BMW Group

Jozef Kaban, head of design for the Rolls-Royce brand, has left the company with immediate effect. Kaban joined the BMW Group in early 2017 to head up design for the core BMW brand, and moved over to become chief designer for Rolls-Royce in March this year. He replaced Giles Taylor, who quit the automaker in June 2018 to head up the design team responsible for the Chinese luxury marque Hongqi.

BMW Australia has recalled the current-generation 'F60' Mini Countryman with the three-cylinder petrol engine, over concerns about the high-pressure fuel pump. According to the company a crash protection plate wasn't installed for the high-pressure fuel pump, meaning the pump could be damaged in a severe front-end accident. If the fuel pump is damaged, there's a risk of fire.

Rolls-Royce head of design, Giles Taylor, has left the British luxury marque at short notice, with little explanation for the sudden departure provided. Taylor is the man responsible for the new Phantom and the first Rolls-Royce SUV, the Cullinan – not to mention the dramatic, forward-looking Vision Next 100 Concept, launched as part of BMW's centenary. He joined Rolls-Royce in 2012, having worked on the Jaguar XF and ground-breaking XJ limousine in his previous role.

The BMW Group has announced Oliver Heilmer as the new head of design for the Mini brand, almost a year since his predecessor Anders Warming moved on. Heilmer is the current president of Designworks, a subsidiary of the BMW Group - with design studios in California, Munich and Shanghai - and has been part of the group's design team for 17 years. Heilmer had also been responsible for the interior design of the BMW brand up until 2016.