MINI Countryman to be built in India

MINI sells worldwide – even in the US – and, despite claims it was a step too far for the brand, the MINI Countryman has been a big hit for MINI, offering as it does most of MINI’s charm but in a bigger, more family friendly package and with the option of All4 4WD for a degree of off-road ability (well, certainly the ability to treat boot sale car parks with disdain). Now, for the first time, BMW is to build the MINI outside Europe with a new MINi assembly facility coming on stream in Chennai, India, where BMW already makes 3 and 5 Series models as well as the X1 and X3. The plan is part of BMW’s plan of ‘Production follows the market’ where BMW aim to make their cars where they’re sold, so with the MINI brand showing strong growth in India since its launch it makes sense to build them there.

Partnership Premium 2030 - Part 2

Strate College has released the second episode in its five-part mini-series documenting a project students have undertaken in partnership with French automaker Peugeot: creating a premium vehicle for the year 2030. This second video delves into the 2D sketching phase of the project as 30 students – divided into 10 groups – devise their exterior and interior designs as well as the associated products and color and trim details for a future Peugeot. The video outlines the stage as students develop the overall proportions of the exterior and interior designs, and follows the teams as they choose the textures for materials that will feature in the interior.

New Mercedes B Class Hydrogen Fuel Cell delayed until 2017

Mercedes has decided to delay production of its B Class Hydrogen Fuel Cell car until 2017 as it seeks partners for economy of scale. We learnt last year that the new Mercedes B Class would spawn a version powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, and that Mercedes were planning to launch it in 2014. But that’s now been pushed back to 2017.