Engine: 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel, turbocharged
Transmission: six-speed manual, front-wheel drive, stop-start
Power: 150 PS at 4,000 rpm
Torque: 380 Nm at 1,750 rpm
Fuel consumption (combined cycle): 57.6 mpg
CO2 emissions: 129 g/km
Top speed: 112 mph
Acceleration (0-60 mph): 10.6 seconds

An eight-year-old boy has died in a "tragic accident" after he was apparently hit by a reversing car thought to be driven by his father.

A Saudi woman who defied a ban on female drivers in the country has been severely injured and her passenger killed in a car crash.

Gunmen kidnapped three foreign aid workers – two Spaniards and an Italian – from a refugee camp yesterday. Spanish media reported that one of the workers and a guard were wounded in the attack.

The original Land Rover is one of the all-time classic cars. Typically for a British product, it was also something of a glorious lash-up and compromise (although an inspired one). By the time it is replaced in 2015, the Land Rover will have been in production for nearly 70 years, a figure that exceeds automobilia's distinguished gerontocracy of the Model-T Ford, the Volkswagen, Mini and Porsche 911. It is an absolute and unchallenged masterpiece of industrial design.

David Remmer has a Mini Cooper S, which is used for the school run and the daily journey to the railway station. However, his 14-year-old son is now 5ft 9ins, which means getting him in the back of the Mini is no longer an option. Ideally, David is looking for a car with five doors, decent rear legroom, which is small and easy to park, with an automatic gearbox. He wants lots of equipment and has a generous £25,000 budget.

Orders given to use plastic bullets as riots spread across Britain

Helen Salter is looking to replace her 10-year-old Zafira, which is now too small for fully grown children, but she is confused by what's on offer. Space is a priority, of course, and after last winter she is wondering whether a four-wheel drive might be a good idea. Ideally, she wants a vehicle that will seat more than five adults in some degree of comfort. Oh yes, and it must be economical. The budget is £8,000 to £12,000.

There’s certainly no shortage of choice for anyone in the market for a MINI. We now have the new MINI (would you believe it’s been 10 years since BMW brought the small car back to British roads?) the Cooper and Cooper S, the Clubman, a convertible, the Countryman in its four-wheel-drive and standard variants, various limited editions and soon a coupé.

Elsewhere, personalised car number plates are considered an amusing accessory or a mark of distinction. Here, the distinction they mark is between Britons who consider them vulgar and Britons whose enjoyment of life is untroubled by such concerns, plus some splinter groups claiming them as a memory aid, or an investment (the record price is £500,000).

Gary Neville yesterday placed himself at the head of a campaign to make football more environmentally sustainable, declaring that he wants to drive change in fan behaviour in the same way that the Kick it Out campaign has driven out the scourge of racism.

Heather Read bought a Honda CRV last September, but apparently it all went horribly wrong and she ended up with a refund, but no vehicle. Heather and her family need four-wheel drive because they live on top of a hill in an area that is prone to flooding. They like the idea of seven seats – space is a priority for visits to family around the country – and they might get a dog! Heather is currently test driving various 4x4s, but which one should she buy?