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Visit autoexpress.co.uk for all the latest new cars news IT was Oscar Wilde who came up with the old adage, “There is only one thing worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about”. You have to imagine that the BMW design team has been quoting him heavily in recent weeks – first, after the debut of the controversial 4 Series, and now with the reveal of the company’s new flagship EV, the iX. The 4 Series Coupé’s front end split opinion, but the furore on social media about the styling of the all-electric SUV suggests that BMW has at the very least mastered the art of provoking a reaction with its new creations. Appearances aside, the iX looks a technical tour de force on paper, with…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods Visit autoexpress.co.uk for your daily news updates • E-Power 185bhp hybrid to be joined by 1.3-litre petrol mild hybrids • British-built SUV gets major structural, suspension and tech changes NISSAN has confirmed that the next-generation Qashqai will be revealed early in 2021 before going on sale in Europe next summer, equipped with hybrid power for the very first time. Few cars have made such an impact on a brand’s fortunes than the Qashqai has for Nissan. Since its launch in 2007 the firm has sold more than three million across Europe, and last year the Mk2 model still accounted for 235,000 units across the continent. It’s also a hugely important car for the UK automotive industry. The Qashqai has been built at Nissan’s Sunderland plant since the model’s…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn • Range-topping 500bhp £100k electric SUV has 376-mile range • Goes on sale in 12 months, with 200kW charging capability “The iX features greater computing power and more sophisticated software than any BMW before” BMW has described its all-new pure-lectric iX SUV as a the “dawn of a new era” for the company. The car is still undergoing final development, but it will act as the firm’s new technology flagship when it goes on sale in 12 months’ time, and cost in the region of £100,000. Essentially a production version of the iNext concept that was first showcased back in 2018, the iX is the first model from BMW to be based on an all-new, scalable architecture that will go on to underpin a range of future vehicles.…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn • Longer, taller than Countryman • Creative use of interior space OVER at BMW-owned MINI, the company has revealed a new concept car, called the Vision Urbanaut. Its aim is to preview how a compact MINI designed to maximise interior space could look in 2030. The look of the Urbanaut is unlike anything we’ve previously seen from MINI. It’s a little longer than today’s Countryman but significantly taller, and almost MPV-like in its profile. However there are still some familiar design cues, such as digital interpretations of MINI’s headlamps-and-grille combination at the front end. Yet MINI’s head of design, Oliver Heilmer, was keen to distance the Urbanaut from traditional MPVs. “Directly compared, the Urbanaut is far away from this classical MPV,” Heilmer told Auto Express. “It’s a room…

Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @hugo_griffiths • ‘Hierarchy of Road Users’ would place onus of responsibility on drivers of larger vehicles • Pedestrians could get right of way when waiting to cross at junctions • Car occupants likely to be advised to use ‘Dutch reach’ when opening doors, to protect cyclists GOVERNMENT proposals to change the Highway Code could see a ‘Hierarchy of Road Users’ introduced, placing greater responsibility on drivers of larger vehicles. If the rules go through, car drivers will “bear responsibility to take care and reduce the danger they pose” to cyclists and pedestrians. This would apply to bus and lorry drivers, too, who would take more responsibility than car drivers, because their larger vehicles “can cause the greatest harm in the event of a collision”. Similarly, cyclists would take more…

FERRARI has revealed an open-topped Spider version of its SF90 plug-in hybrid supercar. As with the coupé, it’s not a limited-run model, but a series production car that supports all-electric running. The SF90 Spider incorporates a lightweight folding hard-top that closely follows the silhouette of the fixed-roof model. It can be opened or closed in 14 seconds, while a new rear window can also be controlled by the driver. With the roof down, the mid-section of the car is defined by a flat deck and two roll hoops, supported by new buttresses that flow down towards the engine compartment. An active spoiler sits at the rear and can move up and down for more downforce or reduced drag. The addition of the retractable roof means that the Spider’s kerbweight creeps…