2012 Volvo S60 & XC60 R-Design get more oomph

Volvo V60 R-Design - finally, more get up and go We’re quite partial to the Volvo S60 (actually, we’re even more partial to the Volvo V60) and we like how Volvo’s R-Design pack makes a real impact without making the car look like a boy racer’s wet dream. What’s also nice – in this age of parsimony – is that even if you opt for a lowly diesel version you can still have a Volvo that looks like it gets there in a hurry, even if it doesn’t. But our preference is always for a bit more power, especially if all the visual cues make you smile in anticipation, so we have been know to bemoan the lack of any sort of power boost – even as an add-on option – on Volvo’s R-Design cars.

Renault Sand'up concept

This is Renault's new Sand'up concept, developed by Renault Brazil and unveiled today at the 25th Salão Internacional do Automóvel in São Paolo. The modular 2+2 coupé can not only transform into a cabriolet, but it can also be used as a pickup by lowering the rear bench seat. As most pickups in Brazil are bought for their sporty image and not used for heavy workloads, but rather as an adventurous and fun vehicle, the car makes use of the rear passenger compartment by incorporating a mechanism that lengthens the cargo bed by up to 40cm to accommodate a range of objects.

Kia Cadenza (2014)

Kia's Cadenza has been unveiled at the 2013 North American International Auto Show. Designed under the direction of Peter Schreyer – now president of the company – the premium sedan has quad headlamps that flank the grille and a wide lower fascia with chrome trim accents around the fog lamps and grille. The greenhouse is framed by a chrome bezel that flares while a sharp character line that starts from behind the front wheelarch rises gently into the rear lamps.