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2012 BMW X1 Facelift at New York Show

2012 BMW X1 Facelift The still quite new BMW X1 is getting a minor facelift for 2012 and will debut at the New York Auto Show. It’s really only a couple of years since the debut of the BMW X1, but BMW are already giving it a tweak and a titivate in a 2012 facelift designed, it would seem, to make the compact SUV seem a bit more upmarket; more in line with the rest of the BMW range. Revealed ahead of a debut at the New York Auto Show this month – after which it goes on sale in the US from $31.5k – the latest version of the X1 gets a new front bumper and grill with silver bars, deeper recessed fogs and silver detailing in the lower bumper to give the nose of the X1 more identity and make it a but more urban-warrior trendy.

Aston Martin & Mercedes join forces

Aston Martin Production will soon see an injection of Mercedes DNA This isn’t the first time we’ve talked about a partnership between Aston Martin and Mercedes, but according to Car & Driver it’s now just about a done deal. As long ago as March 2009 we reported that Mercedes supplied the basis for the Lagonda SUV Concept (a Mercedes GL), and six months later we reported that Aston Martin were working on a Mercedes S-Class based Lagonda saloon. More recently we reported that the GL-based Lagonda SUV was back on and that Mercedes wanted Aston Martin to put together the next generation of Maybach.

Ford to triple production of EcoBoost engines by 2015

Ford EcoBoost Engine production to increase In another clear sign of engine downsizing by car makers Ford has announced it will triple production of its EcoBoost engines in Europe by 2015. The petrol engine is fighting back against hybrids and diesels with downsizing and forced induction creating petrol engines that work more pleasingly than  diesels – and with lower particulate emissions – whilst delivering proper performance and levels of economy that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. Ford is in the vanguard of this mainstream push to make petrol engines relevant even in a car world dictated by government CO2 targets (which aren’t really CO2 targets , they’re official economy targets) and they’re planning to triple production of their very good range of EcoBoost engines in Europe over the next three years.