Crossover

One of the stars of the Chinese automotive industry is Shenzen-based BYD, which although only sixth largest of the Chinese manufacturers, had the country's top selling individual vehicle last year in the form of the BYD F3 (a Toyota Corolla E120 clone). Now, after substantive testing of its e6 all-electric model in taxi and company fleets, the five-seater 75 kW, 87 mph crossover has gone on sale to the Chinese public, with a (claimed) range of 300 km (186 miles), which would give it the longest range of any EV in the world at present. It also has a smartphone-based information system which seems at least as advanced as anything currently available anywhere. Read More

Peugeot has dropped the HYbrid4 technology found in its 2010 SR1 Concept into a very different beast for the Shanghai Motor Show. The SXC (which stands for Shanghai Cross Concept) has a 1.6 liter, 160 kW internal combustion engine driving the front wheels and a 70 kW electric motor driving the rear, providing the option of electric-only two wheel drive or a four wheel drive hybrid mode. Read More

Renault's recently reworked brand identity “puts people at the forefront” while the resultant design strategy bases each new concept car on a different phase of the human life cycle. The first such concept was the DeZir coupé shown at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, which expressed the passion of "falling in love." The second concept in the series was unveiled today ahead of the Geneva Motor Show, representing the next phase of “two people exploring the world around them together." Apart from the crock of marketing soup, the rather appropriately named CAPTUR is quite interesting technically, with a clever mechanical self-locking differential and an augmented reality system. Read More

Nissan will show a new car at the Los Angeles Motor Show later this week, which takes unique attributes from at least three different segments to create a vehicle seemingly purpose built for Southern California. Set to go on sale in early 2011, the Murano CrossCabriolet 2011 is an all-wheel drive crossover convertible which Nissan says has plenty of room for four adults, plus enough space for golf bags and luggage, even with the top down. Read More

At the Detroit Motor Show in January of 2008, Land Rover displayed a concept vehicle called the LRX. Labeled by the company as a "cross-coupé,” it was a sign that Land Rover was interested in moving into the world of smaller, fuel-efficient, Rav 4-like vehicles. Flash forward to the 2010 Paris Motor Show and the LRX is no longer merely a concept – it has now been unveiled as a production vehicle, which will be sold as the Range Rover Evoque. It is the smallest, lightest, most fuel-efficient Range Rover ever built. Read More

A recent New York Times print advertisement for the Ford Edge crossover included barcodes that, when scanned by a mobile phone camera, provided readers with access to Times articles on style and technology. It’s part of a techy advertising campaign for the Edge, which will be the first vehicle to feature the likewise-techy MyFord Touch system. Touch is built around Ford’s existing Windows-based SYNC communications and entertainment system, and allows drivers to use the dashboard as... well, pretty much as a big smartphone. Read More

Three years of exhaustive research, testing and experimentation has resulted in the KEF Concept Blade loudspeaker. In particular, the loudspeaker showcases KEF’s cutting-edge capabilities and commitment to furthering innovative design. Read More

Dacia, Renault’s Romanian brand, launched its first-ever concept car at Geneva, an innovative leisure vehicle that revives the Duster nameplate. Designed largely in Romania by the Renault Design Central Europe studio in Bucharest, it’s a coupe Multi Purpose Vehicle crossover with three doors – a single door on the driver’s side and two doors, including a rear-hinged ‘suicide’ door, on the passenger side. The innovative interior is extremely functional – the passenger seat slides below the driver’s seat, allowing a large, 2-metre long load bay capable of accommodating a bicycle or even a small motorbike. A tailgated box structure also slides out of the rear of the car, creating an extra pick-up load bed. Read More