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 ca n'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 Monday New York Motor Show .