Mercedes W220 S430 S500 S600 S55 Gray Rh Alcantara Sun Visor Oem on 2040-parts.com

BMW X1 gets updated for 2014

The 2014 BMW X1 (pictured) gets a tweaked front end The BMW X1 arrived back in 2009 as a high-riding Sports Activity Vehicle (BMW’s preferred description for their compact SUV come crossover) and had a bit of a facelift for 2012 to keep it fresh. Now, two years on from the last facelift, BMW has decided they need to up the ante a little (especially with more competition arriving in the shape of the new Mercedes GLA) so the BMW X1 is getting a mild makeover for 2014. The only real changes you’ll notice are tweaks to the front end of the X1 with new accents on the bumper and a bigger air intake, daytime running lights across the X1 range, new 17″ alloys and the availability of Sparkling Brown metallic to the paint colour options.

Hyundai move from Baboons to Kids to test quality

Hyundai let a troop of 4 & 5 year olds loose on an i30 to test quality Last year, Hyundai let a troop of 40 safari park baboons loose on an i30 to see if, left to their own devices, they could trash Hyundai’s very well bolted together (just ask Martin Winterkorn) i30. It was a clever way to demonstrate that the i30 doesn’t just look good, but is made of a bit more than recycled baked bean cans and Fairy liquid bottles. The i30 came through the baboon test with flying colours (even the company tasked with cleaning it up after the baboons commented on the story that they were impressed by how unscathed the i30 was), but Hyundai has now come up with a quality test that makes the baboon adventure look like a walk in the (safari) park.

China to boost electric cars with 30% Government EV fleet

The BYD E6 EV (pictured) will benefit from China’s push on EVs The UK government has just announced its commitment to use electric cars for its own vehicles in an effort to boost the take-up of EVs, but China is going even further. China has ordered government officials to start buying electric cars (that means BEVs, plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell cars) in a big way, with instructions that 30 per cent of government cars must fall in to the ‘New Energy’ category by 2017, and an even higher percentage going forward. The aim is to cut pollution, and China expects to have 5 million New Energy cars on the road by 2020 and it is urging it government agencies and some city governments to start buying New Energy vehicles from Chinese makers like BYD and SDAIC, but also instructing them to build more charging stations and supporting infrastructure.