Timing is all. Just as Chancellor George Osborne ratcheted up company car tax for thousands of motorists, German giant BMW unveiled its new 'budget buster' — its first mainstream plug-in petrol-electric hybrid SUV. The 'green' BMW X5 xDrive40e  can be recharged at home, can run on electric power only and switches constantly between petrol and electric power while on the move. It'll help keep company car tax far lower than for a conventionally fuelled version. The two-litre petrol engine and the 113bhp electric drive together generate 313bhp of pulling power. The new 'green' BMW X5 xDrive40e (pictured) can be charged at home, can run on electric power only and switches constantly between petrol and electric power while on the move . It has a top speed of 131 mph, will sprint to 62mph in 6.8 seconds and will be launched at next month's New York Motor Show. Average fuel consumption of up to 85 mpg and CO2 emissions — on which company car tax and road tax are based — are a low 77g/km. BMW says: 'Short, everyday journeys in urban areas can easily be completed with zero exhaust emissions, while actual fuel consumption is reduced substantially when driving for distances of up to approximately 15 miles in urban traffic. 'Driving in this way equates to an equivalent 94.2mpg.' However, the Budget measures also mean most company car drivers will be thousands of pounds worse off. There will be a 3 percentage point hike in the tax in 2019-20. It means a higherrate taxpayer with a £28,000 Nissan Qashqai 1.6-litre company car will be £1,008 worse off after just five years with a total annual benefit-in-kind tax bill of £3,360. City accountant Deloitte says the hikes are unfair on company car drivers locked into three or four-year deals who 'in good faith' chose a frugal model, only to find it re-classified just a couple of years later as 'a gas-guzzler', and taxed accordingly. They are the chilling words most likely to strike horror into the heart of any long-suffering person whose car-nut partner has time on their hands: 'I quite fancy doing a car restoration project.' The presenters behind Discovery Channel TV show Wheeler Deelers have picked out their top five restorations in a new manual (pictured) So if you can't face the reality, why not present your other half with a new book about the subject to keep them distracted? The presenters behind the Discovery Channel's hit TV show Wheeler Dealers, Mike Brewer and Edd China, have picked their top five restorations. It marks the release of the new Wheeler Dealers Car Restoration Manual (pictured below — Haynes, £22.99) and the new series starting on Monday. The manual goes behind the scenes to reflect on ten of the most popular restorations from the first 12 years of the show. The cars featured are: Austin Mini, Jaguar E-Type, Lamborghini Urraco S, Land Rover Discovery, Mazda MX-5, Peugeot 205 GTi, Porsche 911 Targa, Subaru Impreza WR X, Amphicar, and the Willys MB Jeep. Of the Mini restoration, Mike Brewer says: 'The Mini is definitely one of my all-time favourite classics, and is just such good fun to drive. If you want a small classic that'll be easy to work on, this is the car for you; and there's a great owners' scene, so you'll never be stuck for help or advice.' ? Cars made here are becoming even more British as the amount of parts deployed that are made in the UK has risen by a fifth. Domestic parts makers sold 19 per cent more components to UK-based manufacturers last year than in 2013, say new figures from the Automotive Council. But the 'Britishness' of cars manufactured here is still far less than 40 years ago. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) says around a third of the components in a UK-built car are sourced domestically, compared to more than 90 per cent in the mid-Seventies. Think of Jeep and you think of America. But maybe not for much longer. For the new Jeep Renegade scores a few considerable firsts, not least being built in Italy. Jeep's debut in the small SUV market features a nine-speed gearbox, along with a 7in full-colour multi-view display. It is also the first car from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to be jointly developed by Italian and American engineers. The new Jeep Renegade was built in Italy and features a nine-speed gearbox, along with a 7in full-colour multi-view display . As such it is also the first Jeep to be built in Europe, but sold in the U.S. It also features a 'My Sky' sunroof that gives occupants a true open-air driving experience. Jeep, now along with Chrysler owned by Fiat, says that although built in Italy, the Renegade had to be instantly recognisable as a Jeep. It'll be sold in 100 markets globally. Designers were challenged to come up with a look that would symbolise Jeep's U.S. heritage while appealing to youthful, adventurous buyers. The result is rugged yet chic, and preserves classic styling cues such as the seven-slot grille, round headlamps and straight-line wheel arches. Its two petrol engines are the 110hp 1.6-litre E-torQ unit, and a 1.4-litre MultiAir II turbo, which comes with power outputs of 140 and 170hp.
This model keeps company car tax lower than conventionally fuelled cars . Average fuel consumption of up to 85 mpg and CO2 emissions are 77g/km . It has a top speed of 131 mph, will sprint to 62mph in 6.8 seconds . It will be launched at next month's New York Motor Show .