Cardone 24-2646 Rack & Pinion Complete Unit on 2040-parts.com

Design Services: Ficosa International

In the hierarchy of car design the exterior of a powerful sports car is usually regarded as the highest level whilst the design of some of the smaller functional components tends to sit at the bottom. But even for companies not obviously dependant on sexy curves to help them make money, design is increasingly being recognised as a critical ingredient for commercial success. Whilst most large suppliers have grown their design capability over the last decade, few have truly embraced the potential of having a focus on Design within their corporate strategy.

New Hyundai i30 3-Door: Price from £13,995

Hyundai has announced that the new i30 3-door – the ‘sportier’ i30, will cost from £13,995 in the UK and come in three trim levels - Classic, Active, Sport and Sport Nav. Cosmetically, the i30 3-door gets differentiated from its 5-door sibling by a new front bumper with bigger spoiler, a new back end…and the loss of a couple of doors. There’s also new fogs, new grill and a sport looking back end with LED lights.

Driven: Mitsubishi i

We first reviewed the diminutive Mitsubishi 'i' when it was unveiled at the 2005 Tokyo Motor show and, while we were pleased with the overall design of the car, we were disappointed that Mitsubishi had chosen not to export the innovative vehicle to other markets. But with the popularity of this compact urban cruiser soaring in Japan and the recent availability of the vehicle in the UK, we now had a chance to give it a go on the often traffic crippled streets of central London. Congestion in urban milieus is not a new phenomenon, but even with London's congestion charging system extorting money from drivers it doesn't seem to be getting any better.