First Sight: Volvo Concept Coupé

It's clear talking to the team responsible for the Volvo Concept Coupé this isn't just 'another concept car'; it's a manifesto for where the sole remaining Scandinavian car brand is heading. It marks a new dawn for the company by introducing a new platform, range of engines and design language devised by Thomas Ingenlath. Car Design News traveled to Volvo's design studio in Gothenburg to see the car and speak to the team behind it ahead of its official unveiling in Frankfurt.

VW Golf Sportsvan concept (2013) at Frankfurt motor show

This is the VW Golf Sportsvan, but don’t get too comfortable with that name, because the successor to the Golf Plus won’t use the Sportsvan badge when it goes on UK sale in mid-2014. Good thing too: what exactly is sporty about a minivan? Is the VW Golf Sportsvan essentially the new Golf Plus?

Toyota & Lexus: Hybrid sales in Europe hit 20%

The ‘Green’ evangelists want to get us all driving electric cars to save the planet, but in the real world car drivers want a car that offers them all the practicality of a normal ICE car, but without the penalties of the poor range, high cost and inconvenience of an EV. So, with ever-rising fuel costs, it’s no wonder car buyers are willing to pay a little more for a car that offers better economy at the pumps – which plays straight in to the hands of Hybrid pioneers Toyota. The result is that Toyota and Lexus now see a full 20 per cent of their sale in Europe being hybrid cars in the first quarter of 2013, with sales of hybrid cars up a massive 82 per cent year-on-year.