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Subaru XV production car at 2011 Frankfurt show

Subaru will show its new Qashqai rival, the XV, at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show. Not that you would have guessed it from this frustrating teaser sketch issued today. Parent firm Fuji Heavy Industries confirmed the Subaru crossover will be shown on 13 September at the IAA German show - five months after the concept waded in at the 2011 Shanghai show.

The Future Role of the Vehicle Designer

The vehicle design department at the Royal College of Art hosted the second in a series of five lectures looking at the future of the profession last week. Moving on from the previous week's topic of sustainability, this debate explored the future roles and responsibilities of the vehicle designer. Head of department Dale Harrow began by posing the question "Is it time to rethink – do we still need the car?" Although still relevant, Harrow's ultimate answer to this was that the profession was about to see marked change, with the end to an era where "designers are locked behind closed doors in studios".

Citroen C5 Airscape concept

Following the C-Airlounge of 2003, the C-Airdream of 2005 and the C-Airplay of 2006, is the C5 Airscape. Due to make its international debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month, this new Citroen concept acts as a spoiler for the forthcoming upper-medium C5 replacement dues soon. Unlike the forthcoming production car, the concept is a four seat coupe cabriolet which is aiming to show a new level of premium quality for the brand.