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SENIOR car industry figures were in London last week for the annual two-day Financial Times Future of the Car Summit. It’s a chance for leading CEOs to get their company message across – or, in the case of Jaguar Land Rover boss Dr Ralf Speth (above), an opportunity to deny rumours that his company could soon be bought by French giant PSA, which already owns Peugeot, Citroen, DS and Opel/Vauxhall. But when it came to the crunch question on whether he was aware that talks had taken place between PSA and JLR’s current owner Tata, Speth’s response was limp at best. “There are rumours,” he acknowledged, “but I cannot really confirm any of these discussions.” There is an increasing belief that JLR might well benefit from a switch of owner.…

Alex_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @AxleIngram ● Popular SUV is bigger inside despite being same size as old model ● Discovery Sport gets new platform and tech from latest Evoque FIVE years after the launch of the Land Rover Discovery Sport, the firm’s biggest-selling model has been updated. This is no mild, mid-life facelift, however; the exterior design might look similar to the outgoing car’s, but this revamped version is heavily reworked under the skin, with an overhauled platform, new interior tech, and a range of mild-hybrid and plug-in drivetrains. Like the new Range Rover Evoque, it sits on Land Rover’s fresh Premium Transverse Architecture – a thorough redevelopment of its predecessor’s platform. This allows for a structure that’s 13 per cent stiffer than in the previous car and means 21-inch wheels can be…

Sean_Carson@dennis.co.uk @sean_carson_ ● New car due on sale next year ● Far lighter than current model THE launch of a new Corsa is about as big as it gets for Vauxhall. Britain loves superminis and the Corsa is a perennial best-seller, even though the current model can trace its roots all the way back to 2006. That means it’s way past time for an all-new Corsa, a project that was kick-started around two years ago when Peugeot-Citroen (PSA) bought Vauxhall and European sister Opel from General Motors. The all-new car is due next year and to get an idea of what we can expect, we’ve driven two prototypes. This sixth-generation Corsa (we knew the original as the Nova, but it was called Corsa in Europe) is based on PSA’s small-car…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy ● Electric crossover is likely to share stand with brand’s ID.3 hatchback VOLKSWAGEN will showcase the next car in its ID. line-up with a pure-electric family SUV at September’s Frankfurt show. The German brand started pre-orders earlier this month for the first editions of the initial model in the EV range, the ID.3 hatchback. VW’s sales and marketing boss Jürgen Stackmann (right) revealed that the production version of that car would make its debut in Frankfurt – but he also suggested that the second ID. vehicle, which is likely to be called ID.4 or ID.5, would at least be previewed at the event. “The next car you will see as an indication in Frankfurt,” Stackmann explained. “At that show you will see ID.3 and we’ll also give you…

THIS is our first official glimpse inside the all-new Volkswagen Golf Mk8. An official sketch of the fresh ‘digital’ cabin was released by the firm last week, but it was quickly followed by a set of revealing spy shots, showing the interior in all its glory. VW has confirmed a reveal of the Mk8 Golf will take place in October at its Wolfsburg headquarters. And the teaser and spy pictures give a revealing glimpse inside the radically transformed cabin. The dashboard design sees the Mk7’s large, button-heavy centre console replaced by a new thin, flat, horizontal deck, housing a pair of central air vents, few buttons and a new infotainment screen angled towards the driver. The dash appears to float above, rather than link up with the transmission tunnel, opening…

First peek as Ford puts the boot into Focus ST FORD has revealed the first official images of the Focus ST Estate (above). The new model will take on the likes of the Skoda Octavia vRS Estate and Volkswagen Golf R Estate with a 276bhp 2.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine – enough for a 5.8-second 0-62mph time. A tax-friendly diesel variant, producing 187bhp, is also available. Prices start at £30,595 for the diesel and £33,095 for the petrol; each version is £1,100 more than the equivalent Focus ST hatch. Penalty time for red X dodgers on motorway HIGHWAYS England will issue Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) to drivers who ignore red X signs on motorway gantries when new Home Office legislation comes into effect on 10 June. Motorists caught by cameras could…