Ford Escort returns – for China: Shanghai Motor Show

The Ford Escort Concept has been built by Ford with the aim of taking a sizeable chunk of China’s compact saloon market – estimated at 5.5 million sales a year – and looks remarkably production viable and far from ‘budget’. Escort is a badge China knows – there are plenty of old Escorts floating around Chinese roads – so it’s a sensible move by Ford to revive a badge that already resonates as a compact, affordable saloon with Chinese car buyers. This new Escort gets a proper version of Ford’s latest design language – including the Aston Martin grill – and has good lines and strong detail including jeweled headlights with the lucky Chinese ’8′ discernible ; it looks entirely cohesive and nothing like a Focus with a boot grafted on.

New Hyundai Sante Fe is the safest car in its class

The 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe has been revealed as the safest car in its class by Euro NCAP, ahead of cars like the new Range Rover. But looking good and driving well are just part of the motivation for car buyers, with many wanting to make sure they carry their loved ones around in a car that not only appeals with its design and driving, but one which offers as much safety as modern technology can provide. So Hyundai has something to crow about this morning with the news that the new Santa Fe has been revealed as the safest car in its class in 2012 by Euro NCAP – those nice people who destroy cars to see just how well bolted together they are – beating others in the ‘Large Off-Road 4×4′ category like the new Mercedes M Class and new Range Rover in the process.

Eterniti Motors opens London shop

Eterniti Motors officially opened its doors in London on Monday. The 10,000-square foot building in Park Royal not only hosted the opening-day party, but also displayed the company’s first production model, the Eterniti Artemis SUV. We saw the Artemis back in 2011 at the Frankfurt auto show.