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Citroën separates DS and C line design departments

Citroën is reorganizing its design division in order to create a dedicated design department for its semi-premium DS line of models, led by Thierry Metroz. The new structure will come into effect on 1 June. Alexandre Malval, former head of styling for the DS5 and C5, will manage the mainstream C line.

Consumer Reports: No to Chevrolet SUV, Ford crossovers, MyFord Touch

Consumer Reports said Monday it will not recommend the Chevrolet Tahoe SUV and Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX crossovers because of low scores in the magazine's tests, and panned Ford Motor Co.'s MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch technology. The magazine also said it will not recommend the Infiniti QX56, a V8 version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Porsche Cayenne. Those SUVs performed well in testing but were too new for the magazine to have adequate reliability data to recommend, it said.

UPDATED: Honda hints at new European advanced design studio

On the eve of the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, Honda Design's Creative Director, Toshinobu Minami, announced that the company is looking to once again open a design facility in Europe. The announcement came during a presentation at the R&D Center in Waco, just outside the Japanese capital and, while not confirmed, Minami-san strongly hinted that the UK would be a likely candidate to play host to Honda's revitalized European design operations. He cited the country's existing manufacturing and administration facilities, as well as a wealth of new talent from the Royal College of Art in particular.