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Survey highlights increased consumer appetite for in-car technology

Spanish telecommunications firm Telefonica has issued its second annual report on connected car technologies. Its study looked at public expectations of in-car tech in the cars of today and tomorrow. Participants were queried about such technologies as social media, telematics, on-board diagnostics and early warning systems, revealing that connected car tech was already influencing purchasing decisions.

How safe are new minicars?

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently tested a total of 11 minicars in its relatively new small-overlap crash test, and the Chevrolet Spark was the only one to earn an Acceptable rating. The small-overlap crash test was instituted in 2012 with the goal of better replicating real-life car crashes, most of which don't follow the pattern of traditional government crash tests. Instead of a car hitting a stationary object with 100 percent of its front making contact, the small-overlap test examines how a car behaves in a frontal impact at 40 mph where only a quarter of the car's front hits an object.

GQbyCitroen unveiled in London

Two days after unveiling the Survolt and DS High Rider concepts at the Geneva motor show, Citroen last week pulled off a rare surprise by unveiling the GQbyCitroen - its third concept in three days. Instigated around a year ago, the project is a result of GQ Magazine's editor Dylan Jones questioning what his readers' ideal car might look like, and subsequently being put in touch with Citroen's Mark Lloyd, design manager for this project. The concept is a 4.5m long shooting break, based on the C4 platform.