2001 02 Infiniti Qx4 Floor Console Cupholder Shifter Trim Woodgrain Nice! on 2040-parts.com

Autoweek in review: What you may have missed

It was a slower week in the newsroom as 2012 winded down. On Monday, we learned how motorcycles were coming back and got some ideas for last-minute holiday gifts. In the racing world, the Trans Am Series announced that it’s expanding the 2013 race schedule.

Daimler-Renault alliance approved, report says

An international alliance between Daimler and Renault has been approved by the companies' boards and is set to be announced on Wednesday, Bloomberg is reporting. The pact would allow the German and French automakers to collaborate on a range of products, including small cars, commercial vehicles and engines. AutoWeek first reported on the alliance last week.

Hyundai ix20 (2010) first official teaser sketch

Hyundai is the latest car manufacturer to join the mini-MPV party, with the upcoming ix20, and ahead of its preview at the Paris motor show at the end of this month, the Korean company has released this teaser sketch. Designed and developed at Hyundai’s European research and development centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany, the ix20 is essentially Hyundai’s version of sister firm Kia’s Venga.  Hyundai would have you believe it’s a little bit of both – the ‘ix’ moniker has been chosen to suggest its cross-over like capability. The Korean manufacturer says the ix20 is ‘a vehicle with the ability to simultaneously serve as a functional people-carrier while providing a dynamic, fun-to-drive experience’; the Venga has shown that it’s a capable and competent, if unexciting, small MPV.