Chase Harper 3700 Cruiser Saddle Bags on 2040-parts.com

Toyota i-Road – a three-wheel EV for Geneva 2013

The Toyota i-Road Concept has been revealed ahead of the Geneva Motor Show. It’s a three-wheeled EV designed as an urban transport solution. But if there is a way to make EVs acceptable to car buyers it’s to offer an alternative to the normal ICE car that works in specific and appropriate locations better than a full-sized ICE car can, not to try and make a normal car run on electricity.

MINI Countryman to be built in India

MINI sells worldwide – even in the US – and, despite claims it was a step too far for the brand, the MINI Countryman has been a big hit for MINI, offering as it does most of MINI’s charm but in a bigger, more family friendly package and with the option of All4 4WD for a degree of off-road ability (well, certainly the ability to treat boot sale car parks with disdain). Now, for the first time, BMW is to build the MINI outside Europe with a new MINi assembly facility coming on stream in Chennai, India, where BMW already makes 3 and 5 Series models as well as the X1 and X3. The plan is part of BMW’s plan of ‘Production follows the market’ where BMW aim to make their cars where they’re sold, so with the MINI brand showing strong growth in India since its launch it makes sense to build them there.

Honda reveals Urban SUV concept

Honda's compact Urban SUV concept has been teased in a sketch ahead of its unveiling at the 2013 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. From the sketch we can see pronounced wheel arches with a feature line flowing into the profile where it meets the concept's most striking aspect – an upwards-rising feature line that stretches until it meets the D-pillar. Although other details are sparse, the Japanese carmaker does say that the Urban SUV concept's interior is designed to maximize space using its center-tank layout.