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I CAN think of no better way of starting a new year than by celebrating the arrival of the latest version of one of the British car industry’s most enduring icons, the MINI (see Page 10 for more). A combination of appealing design tweaks, some interesting tech and improved infotainment should ensure that the success story continues for a brand that’s been revitalised under BMW. One of the tech advances that MINI is keen to highlight is the standard fitment of front and rear LED lights, a first for the class. But it’s the design that is certain to catch the eye. As you can see from our picture above, the rear light represents a subtle but unmistakable rendering of the Union flag. It’s no surprise really, given that this…

• Audi planning a raft of new cars before the end of the decade • e-tron SUV bids to tackle dwindling demand for diesel power Lawrence_Allan@dennis.co.uk @LobAllan AUDI is planning an all-out assault on the premium SUV market, with eight new high-riding models due to arrive before the end of the decade. And the most significant debut will be the all-electric e-tron, previewed in our exclusive images (right). Due to appear in production form in the second half of this year, the e-tron is Audi’s response to the slowing demand for diesel models in Europe, and a VW Group-wide push for electrification. With China and the US also cited as significant markets for the car, it’s clear that Audi has the Tesla Model X in mind as its closest competitor.…

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram BRITAIN’S eighth best-selling car, the MINI, has been given a significant mid-life update to keep it fresh for 2018. Among the updates are standard-fit LED lights, improved tech options and a new dual-clutch auto gearbox. Production of the revised three-door, five-door and Convertible starts at the firm’s Oxford plant in March, with customer cars arriving soon after. The biggest visual change is new LED tail-lamps with the Union flag imprinted across the lens. These will be fitted as standard on every UK model. They join a set of fresh LED headlights, featuring new single-ring daytime running lights and a one-piece indicator design. A new adaptive Matrix beam LED headlight system – the first of its type in the class – is available as an option. Elsewhere, the styling…

“Full-electric Kia Niro’s tech spec – 201bhp electric motor and a 64kWh battery – looks ready for production“ John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy HYUNDAI and Kia have used this week’s Consumer Electronics Show to ramp up their electrification plans – showcasing an all-new fuelcell vehicle, and the pure-electric version of the Niro crossover. The fourth generation of Hyundai’s hydrogen fuel-cell model is called NEXO – and it was shown in production form for the first time at the Las Vegasbased electronics exposition. It’ll arrive in Hyundai’s UK dealers, in right-hand-drive form, in 2019. The NEXO is a svelte-looking SUV, with subtle surfacing and a ‘floating’ roof design giving it a swoopy stance. It keeps some Hyundai cues, such as the same ultra-slim daytime running lights as the recently launched Kona baby SUV, but…

“Brain signals are fed to the vehicle and used to alter settings such as the level of driver assistance” NISSAN wants to use the power of brain signals to make driving more enjoyable and more comfortable, and is showcasing what it calls Brain-to- Vehicle technology at CES in Las Vegas. It’s the culmination of a research project started in 2011 in partnership with Swiss university École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, and Nissan says that the goal is to achieve a new level of harmony between car and driver. Brain signals are fed to the vehicle and used to alter settings such as the level of driving assistance, so that the driver receives the ideal amount of intervention from the car’s systems when driving manually. In this case, the car is…

ALSO at CES this year is another offthe- wall concept car from Rinspeed and tech firm Harman. The odd-looking creation is called the Snap, and it’s envisaged as a fullyautonomous minibus complete with a neat party trick. The bodywork is easily and completely separable from the skateboard-style chassis, which houses the hardware required to make the Snap drive itself. The vehicle’s body can be used on its own as a shelter, while Rinspeed says that the removable chassis means the Snap can be easily and regularly updated to feature new hardware when the existing running gear wears out. Within the pod itself, Harman has worked with Rinspeed to develop a range of connected devices. These include window projectors, a ‘HoverTab’ tablet that can move around to suit the user and…