2011 Chrysler 300C: Official

2011 Chrysler 300C - launches at the 2011 Detroit Motor Show The Chrysler 300C may not be the biggest seller in the UK – although it is loved by chauffeur companies looking for a cheap ‘Limo’ – but it is still a common enough occurrence on British roads for news of a 2011 Chrysler 300C to be of interest to UK as well as US readers. The facelift for the 2011 300C is not the most comprehensive ever seen, but the exterior does get a bit of a workover with a new grille, LEDs and a more rakish windscreen which makes the 300C look a bit less like a ‘box on a box’ in profile. Oh, and Chrysler has stuffed lumps of extra chrome wherever it can, although we doubt if they will make the Euro version.

Future products: Kia seeks lively, upscale look

Kia's redesigned Optima sedan and the Cadenza replacement for the Amanti, both due next year, reflect an emphasis on creating a livelier and more upscale look for the once-bland brand. Indeed, styling has been a crucial element of Kia's new-product push in the past 18 months. The team at Kia Design Center America near Los Angeles--part of the automaker's global design network led by onetime Audi design chief Peter Schreyer--has helped set the new styling direction.

Toyota to close Australian design studio

Toyota designers at its Technical Center Asia Pacific Australia (TTCAP-AU) are to lose their jobs as part of Toyota's decision to scale back the facility's activities as well as halting all manufacturing within the country by 2017. The TTCAP-AU, which carries out all its Australian design and evaluation operations, employs 150 designers and modelers and it's possible that its activities with the Camry, Camry Hybrid and Aurion models could be scrapped, raising doubts over its future. Around 2,500 employees at Toyota's Altona manufacturing plant are expected to lose their jobs, although the effects are likely to be wider ranging.