Ssangyong relaunches brand with Giugiaro-designed Korando

Korean brand Ssangyong is back from the dead. After looking odds-on favorite to become another automotive casualty of the global recession after Chinese owner SAIC put it into receivership in early 2009, the 4x4 specialist has found a new owner in 2010 – signing a memorandum of understanding with Indian company Mahindra & Mahindra in August – and has just re-launched its brand with a new car designed by Giugiaro. The fourth-generation Korando mid-sized crossover – prefaced by the C200 concept shown at the April 2009 Seoul motorshow – is due on sale in January 2011 pending the expected completion of the Mahindra deal in November this year.

Seat Toledo concept [w/gallery]

The Seat Toledo returns to the market as a compact (4,480mm) sedan that sits between the B-segment Ibiza and larger Leon hatchback. The Toledo – and its Skoda and Audi siblings – marks a return to the lower end of the sedan market and sensible family transport. Whether this translates into Seat's supposed youthful image remains to be seen, but from the initial press images, little of the ‘dynamic lines' form introduced on the Ibiza by former design chief Luc Donckerwolke appear.

Top Gear Tonight: Renaultsport Clio 200, Peugeot 208 GTI, Ford Fiesta ST & New Reasonably priced car

Richard Hammond tests the Renaultsport Clio 200 (pictured), Peugeot 208 GTi and Ford Fiesta ST in tonight’s Top Gear It’s been a while since Top Gear filled our Sunday evenings, but it’s back tonight – Series 20, Episode 1 – at 8pm on BBC 2. The usual mayhem and madness (and silliness) will ensue. but the series needs to be set up first, because there’s a new reasonably priced car.