Polaris Rzr 1000 Fender Cover Panel on 2040-parts.com

Visionary tech

Ignore the marketers: There's nothing new under the technological sun. Cost and reliability concerns may have hindered the early adoption of these auto-tech breakthroughs, though you'd never know it based on their present-day ubiquity. 1941: Crossovers The combination of a fully enclosed, carlike body and all-wheel-drive underpinnings got its start with the Volkswagen Type 87 Kommandeurwagen.

Chevrolet Spark EV tops EPA's fuel-economy rankings for 2014

The 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV has been named the most fuel-efficient vehicle by the EPA and the Department of Energy in a new ranking for 2014. The Spark EV returns a combined 119 mpg equivalent, achieving 128 mpg in the city and 109 mpg on the highway. Chevrolet's pure-electric hatch displaced last year's chart topper, the Scion 2013 iQ EV, with its 121 mpg equivalent rating, but the Scion is not offered for the 2014 model year, so it didn't make the list for the U.S.

2015 Volvo XC90 First Edition price & spec – costs £68,000

The new XC90 First Edition – a range-topping, £88k XC90 The more we’ve looked this week at the new Volvo XC90, the more we’re beginning to see it as a seminal model for Volvo in the same way the original XC90 was in 2002. And, if all it promises comes close to reality when the first new XC90 s start to arrive in 2015, the new XC90 really could make serious inroads in to the market for premium SUVs currently dominated by Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Land Rover. The new XC90 ‘s clever packaging, good looks, technology and toys certainly seem to offer a beguiling package for a premium family SUV, although the price is likely to be a touch stronger than the current model.