Hyundai Performance Brand by 2015

The next gen Hyundai i20 will be the first performance Hyundai One Hyundai had made the tricky transition from budget to credible, there were only two routes open for progress – luxury and performance. The luxury route still looks like it will happen in the UK, with the next generation Hyundai Genesis Coupe heading our way, but we can also look forward to some proper performance cars from Hyundai too. That has been confirmed by Hyundai’s WRC boss, Michel Nandan, who told Australia’s Drive that all the money Hyundai is spending on Motorsport – including a new testing facility at the Nurburgring – is not just for the glow it will cast on Hyundai’s everyday cars, but for a new performance brand too.

Second annual ENG Automotive Design Summit held in Rome

European Networking Group (ENG) held their second annual Automotive Design Summit May 12-13. To follow on from the success of last years event in Barcelona, the event was held in the stylish Es Hotel in Rome, Italy. The event featured workshops sessions and business case studies from some of the most renowned designers in the industry, seeking to bring both knowledge and inspiration to the participants over the two day event.

Volkswagen Passat Alltrack: The VW Allroad arrives

The VW Passat Alltrack - debuts in Tokyo Volkswagen has jumped on to the Allroad bandwagon with its own take on Audi’s faux off-roader, with the reveal of the 2012 VW Passat Alltrack. As you would expect, the Passat Alltrack is a butched-up Passat Estate with a raised ride height, extra bits of plastic round the bumpers, skid plates, flared side sills and 4WD – VW’s 4MOTION – for more traction in boot sale car parks. But when you don’t need the 4WD, around 90 poer cent of the drive is through the front wheels – saving fuel – with the rear wheel drive only coming in to play when you start to slip and slide.