New i10 city car annouced by Hyundai

THE NEW HYUNDAI i10 goes on sale in the UK from the end of January and prices will start at £8345, which is the same price as the outgoing model. Hyundai promises a big step forward in the comfort, quality and equipment of the new i10. All models will come with six airbags as standard, plus electric front windows, CD stereo and daytime running lights.

Interior Motives Design Conference 2005

Patrick le Quement, Senior Vice President, Corporate Design, Renault made the opening address in which he remarked that "the most profound change I and my team have made is the investment in interior design". He took the audience through a succinct overview of the recent history of Renault design and how far it has evolved from being 'the art of dressing up the hunchback' as a senior Renault manager remarked several decades ago. One of the interesting Renault Design processes he talked about was its 'Trends Missions' where groups of four or five designers make trips into creative areas adjacent to car design for a few days to explore, research and bring back to the studio valuable insight that enriches the design group as a whole and informs the many issues and tasks being grappled with, one of the most important at the moment being defining 'what is Renault'.

Interactive Audi Cam smoothes car repairs

Audi Cam system – now rolled out across Audi’s UK dealer network – smoothes repair flow decisions for customers. Last year Audi introduced Direct Reception technology across its dealer network, allowing customers to see and speak to the mechanics (sorry, technicians) as they work on a car. It’s a good way to pass the time if you have the time in the first place to sit in a dealer’s reception whilst your car is worked on, but it always seemed more a gimmick than anything else; a bit like the ‘Celebrity Chef Kitchen Table’ fad.