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Nissan Qashqai+2 (2008): first official pictures

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 07 April 2008 08:54 We’ve heard of 2+2s before, but Nissan is taking this numbers game to a whole new level with the Qashqai+2. As its name suggests, this is a slightly bigger version of the crossover with seven seats, up from the regular car’s five.CAR Online scooped the super-sized Qashqai last year, so it comes as no surprise. Nissan has stretched the wheelbase by 135mm to free up the extra space for a third row of seats, which fold flat when not needed.

Volvo testing new safety features

Volvo outlined three new technologies that it says will help make the Volvos of the future a good deal safer: autonomous driving, “Intersection Support” and animal detection. Volvo says it's tailoring technologies to the way people drive, by which it means poorly. The company claims that “surveys from three different research institutes in the United States reveal that modern drivers spend 25 to 30 percent of their time behind the wheel doing other things, such as focusing on mobile communication.” Volvo's new technologies are said take this into account and “provide the driver with the right support at all times.” By using a camera and radar, future Volvos will be able to follow the car in front while driving in slow traffic using an autonomous-driving function.

Shake-up at Tesla; a dozen UK orders

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 16 October 2008 11:22 Electric car start-up Tesla is restructuring its US operation and laying off around 100 staff, as the credit crunch continues to make life difficult for car companies big and small. It’s now on its fourth CEO in 12 months, as founder Elon Musk takes over from Ze’ev Drori. In an announcement on the chief exec’s blog, Tesla Motors said it would be ‘cash-flow positive’ within six to nine months – but only by increasing production and cutting operating costs.