BMW HAS announced that production of the long awaited five-door Mini Hatch has started, signaling the next phase in the car maker’s £750 million investment programme across its UK production facilities from 2011 to 2015. The car comes hot on the heels of the new Mini Hatch, which was launched in November. The new five-door version will go on sale in the autumn.
Ford is set to unveil a production version of the Escort sedan at the China auto show this month in Beijing, meant exclusively for the Chinese market. The Escort was previewed in near-production concept form last year at the Shanghai motor show, and is meant to take on competitors positioned just above the Ford Focus sedan. Even though the Ford Escort has been absent from the automaker's global lineup since 2000, Ford of China is reviving the nameplate for this sub-Fusion/Mondeo model which will compete with cars such as the Volkswagen Sagitar and Chevrolet Cruze in the Chinese market.