Auto News 5

Mike O'Driscoll, Jaguar's longtime managing director, is a happy man these days. Sure, Jaguar is just as susceptible to the worldwide economic slowdown as any other purveyor of luxury goods, but O'Driscoll's eyes light up when he explains that the company's lineup is undergoing a wholesale metamorphosis in the twenty-four-month period that began in January 2008 and ends this December. The misbegotten X-type is gone; the all-new XJ, reportedly a stunner, will be in dealerships by December; and the XF sedan gets new V-8 engines for the 2010 model year (as do the XK coupe and convertible), including a supercharged version that powers the new, high-performance XFR.

The governmental activity aimed at stimulating the economy may significantly impact the arrival of affordable, mass-market plug-in electric and battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

Likes:
The sleek Scandinavian interior with brushed aluminum.
The gorgeous matte-wood accents (part of the $2995 Premium Package).
The funky and distinct exterior styling.

In 2007, Volkswagen previewed its New Small Family (NSF) of eco-cars with three concepts, a two-door hatchback, a four-door hatchback, and a microvan. Originally intended for VW, Seat, and Škoda only, NSF is being expanded to include an Audi version, the E1. In fact, the E1 will spearhead a selection of innovative, low-emissions, high-mileage models for Audi. Marketed under the E-line moniker, the new Audis share the same mission as BMW's Project i vehicles. Audi's lineup could include up to five different products in various size and price classes. Here is what Audi's R&D team is currently looking at:

Crossovers aren't anything new - take a look at a 1997 Subaru Forester if you don't believe us. These days, nearly every brand has a crossover or two in its lineup.

Wow, this Acura RL is a respectable car, but $54,860? Really? And I don't even get a six-speed automatic for that price?

It's January, and Michigan is enjoying one of its snowiest winters on record. The BMW 135i, unfortunately, isn't much of a snowmobile.

We've crossed the 20,000-mile mark in the Lexus IS-F so it's time to make a list of what has broken on the Japanese sports sedan in eight-months of service. Nothing. OK, now that we've got that not surprising information out of the way, it's time to tell you what we like and don't like about the Lexus up to this point.

We're not strangers to the holiday shopping rush, but we were a bit surprised to see adults lining up for one particular toy - the Honda Fit. Demand for the subcompact five-door peaked along with gas prices last summer, but even as 2008 drew to a close, dealers across the country had only a nineteen-day supply of the all-new 2009 model.

First impressions are very important, and where Automobile Magazine and the Infiniti G37 coupe are concerned, those first impressions were full of admiration. After power-sliding around a Nissan test track in Arizona during our first meeting with the G37 and blasting down back roads all the way from Tennessee to Michigan two months later, we declared Infiniti's sexy new sport coupe to be a near-equal to its chief rival, the BMW 335i coupe. That's among the highest praise we can give.

Airport shuttle services, rejoice! Today, Roush Performance unveiled the propane-powered Ford E-250 full-size van, which is set to become available in mid-2010 and will accompany Roush's similarly fueled Ford pickups, the F-150 (already on sale) and the 2010 F-250 shown today for the first time and scheduled for sale later this year.

Maserati is on a roll. 2008 was the company's best year ever, with a rather impressive 8586 sales worldwide. North America sucked up 2666 of those deliveries, a 1.1% increase compared to 2007. That's pretty extraordinary considering the economic collapse that came about during latter part of 2008. The Quattroporte sedan made up 3383 of the total 2008 worldwide sales, bumping the total number of fifth-generation four-doors sold over the 15,000 mark. To fully appreciate that last number, you have to remember that Maserati only sold 53 of the third-generation 1987-1990 Quattroporte and 825 of the 1998-2002 fourth-generation model.