Auto News 5

Although most of the auto industry is using billboards and Twitter feeds to announce the oncoming battery-powered revolution, German automakers have been more circumspect. At various times, they've pooh-poohed the viability of electric vehicles and, at others, tantalized us with green supercars that will, at best, be extremely expensive and extremely limited in production. But make no mistake, the Germans are coming around, if somewhat belatedly, to the idea of electric vehicles for the masses, and to that end, they are developing a veritable alphabet soup of electric small cars that you may or may not have heard of. Here's your cheat sheet on the affordable electric cars we expect from the Fatherland.

Volkswagen's monopoly on affordable diesel passenger cars in the U.S. is about to end. Starting in late 2011, American buyers will have at least one fuel-efficient diesel to choose from at the Mazda dealer. While the Mazda team refuses to officially acknowledge that the 6 sedan is the diesel engine's destination, the company has previously announced the engine will first appear in a "next-generation midsize sedan." Furthermore, we're driving Technical Prove-out Vehicles, or TPVs, that are next-generation Mazda 6 sedans, clothed in the current car's sheet metal. The 6, though, might not be the only diesel Mazda we receive. The CX-7 crossover seems a natural candidate and U.S. executives seriously want a Mazda 3 with a diesel, but that compact car presents a pricing challenge.

Volkswagen's monopoly on affordable diesel passenger cars in the U.S. is about to end. Starting in late 2011, American buyers will have at least one fuel-efficient diesel to choose from at the Mazda dealer. While the Mazda team refuses to officially acknowledge that the 6 sedan is the diesel engine's destination, the company has previously announced the engine will first appear in a "next-generation midsize sedan." Furthermore, we're driving Technical Prove-out Vehicles, or TPVs, that are next-generation Mazda 6 sedans, clothed in the current car's sheet metal. The 6, though, might not be the only diesel Mazda we receive. The CX-7 crossover seems a natural candidate and U.S. executives seriously want a Mazda 3 with a diesel, but that compact car presents a pricing challenge.

I've spent four nights jumping between the Volkswagen GTI and this Civic Si, cars that, arguably, cater to the same demographic and that cost about the same. After all this back and forth, I think I'd take my $22,000 to the VW dealer.