SO XCITING

Kia has announced prices for its new Stonic compact SUV which goes on sale at the end of next month (and which we will be testing before then). Based on the Rio hatchback, the Stonic range kicks off at £16,295 for the Grade 2 trim. Kia has decided not to bother with the Grade 1 trim that’s available in Europe due to the low take-up of basic models in the UK. That means that the only other option is the First Edition trim which costs £20,495 with the 1.6-litre turbodiesel engine. We’ll have more details after we’ve driven the Stonic. Volvo is following up the recent launch of its XC60 with a new, smaller XC40 – the first compact SUV made by the Swedish brand.

Prices for the new car have just been announced and if it’s anything like as good as the XC60 it’s going to be a strong seller.

The range kicks off at £27,905 for the entry level T3 Momentum with manual gearbox and front-wheel drive. The T3 engine has 156bhp, the T4 190bhp and the T5 247bhp. All are fourcylinder units burning petrol.

Two diesels are also available – the D3 with 150bhp and the D4 with 190bhp. More engine options will be included later and are bound to include a hybrid.

Trim levels run through Momentum to R-Design, R-Design Pro, Inscription and finally Inscription Pro. Volvo promises a high level of equipment even on the cheapest versions.

Congratulations to Emily Leese, an 18-year-old classic car fanatic who has just secured an apprenticeship at the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu in Hampshire. Emily is the first apprentice the museum has taken on in 40 years and has been volunteering there since she was 14. As well her training there, she’ll also be learning skills at legendary Rolls and Bentley specialists P&A Wood in Essex. Well done Emily, I’m very jealous.