Design/Styling

Ford launches global light CV platform at Geneva The new model will replace the existing Tourneo and Transit and the long-running E-Series Econoline in North America. Read full story

New York City 'Taxi of Tomorrow' to debut at NY International Auto Show Based on Nissan NV200 compact van, the new taxi could boost fuel economy 37% over the Ford Crown Victoria, the widely-used choice today. The 10-year contract with NYC includes provision for an all-electric version to be introduced by 2017. Read full story

Bentley to build luxury SUV? The Bentley SUV rumor is hardly a new one, so it didn’t come as a surprise to find that it has taken the step into concept form, emerging at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show as the EXP 9 F. EXP are the letters that have been used for experimental Bentley designs for almost a century, while the F, according to Bentley, stands for Falcon. Read full story

Cross Coupe TDI previews next Tiguan Volkswagen shows its new compact platform in the crossover design study. Read full story

A drive to design Derek Jenkins joined Mazda in 2009 as Design Director for North American Operations and is now charged with leading the Irvine, CA-based team that is developing advanced ideas for the automaker’s next generation of vehicles. AEI recently sat down with Jenkins at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit to get his take on the current design landscape. Read full story

NAIAS 2012: Falcon Motor Sports introduces production version of F7 “supercar” First-year production run of 10 units in a Series I is planned. Price is $225,000 for model with 7.0-L V8 rated at 620 hp. Ricardo supplies six-speed manual transmission. Read full story

Design contest winners nab internship at GM Eight college students didn't opt for a quick face-to-face interview at a recruiting fair as a way to gain job experience. Instead, they landed a paid internship at General Motors' design studio in Warren, MI, by wowing industry designers online in an interactive design contest. Read full story

NAIAS 2012: Lexus concept hybrid coupe highlights unique interior technology The interior features two 12.3-in LCD screens, one serving as an instrument cluster and the other as a navigation/infotainment display. Read full story

Dart nameplate returns as Dodge C-size entry Adapted from Alfa Romeo Giulietta platform, the Dart's body and aero package is designed for class-leading Cd. Three four-cylinder engines are offered, a 1.4-L Fiat turbo Multi-Air, and two naturally aspirated Tiger Shark engines, which are versions of the Chrysler “world” engine modified for lower NVH and more torque at low rpm. Read full story