93-94 Ford Ranger Flareside Front Plastic Grille Body Assembly on 2040-parts.com

New Land Rover Freelander will actually be a Discovery

It seems – as we expected – that Land Rover are looking to make more sense of their range of off-roaders as new models are launched, and are going to concentrate on three core brands – Range Rover, Discovery and Defender – instead of the current mish-mash where many models really overlap with others (the top end Discoverys are really a cheaper Range Rover). So the next Freelander will become an entry-level Discovery with underpinnings borrowed from the Evoque (which is itself based on the current Freelander platform, a development of the Ford Galaxy’s platform), and arrive in both 5-seat and 7-seat guise, with the new Discovery ’5′ getting a platform based on the new Range Rover and perhaps spawning two models. The new Discovery range will be targeted as a ‘Lifestyle’ core range for Land Rover (much as the original Disco was) and the Range Rover range will be both sporty and luxurious, with a 7-seat Grand Evoque XL joining the current Evoque, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover.

Vauxhall Zafira Tourer concept (2011) at 2011 Geneva motor show

Vauxhall has put away the hologram projector and sent us proper photos of the Zafira Tourer concept, prior to its debut at the 2011 Geneva motor show Vauxhall has sought to create a comfortable, relaxing lounge ambience with the interior of the new Zafira, shown here in concept car form.  Vauxhall's trademark Flex7 seating now allows the middle row of seats to fold flat into the floor. The Zafira Tourer also boasts a 'lounge seat' middle row. Similar to the Vauxhall Meriva and other MPVs on the market, this allows the centre chair to drop down, liberating extra space for two middle-row passengers.  The interior is richly trimmed in caramel-coloured leather, with contrasting dark brown trim on the doors, and deep-pile carpets. This is not your usual toddler-resistant troop-carrier fare.

IIHS names safest cars for 2013

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has named the safest cars for 2013, including 13 midsize sedans that qualify for a new “top safety pick+” designation. The designation is given to vehicles that earn “good” ratings for occupant protection in at least four of five tests, with no less than “acceptable” in the fifth test. A new test -- the small overlap test -- was added to assess how the vehicles perform during a front-corner collision with another vehicle or object, such as a utility pole.