Coil Cop 2006-2009 Ford Fusion V6 on 2040-parts.com

Akio Toyoda waves family flag, heir makes crisis personal challenge

The reclusive Akio Toyoda is taking the rare step of waving the family flag, as the scion to Toyota Motor Corp.’s founding dynasty tries to steer the world’s largest car company out of a spiraling safety crisis. In testimony prepared for the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, President Toyoda pursues a rare personal tack on the emergency, saying “my name is on every car.” “As you well know, I am the grandson of the founder, and all the Toyota vehicles bear my name,” Toyoda says in prepared comments circulated ahead of Wednesday’s committee hearing in Washington. “For me, when the cars are damaged, it is as though I am as well.” The intimate reflection is a departure for Toyoda, who has spent most of his career sidestepping public discussion of his lineage.

Fiat ElleZero Spied – heading to Geneva 2012

Fiat ElleZero Spied Fiat has a new compact MPV heading towards the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, the Fiat ElleZero. Expected to arrive in the UK as the Chrysler ElleZero. It looks like Fiat’s next big model reveal is going to be a new compact MPV – the Fiat ElleZero – which, with all things Fiat and Chrysler being a bit more complicated in the UK, could end up on our shores in 2013 as the Chrysler ElleZero - or even the Chrysler EZ.

Changan CS35

Changan CS35 unveiled its first compact urban SUV concept at the recent Beijing auto show, designed at the company's European Design Center under Luciano D'Ambrosio. The CS35's horizontal grille with its Changan logo is similar in style to the Changan Yidong, while its side features a diving waistline and four prominent wheel arches reminiscent of the Ford Kuga. The C-pillar design is distinctive with its graphic split from the roof and the use of the brand's logo as a decorative feature.