Auto News 5

General Motors' North American brands are not the only ones receiving a number of new models. Its European Opel brand is also in the middle of a product overhaul, and it appears an all-new Zafira MPV is also on its way. For now, we only have a faint glimpse of the Zafira Tourer Concept, which will debut at this year's Geneva Motor Show.

No matter how many times I drive an Audi A4 2.0T, I still wind up double-checking to confirm that I am, in fact, sitting behind a four-cylinder engine and not some excellent six-cylinder. Indeed, the words and numbers on the spec sheet -- 211 horsepower, four-wheel-drive, 31-mpg on the highway, and 3600 pounds -- simply do not jive with how spirited and fun the A4 is to drive. Mash the throttle, and the 2.0-liter responds instantly, emitting a throaty howl and propelling this heavy, leather-lined sedan more briskly than it has any business doing. It's not merely a smoke screen of low-end torque and short gearing, either. Snap the precise stick shift into second, and it keeps on pulling.

Germany supplies 40% of the parts in a Buick Regal, and the cars are assembled in Opel's Russelsheim, Germany plant. This Regal was originally intended to be a Saturn Aura, but then Saturn was put out to pasture during the bankruptcy and even GM's control of Opel was uncertain last fall. Thankfully, GM found a way to hang onto Opel after bankruptcy and the complicated restructuring process.