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Vauxhall Insignia facelift stars at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show

Ten years on from the very first Insignia concept, unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show back in 2003, Vauxhall is showcasing a new, facelifted Insignia here at Frankfurt 2013. Part of the update to the Insignia is a new internet connectivity feature, which should make life on the road for travelling professionals a bit easier – now you can locate your nearest non-VAT qualifying hot food snack retailer in next to no time… We’re also fans of the rationalised trim range, down from 14 grades to eight for the new car. While the Insignia’s updated engine range boasts impressive efficiency (as we’ll see in a minute), we can’t help wondering if this might have been a good time to introduce a hybrid or range-extender powertrain, trumping Ford and its forthcoming Mondeo Hybrid in the process.

VW Passat (2011) first pictures: it's Passat Mk7

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 29 September 2010 20:00 Volkswagen tonight kicked off its now-traditional eve-of-show party at the French expo with an unveiling of its new wares. The new seventh-generation VW Passat is the star on Volkswagen’s Paris motor show stand – and these are the first photographs of the new Passat v7.0.It’s a modest refresh, akin to the jump from Golf Mk5 to Golf Mk6. There’s the latest Volkswagen design lingo masterminded by Klaus Bischoff, a smattering of new tech and the inevitable eco solutions.This is the seventh-generation VW Passat.

Better Place EV Battery Swap business goes bust

It seemed like a good idea: take the cost of batteries out of the cost of buying an electric car and instead charge EV owners to use ‘Battery Swap’ stations where depleted batteries could be swapped for fully charged ones in the time it takes to fill an ICE car with petrol. But it’s all gone a bit Pete Tong. Better Place – which partnered with Renault in 2009 to make the battery swap technology viable – has failed to find anyone to add to the $750 million already involved in the project and has filed for bankruptcy.