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Ssangyong LIV-1 SUV: Seoul Motor Show

Ssangyong has rolled out yet another SUV Concept at its home motor show in Seoul – the Ssangyong LIV-1 SUV. The Ssangyong LIV-1 SUV is another new SUV concept from Ssangyong (we’ve had the SsangYong SIV-1 at Geneva and the e-XIV EV Concept at Paris in the last six months) with a  catchy little moniker, this one a ‘Limitless Interface Vehicle, which sets the bar quite high. The LIV-1 does have a better looking nose than any of Ssangyong’s current crop of production cars (well, certainly than the Rexton and Rodius) although it does look like the designers were competing to see how many creases they could add to the bodywork of the LIV-1.

Mercedes-Benz G-class to get V12 power

Mercedes-Benz has slyly revealed a lightly facelifted version of the 33-year-old G-class prior to its planned public premiere at the Beijing motor show next month. The reworked version of the German carmaker's iconic military-grade SUV, planned to go on sale in European markets in June with North American deliveries slated to begin by the end of this year, can be seen in the background of an official photograph of the facelifted GLK posted on the Mercedes-Benz media Web site. Among the subtle changes made to the G-class's classic square exterior is a restyled grille with three prominent slats in place of the older model's seven slats, new headlamp inserts with horizontally mounted LED running lights and redesigned mirror housings.

Who's Where: Martin Smith to retire, succeeded by Joel Piaskowski as Ford Europe head of design

Martin Smith, head of Ford of Europe design for the last 10 years, will retire at the end of this year, before which he will work on a project to study the future direction of the company's global design direction. He will be replaced by current head of strategic concepts group, Joel Piaskowski on 1 July. Smith (64) first joined Ford back in 2004, leaving General Motors as director of design for Opel/Vauxhall.