Car News

The growing global joint-venture between Mazda and Toyota could have implications for Australia’s massive light commercial sector. There are whispers that the next Mazda BT-50 one-tonne ute could be twinned with the Toyota HiLux, rather than the Ford Ranger as it is at present. Ford and Mazda have made utes together for multiple generations — Ford used to have a large interest in the Japanese brand — and are partners in an AutoAlliance plant in Thailand that makes the BT-50 and Ranger.

Day 2 Gallery Click on a photo to bring up a larger version in the gallery. View our 2015 Frankfurt motor show Day 1 Gallery here. Click on the Photos tab for more images by Jarrod Moore.

General Motors CEO Mary Barra has promised a “more planned and very proactive” approach to the development and production of right-hand-drive vehicles going forward, to ensure Holden can offer Australians the best of GM’s global portfolio. The unavailability of right-hand-drive vehicles of all shapes and sizes has been a long-running frustration for Holden, which believes it could have great success with a number of GM models that are currently only built with a steering wheel on the left.

The next-generation Renault Koleos medium SUV — or whatever nameplate it ends up wearing — will grow significantly over the current model, enough to accommodate a seven-seat derivative and thereby carve out a significantly bigger piece of a lucrative market.

Aston Martin has confirmed its production supercar series will skip the DB10 badge given over to superspy James Bond, leapfrogging the number all-together. Instead, fans can look forward to Aston’s next hero wearing a DB11 badge, revealed at today’s Frankfurt motor show as a stylised badge against a simple black background.