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The Nissan Micra (known as the March in Singapore) has undergone a nip and tuck procedure for 2013. The most prominent update is done on the front fascia, which receives a revised headlamp, bumper, plus a grille inspired by the Juke SUV. It certainly looks more rugged now than before. The taillight combination is revised as well. The top-of-the range model gets 16-inch alloy wheels, climate control, park assist and a 5.8-inch infotainment screen among other goodies. USB and MP3 player connectivity is standard across all variants. Under the hood, the 2013 Micra uses the same 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine with 79bhp. However, a more power 1.2-litre DIG-S with 97bhp is available too. This is the same engine found in the Note. The more powerful motor actually produces less CO2 than its lesser brethren (95g/km vs 115g/km). Transmission options include a standard five-speed manual or CVT automatic. Class competitors for the new Nissan Micra include the Mitsubishi Mirage, Ford Fiesta and Honda Jazz.

[extract] Ford is currently working on a 150bhp version of the 3-cylinder 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine. Speaking to Auto Express at the launch of the facelifted Ford Fiesta, EcoBoost chief engineer, Andrew Fraser, said: "I

[extract] Four years after the Fiesta was launched, Ford has given the supermini a facelift for the 2013 model year. It gains a new face that incorporates a prominent grille which is similar to the new Fusion

Ford is adding a new engine to its global vehicle lineups that has the same displacement as most water bottles - 1 liter. The three cylinder Ecoboost engine is the smallest engine Ford has ever built. Ford first mentioned the engine with the Start concept car when it was rolled out at the Beijing auto show last year. Like other Ford EcoBoost engines, it uses high-pressure direct gas injection and turbocharging to get better performance and up to 20% better fuel economy compared with larger-displacement engines. Ford has packed other advanced fuel-saving features in this little wonder, some of which Ford is offering for the first time. A split-cooling system allows the cylinder block to warm up before the cylinder head. This will help save fuel during cold weather or short trips because oil and engine fluid viscosity rises as temperatures fall, so more work and more fuel is required to overcome friction in the powertrain. The exhaust manifold is combined with the cylinder head in a single piece casting instead of bolted on. The one-piece assembly lowers the temperature of the exhaust gases and saves weight. More importantly, the new engine is promised to offer performance that rivals the 1.6 liter 4 cylinder engine used in the Fiesta. Although nothing is official, this implies an output of approximately 120 hp with an accompanying 152 Nm of torque. It recently made its European debut in the Ford B-Max at the 2011 Geneva International Motor Show. The engine can be expected to be used in Ford

BMW has announced that it wants to bring its TwinPower turbo technology to smaller displacement engines, including 4-cylinder and 3-cylinder power plants. The technology debuted back in 2009 on the 3.0 liter inline six-cylinder gasoline unit fitted to the 5-Series GT. The technology is also used on other models and larger displacement power plants. TwinPower technology features twin-scroll turbocharging coupled with direct-injection and variable valve management (Valvetronic system) that delivers greater output and efficiency from a smaller engine. A few months ago in January 2011, BMW introduced the X1 xDrive28i with a new 2.0 liter turbocharged engine featuring the TwinPower turbo system. In this application, the power plant has an output of 242 bhp and 350 Nm of torque. The all-wheel drive X1 xDrive28i returns a fuel-economy figure of 7.9 liters/100 km on the EU test cycle. There has been rumours that BMW is developing a 3-cylinder engine, which it now says will also get TwinPower technology. These 3-cylinder engines will power the next-generation MINI as well as new entry-level compact BMWs. BMW has plans for both diesel and petrol 3-cylinder and 4-cylinder units as its highest volume engine groups. Among German automakers, it looks like BMW is taking the direction of downsizing to a whole new level. I just hope that the 3 cylinder power plants will not have any vibration issue.