Mitsubishi Sketches New Low Cost Global Small Car

A new small car will soon join the ranks of Mitsubish's passenger car lineup. Teased in these renderings for the first time, the "global small" vehicle will be produced in a new factory currently being built in Thailand and will go on sale at the end of next year.


The subcompact hatch will make use of a new platform and will be offered with 1.0-1.2-liter engines. Mitsubishi said that the "global small" will be positioned as an entry-level model in MMC's model lineup, and plans are to export the vehicle from Thailand to markets worldwide, though the Japanese automaker did not get into any details about country-specific availability.
The production version of the low-cost city car will most likely be revealed at the upcoming Geneva Salon in March 2011.

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Ford Planning Fiesta Minivan Concept for Geneva Show, Production Model with Sliding Doors to Follow in 2012

Ford is getting ready to premiere a concept version of a Fiesta-based small minivan at the upcoming Geneva Salon next March. The design study will act as a pilot for the production vehicle that will follow in early 2012 and will replace the current generation of the European market Fusion, which is based on the previous Fiesta. 

The news comes from a Ford source in Europe who told Automotive News that production of the Fiesta MPV will begin by the end of next year at Ford's factory in Craiova, Romania. A Ford of Europe spokesman essentially confirmed the news by telling the publication that “It is a B-segment vehicle and will go into full production early in 2012.”


The report said Ford has no plans to offer the car in North America.

In Europe, the car will compete in the small MPV segment against the likes of the Opel / Vauxhall Meriva, Citroen C3 Picasso and Kia Venga Kia. It is believed that Ford will drop the Fusion nameplate and use the B-MAX moniker as it will be smallest model in Ford's range of MPVs that includes the Focus-based C-MAX and Grand C-MAX, and the Mondeo-based S-MAX and Galaxy.
The unnamed Ford source told the publication that the B-MAX will be a five-seat minivan with rear sliding doors. The 2011 Geneva Salon will run from March 3 to 13.

Via: Autonews Europe [Sub. req.]

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Kia Sketches New Picanto City Car Ahead of Geneva Show Debut

We've known for a while now that Kia is preparing a successor to its Picanto city car, but today, the South Korean automaker came out with a pair of official renderings and a short announcement which said the small hatchback will get its world premiere at the Geneva International Motor Show in March 2011 and go on sale in Europe in late Spring.
 
Kia added that the Picanto has been penned by the firm's European design team based in Frankfurt, Germany, under the direction of Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer, and that it will bring "confidence, solidity and maturity to the A-segment". No other details were released.

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Rinspeed Previews BamBoo EV Concept well Ahead of 2011 Geneva Show

The 2011 edition of the Geneva Salon won't open its doors to the press and public for another three months and the organizers haven't even begun promoting the show yet, nevertheless, Frank M. Rinderknecht, the man behind wacky Swiss design house Rinspeed, has already revealed details about the company's all-new Geneva-bound concept model.

The latest creation from Rinderknecht is called the “BamBoo” and it's an open top four-seater electric-vehicle supposedly resembling a grown-up golf cart. The car's name is somewhat justified by the use of bamboo fibers for many interior components.

According to Rinspeed, "It is a reminiscence of the Seventies, of the south of France and St. Tropez" and "one would expect to find Brigitte Bardot behind the wheel with playboy Gunther Sachs at her side heading towards Tahiti beach." Oh Rinspeed...

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