Five of these are available for more than £5,000 less than their list price, Which? claims. These were the Citroen Xsara Picasso; the BMW 520d; the Ford Focus 1.8 Zetec; the Mercedes C250 CGi; and the Volvo XC60 D5.

Six, meanwhile, cost more than £1,000 less than their list price: the Audi A5 2.0T; the BMW 520d; the VW Golf 1.4 TSI; the Ford Focus 1.8 Zetec; the Mercedes C250 CGi; and the Volvo XC60 D5.

Richard Headland, editor of Which? Car, said: "Not only can buyers find bargain prices online - without haggling with a salesperson - they have better legal rights too. The web has thrown down the gauntlet to traditional bricks-and-mortar car dealerships."

Last week, Club SEAT UK, an online club for SEAT owners and enthusiasts, welcomed its 6,500th member.

The free-to-join club offers members access to a variety of articles, offers and multimedia content.

Club SEAT is accessed via www.club-seat.co.uk.

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The average value reached £12,918 over the month, a substantial rise of £647, or 5.2 per cent, over December, and the highest average price ever recorded at BCA.

Four-wheel drive values have increased by almost 100 per cent over the past year and a half, with previous records set in October and December.

January’s wintry weather contributed to the latest rise, claims BCA Communications Director Tony Gannon. "Nothing makes four-wheel drive more attractive than a dusting of snow around the UK and the severe weather we have had in recent weeks will have convinced many drivers that they now need a 4x4."

Meanwhile, Peugeot LCVs defied an overall downturn in the market during January, with sales increasing by a healthy 59.2 per cent.

Peugeot now holds its highest-ever share of the LCV market: 9.54 per cent. The company sold a total of 1,137 LCVs during January: a 59.2 per cent increase on January 2009.

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The £2,000 rebate will now run until the end of March, although no additional funds will be available, according to a BBC report.

The extension will allow manufacturers and dealers more time to prepare for the end of the scheme, said the Government.

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said: "Against the background of the economic downturn the scrappage scheme has proved a great success, driving UK car sales, protecting jobs and supporting the supply chain for car manufacture at a time when this sector needed it most."

A total of £400 million has been invested in the scheme, which was launched in May 2009.

Last month, a sharp drop in the average CO2 emission per car was attributed to the scrappage scheme by eco-driving website cleangreencars.co.uk.

The average output for 2009 hit 149.8 g/km - a record-breaking 8.9 g/km less than in 1998.

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The Art Car programme, established in 1975, has seen such distinguished artists as

Andy Warhol, David Hockney and Roy Lichtenstein turning BMWs into “unique artistic statement about the appearance and meaning of cars”.

Many previous BMW Art Cars have been exhibited in world-renowned museums such as the Louvre and the Guggenheim.

BMW Board Member Frank-Peter Arndt said: "We are enormously pleased about Jeff Koons' eagerly anticipated contribution to the BMW Art Car series, celebrating its 35th anniversary.  Art Cars are part of the DNA of BMW's cultural engagement. As manifested in Koons' latest sculptural work, what unites us is the belief that nothing is impossible."

Meanwhile, Club SEAT UK, an online club for SEAT owners and enthusiasts, has welcomed its 6,500th member.

The free-to-join club offers members access to a variety of articles, offers and multimedia content. Members also have the chance to win prizes, tickets and exclusive VIP hospitality at SEAT premieres and events sponsored by the Spanish carmaker across the UK and Europe.

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Managing Officer Hiroyuki Yokoyama made the admission in a Japanese press conference. He said a clash between the anti-lock and the regenerative braking systems had been identified and fixed, but added that the company was still considering whether or not to begin a further recall.

"As for whether this will mean a recall, we are currently looking into what we can do as soon as possible for our customers to buy our vehicles."

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration claims to have received 124 reports about the issue, including four possibly related crashes.

The firm is currently recalling millions of vehicles in the US and Europe following reports of intermittent problems with the accelerator pedal in eight models: the IQ, Aygo, Yaris, Auris, Corolla, Avensis and Verso.

Meanwhile, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has issued advice on how to respond to mechanical faults such as a faulty accelerator.

IAM Assistant Chief Examiner Stephen Mead said: "Keep calm - surprisingly the perception of the average driver with a stuck accelerator is that they can't brake either, but this is a misconception brought on by panic. Press the brake firmly, then the clutch, disengaging the power.”

He urged drivers who think they may be affected to seek a recall as soon as possible.

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The free-to-join club offers members access to a variety of articles, offers and multimedia content. Members also have the chance to win prizes, tickets and exclusive VIP hospitality at SEAT premieres and events sponsored by the Spanish carmaker across the UK and Europe.

Current SEAT sports sponsorship includes Premier League football teams Aston Villa FC and Stoke City FC, the Scottish Football Association and Welsh Rugby Union, the UEFA Europa League. SEAT has also recently renewed an association with pop singer Shakira.

UK Club SEAT Manager Andy Guy, said: ‘The growing popularity of our online community speaks for itself with more and more fans signing up every day. Previously we've taken Club members to VIP motorsport events, offered exclusive trips to top football games and even given lucky Club members the chance to party with us at international events in Ibiza and Valencia.”

Club SEAT is accessed via www.club-seat.co.uk.

In related news, German carmaker Audi has launched an innovative promotional space within Playstation Home, a 3D virtual world for users of the Sony Playstation 3 games console.

The Audi Home Terminal offers videos and information on the Audi brand within a sleekly futuristic virtual showroom. A second area features Vertical Run, a racing game featuring the e-tron, Audi’s recently unveiled electric sports car.

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Less than 100,000 Peugeot 107s and Citroen C1s are likely to be involved, according to a BBC report, all produced at a plant in the Czech Republic which also produces vehicles for Toyota.

A spokesman said: “We are going to carry out an identical campaign as Toyota.”

The plant, at Kolin, east of Prague, manufactures around 200,000 Peugeot and Citroen models every year, as well as the Toyota Aygo.

The Peugeot 107, Citroen C1 and the Toyota Aygo are all based on the same framework, with different stylings added.

Last month, Japanese car giant Toyota announced plans to recall an additional 1.1 million cars.

According to a BBC report, the move follows an earlier decision to recall 2.3 million cars within the US due to pedal safety issues. Five US models are affected by the latest recall: the 2008-2010 Highlander, the 2009-2010 Corolla, the Venza, the Matrix and the Pontiac Vibe.

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The December figure represented a 34 per cent rise (£1,573) on December 2008, Fleet News reports, but Manheim is cautious about the implications.

Manheim Remarketing Managing Director Mike Pilkington: “We are starting 2010 in a stronger position than 12 months ago and, although we will not see the dramatic value rises of January 2009, I expect prices to remain strong during the first quarter.”

Meanwhile, Japanese car maker Nissan has announced plans to create 400 new jobs at its Sunderland plant to meet demand for its Qashqai model.

The fixed term manufacturing positions will join a night shift production due to begin in May.

Trevor Mann is Senior Vice President for Manufacturing in Europe says demand for the Qashqai is outstripping supply. "Qashqai continues to buck the trend of a generally depressed market, and we have now identified the need for an additional shift to cover a high volume request in the first half of the 2010 financial year."

During 2009, Nissan cut 1,200 jobs at the 4,300-strong Sunderland plant in response to falling demand.

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The carmaker will continue to supply the AA with 2,700 dual control cars a year, with 1.4 litre Fiestas appearing for the first time in addition to the standard Ford Focus 1.6.

Kevin Griffin is Ford's Director of Fleet Operations. He said: "Our position in the heartland of the vehicle market supports the AA Driving School in offering new drivers the highest quality introduction to their driving experience from day one.”

AA Services CEO Andrew Strong added: "This deal secures a continuation of the quality and high standards delivered under AA Driving School's long-standing relationship with Ford and will ensure both instructors and pupils have access to a car that meets their needs."

Ford Focus has been sole supplier to the AA Driving School for the last 12 years. Delivery of this year’s vehicles will begin in February.

In related news, the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has stuck to its decision to ban the use of the Toyota iQ in driving tests.

According to a report in Fleet News, the DSA refused to reassess the model earlier this month after declaring the iQ unsuitable for use in tests due to the alleged poor visibility from the passenger seat.

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Following a three-way agreement between ministers in Britain, Ireland, and Northern Ireland, UK drivers who have been disqualified after being found guilty of motoring offences in the Republic will no longer be able to evade the punishment when they return to the UK.

Similarly, Irish drivers who have been disqualified in the UK will remain disqualified when they go home.

Road Safety Minister Paul Clark said: "We've cut the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads by 40 per cent since the mid-1990s - that's more than 19,000 fewer deaths or serious injuries in a year and means we now have some of the safest roads in the world. But we need to continue to work to make our roads even safer and if a UK driver commits a serious offence while in Ireland it is right that their ban should still apply when they return home.”

Earlier this week, motoring campaign group Safe Speed criticised a call by the Sustainable Development Commission to introduce new speed cameras on motorways to ensure that drivers stick to the 70mph speed limit.

Average speed cameras differ from conventional ones by measuring a car's speed over a prolonged distance, rather than at a fixed point. This prevents motorists from slowing down when approaching a camera to evade detection, then speeding up again when out of range.

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According to a BBC report, the move follows last week’s decision to recall 2.3 million cars within the US due to pedal safety issues. Five US models are affected by the latest recall: the 2008-2010 Highlander, the 2009-2010 Corolla, the Venza, the Matrix and the Pontiac Vibe.

In an official statement, the company said: “Toyota's remedy plan is to modify or replace the accelerator pedals on the subject vehicles to address the risk of floor mat entrapment."

The General Manager of Toyota's European operations, Colin Hensley, said the recall would cross the Atlantic, once the world’s largest car maker had established how many European models shared the parts used in the cars recalled in the US.

The Toyota Corolla was revealed to be of the car models least likely to fail their MOT when the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) published 2007 MOT failure rates earlier this month.

Amongst three-year-old vehicles – those manufactured in 2004 – the three models with the highest MOT failure rate were the Ford Transit Connect (30.5 per cent); the Renault Megane (28.1 per cent); and the Ford Transit (26.3 per cent). By contrast, three year-old Toyota Corollas have a MOT failure rate of just 11.2 per cent.

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