Latest news with #CitroenPicasso
Scottish Sun
20 hours ago
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Design boss for major carmaker reveals the unexpected motors set to make a ‘come back' – and it's good news for families
It could shake up the family car market WHEEL I NEVER Design boss for major carmaker reveals the unexpected motors set to make a 'come back' – and it's good news for families Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE DESIGN boss for a major carmaker has revealed the unexpected motors set to make a comeback and it's good news for families. Once a regular sight on roads across Europe, these motors could make a stunning return to shake up the family car market. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Renault's design boss has suggested people carriers could make a comeback Credit: Alamy 2 Renault Espace Credit: Handout Gilles Vidal, Renault's design boss, predicts the people carrier could make a comeback as "SUV bashing" becomes more prominent. The likes of the Renault Scenic, Vauxhall Zaifra, Ford Galaxy and Citroen Picasso were once the first-choice for families across the continent. They used to account for more than 10% of the regional car market with their ability to accommodate up to seven people in a tall cabin. And they occupied a footprint comparable to an estate car too. But the decline of the people carrier, or multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), started in 2006 when Nissan launched the Qashqai. It came to be the default choice for families and dominated Europe's car market. At present, SUVs make up more than half of all European car sales while people carriers have dropped to a market share in the low single digits. But Giles Vidal believes a renaissance of the people carrier is on the cards with the transition to electrification. Car manufacturers are striving to make their motors as efficient as possible and exploit the packaging freedoms afforded by EV "skateboard" architecture. EV "skateboard" architecture refers to the EV chassis design where the the battery pack, electric motors, and other core components are integrated into a flat, skateboard-like platform. "SUVs won the battle against the MPVs because MPVs are cars that you need but you don't desire, and suddenly SUVs with the same engines, same weight, same everything - they are shapes that you will desire," Vidal said. New Renault 4 is no longer a cheap, simple no frills runabout - it's now a funky family crossover and a capital B bargain But now, Vidal claims, there's a lot of "SUV bashing" in Europe. However, he added that the general concept of an SUV is "still attractive" today to most people and remain a functional and practical vehicle. But as cars become more aerodynamic in pursuit of efficiency, he adds that we may see a comeback of the lower, sleeker and more MPV-like motors. Vidal predicts that SUVs will attempt to become more efficient, becoming lower and having better aerodynamics. He said: " They will morph into a very efficient car, less energy consuming, with equivalent habitability and roominess and everything that's probably the trend." Renault's Embleme concept, which is due in production in the coming years as the first of a new-generation electric car line-up, is a "morphing of all of that". It has a raised ride height but a sleeker, lower profile than any of Renault's current SUVs. Multi-purpose vehicles are already taking off in China, the world's biggest car market. Manufacturers such as Zeekr, Lynk&Co, Li Auto, Denza and Xpeng have all launched luxurious three-row people carriers with technology and refinement to rival the likes of the Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7 Series. Vidal believes that the pursuit of efficiency could spur an all-out rethink for Europe's most popular type of car. But he did admit that MPVs would be broadly comparable with SUVs in terms of energy consumption and usage of materials. "I see two trends: super-efficient SUV transformation, and maybe a big comeback of sexy, desirable MPVs,' he said. Elsewhere, Renault has confirmed that its new EV will arrive in the UK shortly after its launch next year. The Renault Twingo electric car is set to launch in the UK sometime in 2026 with an affordable starting price tag of £16,700. And an iconic 1980s Renault 5 Turbo is returning as an EV "beast" in 2027. Each car will be outrageously fast, hand built, predominantly carbon fire and priced at around £135,000.
The Irish Sun
20 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Design boss for major carmaker reveals the unexpected motors set to make a ‘come back' – and it's good news for families
THE DESIGN boss for a major carmaker has revealed the unexpected motors set to make a comeback and it's good news for families. Once a regular sight on roads across Europe, these motors could make a stunning return to shake up the family car market. 2 Renault's design boss has suggested people carriers could make a comeback Credit: Alamy 2 Renault Espace Credit: Handout Gilles Vidal, Renault's design boss, predicts the people carrier could make a comeback as "SUV bashing" becomes more prominent. The likes of the Renault Scenic, Vauxhall Zaifra, Ford Galaxy and Citroen Picasso were once the first-choice for families across the continent. They used to account for more than 10% of the regional car market with their ability to accommodate up to seven people in a tall cabin. And they occupied a footprint comparable to an estate car too. Read more Motors News But the decline of the people carrier, or multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), started in 2006 when Nissan launched the Qashqai. It came to be the default choice for families and dominated Europe's car market. At present, SUVs make up more than half of all European car sales while people carriers have dropped to a market share in the low single digits. But Giles Vidal believes a renaissance of the people carrier is on the cards with the transition to electrification. Most read in Motors Car manufacturers are striving to make their motors as efficient as possible and exploit the packaging freedoms afforded by EV "skateboard" architecture. EV "skateboard" architecture refers to the EV chassis design where the the battery pack, electric motors, and other core components are integrated into a flat, skateboard-like platform. "SUVs won the battle against the MPVs because MPVs are cars that you need but you don't desire, and suddenly SUVs with the same engines, same weight, same everything - they are shapes that you will desire," Vidal said. New Renault 4 is no longer a cheap, simple no frills runabout - it's now a funky family crossover and a capital B bargain But now, Vidal claims, there's a lot of "SUV bashing" in Europe. However, he added that the general concept of an SUV is "still attractive" today to most people and remain a functional and practical vehicle. But as cars become more aerodynamic in pursuit of efficiency, he adds that we may see a comeback of the lower, sleeker and more MPV-like motors. Vidal predicts that SUVs will attempt to become more efficient, becoming lower and having better aerodynamics. He said: " They will morph into a very efficient car, less energy consuming, with equivalent habitability and roominess and everything that's probably the trend." Renault's Embleme concept, which is due in production in the coming years as the first of a new-generation electric car line-up, is a "morphing of all of that". It has a raised ride height but a sleeker, lower profile than any of Renault's current SUVs. Multi-purpose vehicles are already taking off in China, the world's biggest car market. Manufacturers such as Zeekr, Lynk&Co, Li Auto, Denza and Xpeng have all launched luxurious three-row people carriers with technology and refinement to rival the likes of the Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7 Series. Vidal believes that the pursuit of efficiency could spur an all-out rethink for Europe's most popular type of car. But he did admit that MPVs would be broadly comparable with SUVs in terms of energy consumption and usage of materials. "I see two trends: super-efficient SUV transformation, and maybe a big comeback of sexy, desirable MPVs,' he said. Elsewhere, The Renault Twingo electric car is set to launch in the UK sometime in 2026 with an affordable starting price tag of £16,700. And an iconic 1980s Each car will be outrageously fast, hand built, predominantly carbon fire and priced at around £135,000.
BBC News
22-04-2025
- BBC News
Survivors recall Derrick Bird's Cumbria massacre 15 years on
Fifteen years ago, taxi driver Derrick Bird killed 12 people in a murderous shooting spree across Cumbria. Many locals still refuse to speak of it to this day, but some, including survivors and relatives of victims, have shared their stories. The Friend Terry Kennedy had just picked up his first fare of the day, 19-year-old Emma Percival, to take her for a doctor's had been friends with Derrick Bird for years, the pair holidaying together in Thailand and fishing in the Lake District when they weren't chatting at the area's cab ranks."I'd never seen Derrick have an argument with anybody," Terry recalls, adding: "He was just a quiet sort of a bloke."On 2 June 2010, with Emma ensconced in his car, Terry was heading into Whitehaven when he saw his friend's Citroen Picasso approaching. As 52-year-old Bird pulled alongside, Terry told Emma the man they were about to see was probably going to make a stupid joke or was grinning at Terry, the smile remaining fixed as he raised a shotgun and fired straight at his friend's was the sixth person to be shot by Bird that morning, Emma the seventh as she was struck by multiple shotgun pellets."If I hadn't have got my hand up fast enough, he would have taken my head right off," Terry raises his arm to demonstrate his defensive motion, but instead of his hand there is now a stump, the limb that saved him needing to be amputated in the aftermath. Emma is adamant Terry's hand saved her life as well, absorbing the brunt of the point-blank blast."I was covered in glass and blood, my neck was cut," she says, adding: "I had lots of flesh and blood all over me."They were saved from a second shot by Terry's taxi lurching forwards as his foot slipped from the clutch.A policeman quickly came to their aid and got Emma out of the car. They both believed Terry was dead."I felt really bad for leaving him," Emma says, adding: "The panic had kicked in and I thought it was just best to get out of the situation." Miraculously Terry survived and after a long and painful recovery, he tried to return to work."It didn't work out", he says, adding he is still haunted by what happened."It's still raw, you're reminded of it 100 times a day."He does not believe Bird knew he was firing at his friend."I think he was just in a bloodlust for any taxi driver who had given him a hard time," Terry trauma has also been long-lasting, for months she had nightmares about Bird, but she is also very grateful to have survived."Someone was watching over me that day because I got to come home to my little boy," she says. The police chief As Bird was beginning his rampage, Cumbria Police were discussing budget Graham, the then Assistant Chief Constable and a specialist in firearms management, was chairing the meeting at its headquarters in Penrith when, shortly after 10:30 BST, a colleague's phone had been a shooting, they said, an unusual event even in a rural county with a high number of gun owners, Jerry followed was "controlled pandemonium".Phones were ringing, people were shouting at each other over computer screens, a rapidly evolving puzzle needing to be immediately pieced together."I just thought I have to take myself off into a space and try to work out what's happening here," Jerry 11:00 a Gold Command structure was set up, a team formed to direct the emergency response."By then quite a few people had been shot and shot dead," Jerry says, adding: "When I was trying to get resources into the county, [Bird] was making his way through Cumbria on a shooting spree." Bird had started in the early hours by killing his twin David, shooting him 11 times in his brother's then murdered his solicitor, Kevin Commons, waiting in the lawyer's driveway for him to start heading to work before shooting him twice in the can know what was going through Bird's head, but an inquest would later hear his violence was driven by the belief his brother and Mr Commons were conspiring to have him jailed for tax also targeted fellow taxi drivers, shooting three and killing one, Darren Rewcastle, at a rank in Whitehaven in warped revenge for having been the butt of their jokes and Police's armed officers were rapidly scrambled, assisted by firearms officers from the nearby top security Sellafield nuclear site, as well as neighbouring forces. Police were desperate to stop were prepared to launch their cars at speed directly into officers were in helicopters, against protocol, in the hope of spotting him and ceasing his rampage."There were lots of individual acts of bravery shown that day," says now-retired Jerry, tears pooling in his eyes, although he adds there was also great frustration and disappointment Bird could not be stopped sooner."I will go to my grave and this will be etched on my brain," he says, adding: "I go back over it a lot and think often about the families." The publican In total, Bird would kill 12 people and injure 11 along his murderous, 54-mile long drive across west Cumbria, before turning the gun on himself in a targeted people at random, firing at them as they walked down streets, rode bikes or drove their woman was shot dead as she carried home her shopping, a young farmer was felled instantly in his would slow and beckon people over to him, ask the time or directions before shooting them at point blank pulled alongside one parked car, calmly asking a woman if she was having a nice day before shooting her in the she landlord Harry Berger encountered Bird as they came face to face either side of a single-width railway tunnel in the seaside village of Seascale. He reversed his Land Rover back to let the Picasso pass, which is when he first noticed the shotgun barrels pointing out of the other driver's window. "I thought 'that's a bit weird'," Harry stopped and wound down his window, prompting Harry to do the he had a gun pointed at his face."I said you don't want to do that, its not a good thing to do," Harry then Bird Terry earlier in the day, Harry instinctively threw his hand up, two fingers being shot off his right hand before Bird drove from the nearby surgery ran to Harry's aid, firefighters used a ladder as a makeshift stretcher to take him to a nearby shop from where the Great North Air Ambulance took him to would end up shooting himself just 400m from Harry's then-pub, the Woolpack Inn in is pleased Bird is dead, relieved he will never get a phone call saying his attempted murderer and the killer of so many others could be released from prison."My justice is done, he is dead, he is rightly not around," Harry says. The sister With the aid of a walking stick, Barrie Robinson slowly walks through the old lychgate into the graveyard of St Peter's Church in has come to visit her identical twin sister Jane, who was 66 when she was the last of Bird's victims."She was a very active cheerful woman like myself," Barrie recalls, adding: "She loved animals and she loved birds and she was fond of children."The sisters were well-known in Seascale, their large seafront house having operated as a school where Jane taught. Leaving her sister at home on that fateful June morning, Jane was enjoying her new job in retirement delivering Betterware catalogues. She was not far from her front door when a taxi driver beckoned her. "She thought it was somebody wanting to know the way so she immediately walked over," Barrie driver was Bird, who killed Jane instantly with two shots to the heard the wail of sirens and roar of helicopters overhead but had no idea what had happened until a neighbour knocked on the door and broke the man had seen her sister's body not far away, left on the roadside."I dream about her such a lot," Barrie says. "Then you have to wake up and you suddenly think 'oh, its back to square one, she is not here'."Those killed were:David BirdKevin CommonsDarren RewcastleSusan HughesKenneth FishburnIsaac DixonJennifer JacksonJames JacksonGarry PurdhamJames ClarkMichael PikeJane Robinson Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Warning as dog freed from car in spring sunshine
Police have issued a warning after officers smashed a car door window to free a dog that had been left inside. The incident in Clay Cross on Wednesday has led to a plea from Derbyshire Police for people not to leave dogs in cars during warm weather this Easter. An "irresponsible dog owner" had left a dog inside a "very hot" Citroen Picasso which led beat officers and the force's Dog Unit to smash a side window to gain access. A spokesperson for the beat team warned "a car can become as hot as an oven" even in April when the weather doesn't feel that warm. The advice comes as BBC forecasters predict sunshine and highs of 20C (68F) in parts of Derbyshire. Police said the "friendly fella" was freed and taken away, with a message left for the owner. A spokesperson said: "Many people think it's okay to leave their dog in the car if they're parked in the shade or the windows are open. "When it's 22 degrees outside, the car could reach an unbearable 47 degrees within an hour. "It's very dangerous and will cause your dog suffering and harm." The RSPCA recommends anyone seeing a dog inside a vehicle showing signs of heatstroke to call 999. Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Heatstroke in pets likely to rise as climate warms How to keep pets safe in warm weather Derbyshire Police RSPCA: Dogs Die In Hot Cars campaign
BBC News
11-04-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Warning as dog freed by police from hot car in spring sunshine
Police have issued a warning after officers smashed a car door window to free a dog that had been left incident in Clay Cross on Wednesday has led to a plea from Derbyshire Police for people not to leave dogs in cars during warm weather this "irresponsible dog owner" had left a dog inside a "very hot" Citroen Picasso which led beat officers and the force's Dog Unit to smash a side window to gain access.A spokesperson for the beat team warned "a car can become as hot as an oven" even in April when the weather doesn't feel that warm. The advice comes as BBC forecasters predict sunshine and highs of 20C (68F) in parts of said the "friendly fella" was freed and taken away, with a message left for the owner. A spokesperson said: "Many people think it's okay to leave their dog in the car if they're parked in the shade or the windows are open."When it's 22 degrees outside, the car could reach an unbearable 47 degrees within an hour."It's very dangerous and will cause your dog suffering and harm."The RSPCA recommends anyone seeing a dog inside a vehicle showing signs of heatstroke to call 999.
