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Chrysler to close Pacifica Advanced Design Studios

The 20 designers at Chrysler's Pacifica Advanced Design Studios in Carlsbad, California will soon be finding themselves out of a job. The struggling North American automaker announced the closure of the facility on Friday, stating that the company is ‘leveraging resources worldwide, forming new joint ventures and alliances and consolidating operations in order to better achieve global balance.' Responsible for many of the more successful designs hailing from Chrysler in recent times, including the Chrysler 300 sedan and the new Dodge Challenger musclecar, the Pacifica Advanced Product Design Center also yielded the Nassau concept car and the Pacifica crossover – bearing the same name as the west coast studios in which it was created. The work done at the Pacifica Advanced Design Center will be consolidated into the Advance Design function in Auburn Hills and continue to be led by Senior Vice President of Design, Trevor Creed.

Swedish raincoat company teases Volvo Concept Estate

Volvo has brought the station wagon back to America; one small slice of the automotive continuum has been set to right. But the new V60 is a rather slinky, sporty thing, far removed from the box-plus-box-equals-box machines of the wagon's Stateside heyday. If this glimpse of the Swedish brand's new Concept Estate is any indication, do not expect a reversion to angularity when the next generation of cars arrives.

Hyundai i30 Tourer estate (2012) first official pictures

Hyundai is on a roll with its Tourer estates. Have you ogled the svelte-looking i40 wagon recently? Many at CAR have, and Mark Walton will in fact run one as his next long-termer.