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Jaguar SUV / Crossover (C-X17 Concept) arrives early

The firts look at the Jaguar XQ SUV (pictured) as it leaks out ahead of a Frankfurt debut Jaguar Land Rover don’t have a lot of luck keeping their concept cars under wraps ahead of their official debut. And so it is with the Jaguar SUV/Crossover. The Jaguar C-X17 Concept – which previews a new Jaguar platform and the first look at a compact-ish SUV Crossover – is due to arrive in a few days at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Good news for British car factories

NEW FIGURES have revealed that UK-based car production raced ahead in April, resulting in the biggest monthly rise since July 2012. A total of 133,437 cars were made in the UK last month – a 21.3% increase on the April 2013 figure, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said. The excellent April figures took the year-so-far total to 538,240 – a 6.9% rise on the figure for January-April 2013.

Only the top is soft in new Audi A5/S5 cabriolet

Audi is bucking the trend among luxury automakers who are churning out hardtop convertibles, as the new A5/S5 cabriolets that will reach these shores in October will be the old-fashioned, soft-top design. While other manufacturers such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus and Volvo, among others, offer folding hard-tops, Audi says the compromise necessary to make room for the top and all its mechanical apparatus makes a soft-top the right choice for a small to mid-size convertible. The soft top is well insulated; even during a steady rain during our first drive of the car, the cabin was relatively quiet.