SsangYong Korando gets a makeover for 2014

The 2014 SsangYong Korando (pictured) gets a facelift SsangYong have been on a bit of a mission to place the Korando as a perfect budget offering in the burgeoning Compact SUV market since it arrived in 2011. We’ve had the Korando SX arrive last year to tempt more buyers in, and a £1 million advertising campaign (focused on ‘economically challenged’ areas of the UK) to raise awareness, and now we get a facelift for 2014 to make the Korando more appealing. The facelift means a new grill, new headlights with LED driving lights, bigger air intake at the front, new lights at the back, new colours – Sunrise red, Cosmic blue and Carbonic grey - and some new wheels designs.

Exclusive: Laurens van den Acker to replace Patrick le Quément at Renault

The wheels of change are continuing to turn within the automotive design industry, with yet another new appointment being made at the director level. According to industry insiders, Laurens van den Acker is set become the new Design Director at Renault when Patrick le Quément retires later this year. One of the most pre-eminent car designers in the world, Patrick le Quément began his design career at Simca, worked at Ford for 17 years and did a brief stint at Volkswagen before taking the top design job at Renault.

Nissan to build $2 billion plant in Mexico

Nissan Motor Co. will build a $2 billion auto assembly plant in Mexico, its third in that country, as it works to outgun rival Honda Motor Co. The plant, in Aguascalientes, Mexico, will have initial capacity to build 175,000 light vehicles annually for the United States, Mexico and Latin America, with plans to expand.