Car News

When you see the final result of years of engineering and testing, it's easy to overlook the perceived risks that a company undertakes any time it steps either outside its comfort zone, or into a new area of development. Australian journalists assembled for the Paris motor show asked two of the most obvious questions surrounding BMW's i brand – where was the Vision iNext concept, and how risky is it to put that much tech into a single vehicle?

Citroen says that it needs to get its quality and customer service right before it pushes for a big relaunch in Australia during the first half of 2019. Speaking to CarAdvice at the Paris motor show this week, global CEO for Citroen, Linda Jackson, said that regardless of how good its upcoming vehicles may be, unless the brand can get its quality, after sales and general customer experience right in Australia, it will ultimately fail.

Mercedes-Benz Australia has issued a recall for C-Class models sold between May 2016 and January 2018 over concerns window trims could detach from the vehicle. The German marque reports that affected units may have experienced a production fault where the bonding of the rear window trims strips on both the left- and right-hand sides may not have been performed correctly.

Despite shutting down the idea of a BMW dual-cab, Klaus Frolich, board member for BMW Development, wasn't so quick to rule out a supercar or hypercar – certainly not if he can exert his influence on the bean counters, anyway. Frolich smiled when posed the question by Australian journalists, with the suggestion influenced by the Mercedes-AMG One hybrid hypercar. Would BMW consider entering a segment in which it's never previously shown interest?

BMW has confirmed the i4 will head for production in 2021, as part of the company's push to have 25 electrified vehicles by 2025, further solidifying its focus on future technology. Harald Kruger, BMW chairman, made the pledge in front of the world's motoring media at the Paris motor show, stating the 'i brand' portfolio would increase to four models, with the i3 and i8 to be joined by an i4, and the iX3 SUV.