First factory-built wheelchair-accessible vehicle hits the market

Before Wednesday, the only wheelchair-accessible vehicles available to the public were aftermarket conversions that generally came with structural modifications and a price tag ranging from $50,000 to $80,000. Now, a startup company called the Vehicle Production Group (VPG) has released the first vehicle specifically assembled to accommodate people in wheelchairs, with an MSRP of $39,950. The vehicle is called the MV-1, which stands for Mobility Vehicle 1, and it was built for the disabled community.

Mini Countryman (2010): first official pictures

This is the Mini Countryman, the fourth addition to Mini’s range – after the regular three-door hatch, the Convertible and the Clubman – and also the first current-generation Mini to have four-wheel drive and four regular passenger doors. No, Mini says the Countryman is a crossover, and the four-wheel drive system – called Mini All4 – is an option. Think of the Countryman as a slightly bigger and more practical Clubman with a longer wheelbase than other Minis, four proper doors and a conventional lift-up rear hatch, but to make sure it looks a bit more butch Mini has given the Countryman a bigger, bluffer nose than its siblings.

Driven: Mitsubishi i

We first reviewed the diminutive Mitsubishi 'i' when it was unveiled at the 2005 Tokyo Motor show and, while we were pleased with the overall design of the car, we were disappointed that Mitsubishi had chosen not to export the innovative vehicle to other markets. But with the popularity of this compact urban cruiser soaring in Japan and the recent availability of the vehicle in the UK, we now had a chance to give it a go on the often traffic crippled streets of central London. Congestion in urban milieus is not a new phenomenon, but even with London's congestion charging system extorting money from drivers it doesn't seem to be getting any better.