Auto News 5

A single-mode hybrid system is sufficient for small high-mileage cars but, when you're dealing with husky, fuel-slurping trucks, you need more. What we now know as GM's two-mode hybrid system was originally developed for urban buses that began service in 2003. As the technology trickled down to Chevrolet and GMC SUVs, pickups, and (future) crossovers, GM resisted the urge to coin a new name even though the actual number of driving modes increased as the hardware evolved.

An all-new E-class goes on sale this summer.
The E-class may no longer be the biggest-selling Mercedes in the USA, but this model, which traces its lineage back to the Pontoon sedans of the 1950s, remains the heart of the brand's now greatly expanded lineup. This year sees the rollout of an all-new model (the W212 chassis, for students of the three-pointed star), with the six-cylinder E350 and V-8 E550 in early July. The E-class range fills out with a new coupe (in the same two variants), which replaces the CLK and appears a couple of weeks ahead of the sedans; the AMG-tuned E63, which will debut at the New York auto show in April before heading to dealers in November; the all-wheel-drive 4Matic variants, which will appear in September; the new E320 Bluetec, a 50-state diesel that arrives early next year; and the last member of the family to arrive, the E350 wagon, which will be unveiled at the Frankfurt auto show this fall and which will begin plying the streets of America's best suburbs sometime in 2010.

Klagenfurt, Austria
The principal appeal of convertibles has always been the prospect of swanning along the seaside with the top down to catch the sun - and the eye of bystanders. No vehicle available today performs that function as well as the new Mini Cooper convertible, but to demonstrate the polyvalence of the car, the world press launch was organized in the dead of winter in the snowbound Austrian Alps. True to the brand's contrarian, fun-and-funky marketing spirit, the motto for the car and the launch was "Always Open." Journalists were exhorted to drive with the top down, and all of the test cars were fitted with a new standard feature, the Openmeter, which serves as a life-of-the-car recorder of hours spent driving with the top fully retracted.

Boy is this vehicle getting old. From the antiquated dash design to the squeaks and rattles around town, I think it's time for Volvo to start thinking about launching a new 3-row SUV. Additionally, the 3.2-liter inline-six isn't any smoother than most V-6 engines and the fuel economy of this XC90 is not impressive.

This 2009 Lincoln Navigator feels a little old already. The non-telescoping wheel made it difficult to find a truly comfortable driving position. Sure, movable pedals may help shorter drivers fit better, but when you're over 6' tall and prefer to sit close to the wheel, there isn't much room for your legs. My complaint applies to pretty much all modern Ford products, but it felt especially cramped in this Navigator given its prodigious dimensions.

The Nissan Qazana concept is officially a look at what the future of smallish five-seat crossovers could look like, but Nissan has already announced a baby Qashqai is scheduled for European markets and the Qazana is likely a thinly-veiled preview of the production car. Qazana is supposed to be a cross between a beach buggy and a four-wheel motorcycle and inspire fun behind the wheel.

The Ford Edge scores in the average range in pretty much all areas. It isn't striking to look at, but it also isn't ugly. It goes down the road fine with no real standout flaws but isn't truly inspiring either. It's your typical five-passenger crossover. I found the integrated blind spot mirrors an interesting touch, and SYNC is a pretty handy feature as well.

So it's come to this. A diesel-engine Porsche. If the Cayenne SUV made the purists scream, the new diesel entry will probably make them sick. It surely wouldn't help matters to point out that the diesel version of Cayenne will be the slowest of the bunch, with a 0-to-62 mph time of 8.3 seconds and a top speed of 133 mph.

Ahhhhh, the Cadillac Escalade. While it's helped define post-millennial Cadillac, this bling-mobile stands as a poster child for conspicuous consumption. The Escalade comes by its reputation honestly, because a 2009 edition with the 403-horsepower 6.2-liter V-8 sucks petrol at the criminal rate of 12 mpg city, and either 18 or 19 mpg highway, depending on whether you're powering one axle or two. The fact that the SUV attracts attention-hungry rappers and other ne'er-do-wells doesn't help the Escalade's reputation any.

The success of the original Scion xB was, quite frankly, a bit surprising. Looking back to 2004, there wasn't a huge demand for small cars in the U.S., let alone funky, rolling boxes honed for Japanese tastes. To most corporate boards, the idea of bringing such a vehicle to the U.S. would have had all the appeal of a Dioxin sundae.

Ever since its purchase by Aston Martin in 1947, the Lagonda brand has played second fiddle to the firm's sports cars. That may well change, as Aston Martin's announced it intends to revive the brand, offering this - the 2009 Lagonda concept - as proof of its intent.

The Infiniti brand launched in Europe during the Geneva motor show last year. This year Infiniti brought its Essence to the show. The Infiniti Essence concept is supposed to look back on the 20 years of Infiniti's existence and also hint at the future of the brand. Some of Infiniti's key traits are technology, design, and performance - and the Essence embodies all three qualities.

Despite the sudden drop in gas prices, the long-term trend toward green cars appears solidly in place. But if green machines are the new reality, when are they going to look like something other than dull or dorky little nerd-mobiles? The just-introduced redesigned Toyota Prius and the new Honda Insight, for instance, are the twin geeks of hybrid propulsion. And the boxy new Lexus HS250h hybrid has all the visual dynamism of a shrunken Toyota Camry. None of the mid-size hybrid sedans are anything exciting to look at, and neither is Volkswagen's Jetta TDI. Where is the style? Where is the swagger? Where is the sex appeal?

The marriage between Mercedes-Benz and McLaren has been something of a disappointment. Their co-created product, the SLR McLaren, has never met sales expectations, and its marketers have resorted to increasingly gimmicky special models in order to reach their contractually obligated goal of 4000 total units. There's been the convertible, the 722 edition, and most recently the totally topless, essentially windshield-less, and all but pointless SLR Stirling Moss, which is the final special edition before SLR production shuts down forever later this spring.

The marriage between Mercedes-Benz and McLaren has been something of a disappointment. Their co-created product, the SLR McLaren, has never met sales expectations, and its marketers have resorted to increasingly gimmicky special models in order to reach their contractually obligated goal of 4000 total units. There's been the convertible, the 722 edition, and most recently the totally topless, essentially windshield-less, and all but pointless SLR Stirling Moss, which is the final special edition before SLR production shuts down forever later this spring.

Mitsubishi's innovative Electric Vehicle (MiEV) range is growing. We've already seen the Mitsubishi I MiEV Sport at the 2007 Tokyo motor show, driven a prototype of the I MiEV hatchback at last year's New York auto show, and now there's a version of the Sport with a large, removable translucent panel in the roof at the 2009 Geneva motor show.

Mitsubishi's innovative Electric Vehicle (MiEV) range is growing. We've already seen the Mitsubishi I MiEV Sport at the 2007 Tokyo motor show, driven a prototype of the I MiEV hatchback at last year's New York auto show, and now there's a prototype for a European-market I MiEV at the 2009 Geneva motor show.