Car News

The new boss of Ford Australia has ruled out a shift to a fixed-pricing "agency" sales model, which Honda is poised to do next year and Mercedes will adopt from 2022. Ford Australia boss Andrew Birkic (pictured below) told media during a roundtable conference this week the company was committed to strengthening its existing dealer network.

The Volkswagen Group could be set to offload the Bugatti marque to Rimac, according to reports out of Europe. As reported by Car Magazine, the prestigious French performance brand – which Volkswagen purchased in 1998 – will be acquired by the Croatian electric sports car specialist. In return, it's believed Rimac will give Volkswagen unrestricted access to its all-electric platform.

A modern interpretation of the iconic Citroen DS has been rendered by South Korean designer Sang Won Lee, and the end result is stunning. The all-electric concept keeps the original essence of the vehicle's exterior, however does away with the B-pillar, chrome plating, and tubular tail lights. It also gets a widened rear track, and sits lower to the ground than its predecessor. The rear wheel remains covered for improved aerodynamics.

Mini Australia has joined the long list of manufacturers releasing blacked-out editions of popular models, adding two limited-run 'Nightfall Edition' variants to its local range. The Mini Nightfall Edition three-door hatch and convertible are based on the John Cooper Works (JCW) three-door hatch and convertible, but with an all-black aesthetic makeover both inside and out.

A production variant of the Volkswagen SMV concept has been spied without camouflage in China, where the large seven-seater SUV will come onto the market in 2021, according to Chinese website Autohome. The car is built on the MQB platform, and represents the longest SUV in the Volkswagen range at 5100mm. Images of the interior – which has not yet been revealed in detail by the German manufacturer – show a deviation from other vehicles in the line-up.