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Kia Urban Compact SUV Concept heading for Geneva Motor Show

Kia is teasing what looks to be an Urban compact SUV come crossover ahead of a reveal at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. The market for funky, rufty-tufty urban crossovers started with the ugly bug (but appealing) Nissan Juke and continues apace with car makers rushing to fill a desire by car buyers for something butch and small to blat round urban landscapers. Now it looks like Kia re planning to get in on the act with a new urban runaround of their own, with the reveal of a handful of tease photos of a new concept they will be revealing at this year’s Geneva Motor Show in March.

Brian Wilson on the Beach Boys' car songs

Brian Wilson, the musical giant behind so much of the Beach Boys great music, sang at the Petersen gala in Los Angeles last week, and there were plenty of songs about cars and drag racing in the mix. "We're going to do a series of car songs because this place has a lot of cars," Wilson announced before leading his 10-piece band into "Little Deuce Coupe," "409," "All Summer Long" and "Shut Down." The band played to a packed house at the museum's annual fundraiser. Wilson's set was surely the most entertaining in the Petersen's 15 years of fundraising galas.

Nissan-Conran

Nissan and British design group Conran have unveiled 'Plus Conran' limited versions of the Cube, March (Micra) and Lafesta minivan for the Japanese market. The series follows Nissan's 'Modern Living Concept', which stresses advanced design values in cabins, first introduced with the Teana in 2003, and seen in the the Amenio concept minivan, shown at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2005. Cube + Conran features leather seats emphasizing texture and color, enhancing and refining the sofa-like feel of the Cube seats.