In recent years Mitsubishi’s truck division was best remembered for selling a rebadged Dodge Dakota, but else where in the world it sold its own hugely popular pickup, known in various markets as the Triton or L200. The next generation, however, purports to be more car-like.

We’re not expecting a transition to a Honda Ridgeline unibody, but in an interview with Drive, Mitsubishi’s Australian marketing director Antonio Principe indicated it will have better driving dynamics and more standard amenities.

Mitsubishi has its sights set on the rest-of-the-world Ford Ranger and new Nissan Navara (which Nissan still denies will be the next Frontier, though we are skeptical). Both of those have seen recent updates whereas the Triton has been on the market since 2005. The triple-diamond brand also intends to achieve a 5-star NCAP rating (the current Triton only gets four).

The same range of body styles is expected, carrying over the current-gen’s choices of a single cab, extended cab, and four-door dual cab. Improved versions of the current 2.4L gasoline and 2.5L turbodiesel are expected, though Mitsubishi showed a diesel-electric hybrid concept at the Geneva Auto Show in 2013.

Styling has always been the Triton’s strong point, with rounded fenders and robot-faced grille that recalls a sci-fi moon buggy of some sort. The new truck is unlikely to have lines as futuristic as Geneva’s GR-HEV concept, but will take elements from that design.

The next Smart ForTwo will be so big that several Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedans will be able to draft behind it, clay modelers must stand on stepladders to sculpt the roof, and will accommodate 8-foot tall occupants.

Ridiculous? Absolutely. It’s all part of a hilarious campaign to get people excited about the new ForTwo. In the video, a ForTwo prototype is shown towering over its current-gen sibling, easily doubling it in every dimension and barely able to fit in a single lane. The older version’s roofline, and presumably that of other cars, reaches only the prototype’s hood.

The purported benefits of “the biggest city car ever” are that you no longer have to remember where your parked, just look for its dome looming over regular cars. It’s so large that hot air in the cabin rising to the top is beyond the reach of its passengers. And though your petrol consumption will increase significantly, you can at least rest easy knowing that you’re saving fuel for the three or four standard-size cars drafting behind you.

Of course, this is all a joke, and a quite clever one. In a follow-up video, focus group subjects are shown the ad in all earnestness and asked what they think. Clearly smart is banking on the popularity of viral prank videos that have riddled the internet in recent years. The actual ForTwo debuts on July 16, and thankfully there’s also a serious video about what you can expect for those actually shopping for one. For a good laugh, though, watch the videos below.

Volkswagen’s Czech Republic-based Škoda division has announced it will unveil the next generation of its Fabia city car at the Paris Motor Show that will open its doors to the public next October.

Offered as both a five-door hatchback and a station wagon, the next Fabia will lose the current model’s cute look in favor of a more chiseled design inspired by recent Škodas such as the Passat-sized Octavia sedan and the VisionC concept. The hatchback’s front end will feature an angular radiator grille with vertical slats and sharp headlights, while the rear end will gain C-shaped headlights and a more sculpted hatch.

Australian website Motoring reports the Fabia will be offered with a wide array of three- and four-cylinder engines borrowed from the recently-updated Volkswagen Polo. The performance-focused RS model will not be renewed due to disappointing sales, but the Czech firm will gun for premium city cars like the Fiat 500 with a trendy, highly-customizable model tentatively dubbed Fabia Monte Carlo.

The next Fabia will eschew Volkswagen’s modular MQB platform and ride on an evolution of the current model’s chassis.

Full details about the 2015 Škoda Fabia will emerge in the weeks leading up to its debut in the French capital. The hatchback is scheduled to go on sale across Europe in select global markets early next year.