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Driven: Ford Mondeo wagon

But the design of this Mondeo is interesting because of this, not despite this. The core challenge for the Ford design team was how to balance delivering a distinctively engaging design with being acceptable to as much as possible of the broad target profile of potential buyer. This is perhaps the biggest unspoken challenge for today's vehicle designer.

First Sight: Infiniti Emerg-e

It's a month before the Geneva motor show and amongst the usual pre Motor Show commotion I receive a string of cryptic emails about an Infiniti electric sports car concept. The name Emerg-e is only revealed as I drive to the secret preview at Park Royal Studios in West London to meet the big three in design – global design director Shiro Nakamura, Francois Bancon of advanced design and head of Nissan Design Europe Victor Nacif. This is clearly a critical car for Infiniti.

Mini nears big sales record

BMW's Mini brand will reach an all-time sales record this year, BMW sales and marketing chief Ian Robertson said. BMW sold 132,000 Minis in the first half. "If you double the half-year total, you aren't far off results for the year," Robertson told Automotive News Europe.