National 710468 Seal, Wheel, Rear-wheel Seal on 2040-parts.com

BMW set to go front-wheel drive

BMW chairman Norbert Reithofer has confirmed that the German carmaker will introduce a new front-wheel-drive entry-level model positioned and priced below the existing 1-series as part of plans to help increase part sharing and to bolster the potential for production savings between the BMW and Mini brands, thus bringing an end to the era of rear- and four-wheel-drive-only BMW models. Speaking to AutoWeek at the Geneva motor show, Reithofer said internal BMW studies revealed that despite the downturn in the world's economy, there was continued demand for what he described as "premium vehicles" in the small-car class, before officially acknowledging plans that will see BMW produce a rival to the recently unveiled Audi A1 and a new Smart Forfour presently under development at Mercedes-Benz. "We will be extending the BMW and Mini brands into the small-car segment with new models and variants," he said.

Honda HR-V small SUV debut at Paris Motor Show

The Honda HR-V small SUV (pictured) debuts at Paris 2014 If the Honda HR-V name sounds familiar, that’s because Honda has already made an HR-V – a small supermini SUV – which arrived in 1999-  but disappeared a few years later before the world fell in love with small, funky SUVs like the Nissan Juke and MINI Countryman. So having been in the small SUV market ahead of the curve – and dropping out again before the market took off – Honda has decided it’s time to bag a share of the seemingly ever-growing small SUV market – a market worth getting on for 100,000 sales a year in the UK – which means only one thing – an all new Honda HR-V. Due to be revealed at the Paris Motor Show next month, Honda are billing the HR-V as a concept, but as far as we can see it’s pretty much production ready, and will arrive in Honda’s UK showrooms in summer 2015.

First Sight: Volvo Concept You

Volvo today revealed its Concept You at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show, as the company continues to evolve its luxury car range. The latest evolution of the Concept Universe, first unveiled at Shanghai earlier this year, showcases the technology and craftsmanship that Volvo will be using in its future line-up, including smart pad technology and a touch-control cockpit. The emphasis on technology reflects the importance of infotainment in current society and immerses the driver to give them complete control and mobile connectivity.