6:58 am, April 23, 2026
Kia reveals more details on Vision Meta Turismo concept
Kia has released more details on the Vision Meta Turismo concept, which was revealed to celebrate the firm’s 80th anniversary.
The Vision Meta Turismo concept uses Kia’s ‘Opposites United’ design language, featuring a sleek silhouette with a low stance and wide rear haunches.
Its interior focuses on providing a digital experience with an ultra-slim instrument cluster, light frame seat structures, a 3D head-up display and seats that can rotate 180 degrees when the vehicle is stationary to allow passengers to sit face-to-face and talk.
Banning motorhomes from beauty spots ‘short-sighted’
Blanket bans on campervans and motorhomes in tourist hotspots are ‘short-sighted’ and would not be necessary with better facilities, according to a lobby group.
The Campaign for Real Aires (Campra) said plans by several local authorities to ban the vehicles are counter-productive in economic and sustainability terms.
Last month, North Yorkshire Council made a trial ban on motorcaravans – the collective term for motorhomes and campervans – parking overnight in popular coastal locations such as Scarborough permanent.
The vehicles will also be prohibited from entering the visitor site for the Falls of Falloch waterfall near Crianlarich, Stirling, when it reopens this summer after improvement work.
Government borrowing drops unexpectedly to lowest in three years
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been given an unexpected dose of good news after government borrowing fell £20bn in the latest financial year, but fears are mounting over a hit to the public finances from the Iran war.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated public sector borrowing dropped £19.8bn, or 13.1%, to a lower-than-expected £132bn in the 12 months to the end of March, helped by rising tax receipts from last April’s labour tax hike.
The outturn was £700m below the £132.7bn forecast by the UK’s fiscal watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), and the lowest since 2022-23.
Market outlook
The FTSE 100 closed lower on Wednesday as the oil price ticked higher amid uncertainty in the Middle East conflict.
The FTSE 100 closed down 21.63 points, 0.2%, at 10,476.46.
The FTSE 250 ended up just 0.29 of a point at 22,972.01, and the AIM All-Share fell just 0.31 of a point at 808.12.
US President Donald Trump said late on Tuesday he had pushed back the end of a two-week truce with Tehran following a request by Pakistani mediators.
But oil prices pushed back above 100 US dollars a barrel after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said their naval forces had seized two container ships seeking to cross the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.
BMW 7 Series gains firm’s ‘Neue Klasse’
The BMW 7 Series has received a new front-end design and several tech upgrades to keep it up to date.
The 7 Series is BMW’s flagship model and comes equipped with a choice of plug-in hybrid and electric powertrains.
Its exterior now boasts BMW’s ‘Neue Klasse’ design language with a redesigned kidney grille and taillights. Its nostril features slimmer daytime running lights and customers will be able to order the car with a ‘world-first’ dual-finish paint, which uses a matt finish on the lower body with a hand-painted metallic upper section.
BP facing clash over climate transparency and shareholder rights
BP is bracing for a tense annual general meeting (AGM) where shareholders are set to challenge the board over climate transparency and governance concerns.
The oil major could face investor dissent on several fronts during the meeting at its Sunbury-on-Thames hub in Surrey on Thursday, where security will likely be tight to prevent disruption from climate protesters.
Many are expected to vote against the election of BP’s new chair Albert Manifold as well as other board-supported resolutions amid growing unease over shareholder transparency and engagement.
Wednesday on Car Dealer
Lookers staff claim they ‘face fresh threats of redundancy’
Staff at Lookers claim redundancies are being planned across multiple divisions amid cost-cutting efforts and debt pressures, although the company has yet to comment on the reports.
FCA faces legal challenge over £9.1bn car finance compensation scheme
Consumer group Consumer Voice is launching a legal challenge against the Financial Conduct Authority over its car finance redress scheme, claiming it could leave millions of motorists undercompensated by hundreds of pounds.
Pinewood Technologies announces £8.8m profit in 2025 financial results
Pinewood Technologies reported a £8.8m pre-tax profit for 2025 with strong revenue growth driven by new customers, AI acquisition and international expansion, as it targets further earnings growth in 2026 and beyond.
The weather
According to the Met Office, low cloud will clear this morning to leave a largely sunny day, though some cloud may linger along eastern coasts, with it remaining breezy in the southwest and cooler near the east.
It will stay dry into the evening with clear spells developing, while winds ease for most areas but remain breezy in the southwest.
Overnight, mist and fog are likely to form across central and eastern regions, with temperatures turning chilly by morning.
