Banshee Oversized Fuel Tank on 2040-parts.com

Peter Schreyer introduces Kia's new Sportage

It's a sign of just how significant the new Sportage is for Kia that rather than flying UK journalists to an international launch location the company instead rented a boutique hotel in London's Notting Hill, created a sketch gallery in the basement and flew in key members of the car's development team to meet the press — who were then lent some the first new Sportage's in the UK to test for a month. One executive present at the event was Kia's Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer. Car Design News was invited to meet with Peter to talk about his role at Kia and for him to talk us through a vehicle Kia is billing as the first to be designed entirely under his tenure.

Saab gets a ray of hope from China

Victor Muller sees a glimpse of sunshine from China The saga that is the long and painful demise of Saab seemed to reach its nadir last week when courts in Sweden refused to offer the beleaguered car maker sanctuary in its protection. We thought that would be the end for Saab – despite a never-say-die appeal of the decision by Victor Muller, due to be heard tomorrow – with nowhere left to hide from trade supplier debts of €150 million, and the wrath of Sweden’s unions ready to file for Saab’s bankruptcy over unpaid wages for Saab employees. The nadir for Saab should reasonably be followed by its rapid consignment to the annuls of motoring history, but a tiny glimmer of hope has risen from Saab’s putative investors in China.

Mercedes-Benz future products: Small cars to drive growth

Mercedes-Benz's U.S. executives expect to add volume with a new range of front-wheel-drive compact cars that arrive starting in 2013 and new derivatives of the redesigned C class due in 2014 or 2015. Around the world, Mercedes will introduce at least 10 new models by 2020 as part of a plan to become the world's top-selling luxury-vehicle brand by then.