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Renault-Nissan and Mercedes get very cosy

The Mercedes Twingo? Almost, but not quite In yet another – highly expected – sign that the future for car makers is more and more co-operation, Renault-Nissan and Daimler (Mercedes-Benz) have today announced a wide-ranging alliance which will see much of the output of each company utilised by the other. Top of the list for starters is the joint development of the platform for the next SmartForTwo which will be shared by the next generation Twingo.

Video: Lexus LF-CC concept explained by its designers

We're big fans of the Lexus LF-CC concept after seeing it in Paris. It's not what you would call traditionally beautiful but it's incredibly complex, engagingly off-beat and, most importantly, shows – along with the LF-LC concept – that Lexus may finally have a recipe for distinctive and consistent design. Here Lexus Design's General Manager Yo Hiruta discusses the continuing evolution of the brand in an interview with the Lexus Blog.

Kia turn to consumer reviews to drive the brand

Kia is launching a brand awareness campaign in the UK with the main focus being on over 3000 consumer reviews on the Kia website. It looks like Korean twins Hyundai and Kia are both going to be concentrating on building the value of their brand in 2013. Yesterday we learnt that Hyundai are to focus on brand building in 2013 rather than chasing big sales increases, and today Kia has revealed it is following a similar path with a new marketing campaign built round consumer reviews of Kia cars.