Dacia ‘Twingo’ planned as sub £5,000 entry-level Dacia

The current Ranault Twingo (pictured) looks set to live on as the new Dacia Twingo The new Renault Twingo – which shares its underpinnings with the next Smart – arrived at the Geneva Motor Show last week, and it looks an appealing and impressive city runaround. With 3-cylinder engines, rear wheel drive and decent looks, the Twingo looks to have a decent chance of making sensible sales this side of the Channel as the budget alternative to the next Smart Car, which will be basically the same under the skin. But those plans may go a bit awry if a report from Auto Bild is accurate, as Dacia appear to be preparing to take the current Twingo and turn it in to a budget offering for the Dacia range.

Audi working with Mazda on Wankel for A1 e-Tron?

The Audi A1 e-Tron could be getting a Mazda Wankel Last year at the Geneva Motor Show, Audi showed us another in its seemingly endless line of fantasy e-Tron cars. But instead of being a pointless supercar with a pile of batteries bolted underneath to wreck the handling with all their weight – for the three feet you can actually drive with your foot to the floor before you run out of juice – this e-Tron was a different beast altogether. Not only was the Geneva 2010 e-Tron a properly sensible city car – the Audi A1 - but it came with a range extender so you could actually use this Audi A1 e-Tron beyond the confines of its electric charge.

MINI Countryman – Photos leak

First 'Official' photos of the MINI Countryman Yesterday we brought you a report on the latest tease from MINI, this time a video of the new MINI Countryman all camouflaged up in yellow and black driving through a black and yellow camouflaged countryscape. Which told us precisely nothing. But now we get the first official photos of the MINI Countryman – but unofficially.