Honda 35100-hn1-a41 Switch, Ignition on 2040-parts.com

A look at Buick future products

Crossovers will take center stage for Buick in the 2013 model year. The compact Buick Encore crossover debuts in the first quarter as a 2013 model. Buick is hoping to get a jump on what looks to be a budding segment: luxury small crossovers.

Hyundai: E4U Egg Car & Fluidic Sculpture in Motion

Hyundai has already made it clear that 2013 will be about ‘Brand Awareness’ rather than releasing a new raft of models and chasing ever increasing sales, so two Hyundai outings in the last week can be put down to their targeted aim of profile raising. In Milan, Hyundai are taking part in the Milan Design Week by showing an innovative light sculpture that has been inspired by Hyundai’s ‘Fluidic Design’ (even though Hyundai have already said that ‘Fluidic Design’ is being replaced by ‘Fluidic Precision’ as they aim to make their designs ‘cleaner) with an installation made up of 12,000 translucent spheres acting collectively on a screen, surrounded by high-power lasers and suspended over a pool of water. The ‘performance’ starts with virtual rain created by the lasers which form three-dimensional shapes, followed by an interactive segment where human interaction creates three-dimensional images by scanning for body warmth so visitors can manipulate what they see by using gestures.

Fewer commuters but longer journeys

PEOPLE ARE TRAVELLING further to get to work but the number of commuters is falling as more staff work from home, according to official figures. Based on Census statistics, the average distance travelled to work in England and Wales increased from 8.3 miles (13.4km) in 2001 to 9.32 miles (15km) in 2011. Those living in the Midlands and south west England had the largest increase in average distance travelled between 2001 and 2011 - going an extra 1.36 miles (2.2km).