasonably dangerous."

The suit contends that injuries to his buttocks, "including third-degree burns requiring hospitalisation, skin grafts and reconstructive surgery," occurred while he was driving a late-model Jeep built by DaimlerChrysler's U.S.-based Chrysler division last February.

Beller's attorneys are demanding payment for damages in excess of $14 million (7.3 million pounds), and they contend that other paraplegics have suffered burn injuries similar to Beller's in Chrysler vehicles.

Even before Beller bought his Grand Cherokee in August 2003, DaimlerChrysler "had knowledge that car seat heaters in its vehicles had caused severe burns to persons with sensory deprivation," the suit says.