2003 Saturn Vue 79636 Miles Rear Or Back Door Left 1411711 on 2040-parts.com

Nissan Friend-ME – looks better than it sounds: Shanghia Motor Show

Nissan has built the Friend-ME (which must rank as one of the most useless car monikers ever) to appeal to the potentially huge market of ‘B?línghòu’ buyers, a group of buyers, born in the 1980s, who grew up as single children thanks to China’s ‘One Child’ policy. Nissan sees this group as totally reliant on their network of friends for support, and has built a car that owners can enjoy with their friends on an equal basis. So every one of the four seats gets full instrumentation - SatNav, Fuel, Speed – and an ‘Oracle Stone’ runs down the centre of the cabin which can display whatever content the occupants want from their connected Smartphones and tablets.

Design Essay: Are smart roads just around the corner?

In order to remain relevant, the car must constantly evolve. But while almost all attention focuses on four wheels, the roads that facilitate an automobile's progress have remained relatively unaltered since Eisenhower formed the National Highway system in the 1950s. With environmental concerns getting ever higher on the agenda, there is an opportunity to think outside the (metal) box and rethink the road, making it as smart as the vehicles and devices that travel upon it.

Striking new Kia concept for Frankfurt

It wouldn’t be a motor show without a wild and outlandish concept car from Kia and it looks like the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show in September will be no different. Kia has announced details of the as yet unnamed concept that “hints at a possible future B-segment contender ready to take on the urban environment with style and tenacity”. It’s also said to be “playful but gutsy, sturdy yet impish” – so could it be a small crossover?