VW XL1 (2013) 314mpg eco-car heads for production

VW supremo Ferdinand Piech has kept his promise of putting the XL1 super-eco car into production. VW has confirmed the 313mpg XL1 will be built in limited numbers, around 50 of which are earmarked for UK sale. It's an expensive way to save money on fuel though: projected prices for the XL1 run into six figures.

Audi Q3

Shanghai will see the latest model unveiled from Audi, the Q3. Offered as a 'premium SUV in compact form', the Q3 adheres to Audi's standards of engineering and build quality and slots beneath its larger brothers to offer an alternative to BMW's X1 model. This expansion of Audi's SUV range clearly draws from its bigger siblings.

MINI Countryman to be built in India

MINI sells worldwide – even in the US – and, despite claims it was a step too far for the brand, the MINI Countryman has been a big hit for MINI, offering as it does most of MINI’s charm but in a bigger, more family friendly package and with the option of All4 4WD for a degree of off-road ability (well, certainly the ability to treat boot sale car parks with disdain). Now, for the first time, BMW is to build the MINI outside Europe with a new MINi assembly facility coming on stream in Chennai, India, where BMW already makes 3 and 5 Series models as well as the X1 and X3. The plan is part of BMW’s plan of ‘Production follows the market’ where BMW aim to make their cars where they’re sold, so with the MINI brand showing strong growth in India since its launch it makes sense to build them there.