By Kevin Miller

03.31.2008

Last week Toyota dropped off a 2008 Highlander Sport crossover for my evaluation. I spent a week using it to drive my family around town, using it the way a typical family will use the Highlander. The Highlander is an all new, second-generation vehicle for 2008, and in Toyota’s typical pattern of up-sizing its vehicles in the US with each new generation, the Highlander has grown larger. Fortunately, the Highlander has also grown better looking. The Highlander’s exterior styling is fairly attractive overall, with an aggressive look on the 19 inch wheels that are standard on the Sport and Limited Highlanders. The flat sides of the front fenders remind me of first-generation Hyundai Santa Fe, as does the appearance of the tail lamp lenses. During my week driving it, I had several people comment on how “good looking” the car was.

The Salsa Red Pearl vehicle with its attractive tan leather interior impressed me right away. When the vehicle was delivered I spent about half an hour looking it over, checking out the seating, the controls, and various features. I was happy to find the vehicle was equipped with heated front seats, and that it had Bluetooth hands-free phone use integrated to its upgraded JBL stereo head unit; I paired my phone with the vehicle so I could take advantage of the hands-free phone feature. Unfortunately, a week with the JBL stereo upgrade left me wondering how poor the stock stereo must sound- the JBL lacked both clarity and power at higher volumes. I was, however, happy to find the vehicle was equipped with a six-disc in-dash CD changer, AUX input, and XM satellite radio.


I was not quite as happy to learn that access to the third-row seat is only provided by folding the right-rear seatback forward (the left-rear second-row seat does not fold the same way). I tend to put my daughter’s child seat in that position so I can look over my shoulder and talk to her at stoplights. A child seat can’t be put in the center position of the second row either, because it is a very narrow “removable” seat which itself is not wide enough to support a car seat base, and it lacks LATCH connections for child seats. The third-row seat doesn’t’ have LATCH connectors for child seats, so if you had two child seats installed in the Highlander they would likely be in the second row, making access to the third row nearly impossible (as well as making the center seat in the second-row un-usable). The removable middle seat in the second row can be stowed under the center console of the front seat (and replaced by a small plastic console), and squeezing between the two outboard rear seats would then be the only way to access the third row.

Because I planned to use the third-row seat during the week I had the Highlander, I had to install my daughter’s car seat directly behind the driver’s seat, where it is more difficult to turn and talk to her face-to-face. The conversation mirror which is integrated with the sunglasses holder did allow me to see my daughter in the car seat, as well as other passengers in the back of the vehicle.

One of my favorite features on the Highlander was the rear-view camera, whose monitor is in the center of the dashboard. It allowed me to see behind the vehicle while I was reversing, helping me park much closer than I would have been comfortable doing just by looking out the back window (due to the fact that the rear window isn’t very tall). When the vehicle is not in reverse, the camera’s display screen offers time and outside temperature, door-ajar information, and can be set to show various fuel consumption statistics or climate control settings.

The Highlander I tested had dual-zone climate control but not the optional rear-seat climate control. The controls on the center stack had very large knobs to adjust driver and passenger temperature, but a single button marked “MODE” which must be pressed multiple times to cycle through air distribution modes (floor, vent, or defrost) which are displayed on the info screen only when they are being cycled through. That control wasn’t particularly intuitive, but somebody who drives the Highlander daily will grow accustomed to the selection method.

While the information screen does show the climate and fuel consumption information, it is not integrated with the Bluetooth phone system (which displays outgoing or incoming call numbers only on the stereo’s one-line LCD display) nor is it integrated with the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). When the TPMS indicator turned on one chilly morning in the Highlander, I tried in vain find the tire pressure readout on the info screen. Unfortunately such a display isn’t available, and the owner’s manual merely states that if the TPMS lamp illuminates, you should stop the car and check the tire pressure with a pressure gauge. I did that, and found that all four tires were exactly at the rated 30 PSI. I then attempted to follow the TPMS lamp reset instructions in the manual, but was unable to reset the system despite three different attempts.

During my week driving the Highlander around suburban Seattle, I appreciated the visibility that comes from the high seating position of a crossover or SUV, and I also appreciated the fact that the Highlander’s visibility wasn’t compromised by huge window pillars. The door-mounted rear view mirrors were large, and provided a clear view of traffic as I was driving, though they were not heated (heated mirrors are an option my test car didn’t have), so on frosty mornings I had to clear the mirrors manually before driving off.

I found the driver’s seat to be wide and flat, and generally unsupportive, and I tended to slide around on the leather upholstery if I took corners too aggressively. . The headrest was tipped too far forward for me to sit up straight in the seat, which was the only thing making the seat uncomfortable. There was plenty of leg room behind the thin-rimmed, leather-wrapped steering wheel. The steering wheel had a lot of controls on it- controls for audio volume, presets/tracks, and mode, climate control temperature and fan speed, Bluetooth phone controls, and information screen display mode.

While the instruments and center stack were modern looking and operated with a quality feel, the same cannot be said of the dashboard, glove box, and door panel materials. The top of the dashboard and door panels were made from dark-brown hard plastic with a matte finish, and the bottoms of the dash and doors were made from a harder, shinier tan-colored plastic. The door had padding where a driver’s elbow would rest, but the switch modules farther forward on the doors fit and matched poorly. The vent openings on each end of the dashboard were unattractive squares punched out of the upper dash materials, with visible lines where the mold halves joined in the dashboard factory. While Toyota is a volume brand, plenty of customers would expect better materials in a $36000 vehicle. As was noted in Igor’s post from the New York International Auto Show, interior materials in this class of vehicles are often disappointing, and the Highlander is no exception.

When called upon to haul people around, the Highlander really showed its mettle. It carried six people comfortably (when the 2nd row seats were adjusted forward), had plenty of power around town and on the freeway to keep up with- or even pass- other traffic, and never had a disagreement with the 5-speed automatic transmission. My nearly-three-year-old daughter was able to get in to the Highlander by herself thanks to the standard running boards, and the flat floor across the second row made it easy for her to get to and into her car seat. Several of the parents at my daughter’s daycare were impressed that my daughter was able to get herself into the Highlander, as their body-on-frame SUVs are too tall for their children of the same age to do so.

At the end of the week, as I reflect back over my time with the Highlander Sport, it comes across as a pleasant, unobtrusive vehicle for toting as many as six people around the suburbs. After a week and nearly 200 miles around the suburbs, during which time I averaged 16.4 MPG, I am convinced that plenty of families will be delighted with the Highlander. The vehicle cost $36,114, including optional JBL Stereo with Bluetooth, Leather Seating with heated front seats, Front Automatic Dual Zone Climate Control, Power Tilt/Slide Moonroof, and Reversible Cargo Mat. I didn’t fall in love with it, as Brendan seemed to do with the Buick Enclave earlier this month (though nobody really ever falls in love with a Toyota, do they?), but I found it to be a satisfactory family vehicle that will meet many families’ needs.

For more images, click HERE.

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Diehard fans of these chronicles may recall that I am a Jaguar owner and a staunch traditionalist in design matters. I own an S-Type, which I love because it looks like the original S-Type Mark II of the ‘50s and ‘60s, which in turn looked like the SS saloon of the ‘30s, which contained design cues evocative of the carriage lamps and landaus of the reign of Victoria, which no doubt whispered memories of the sedan chairs of the Regency, or (especially now) of the Anglo-Indian Raj.

All right, one can get carried away with this kind of thing. But, my fondness for the old-style Jags isn’t just because I’m a reactionary; it’s an aesthetic response. Just as I admire a Van Gogh canvas for its distinctive power and beauty, and just as no other artist’s work can be mistaken for a Van Gogh, so I’ve always felt that Jaguars embody a unique poetic dimension of design that represents both an art form in itself and a homage to the artistry of the past. No Jaguar could ever be mistaken for anything else—until now. For this is where the dazzling new company-saving XF breaks with tradition: It doesn’t look like a Jag. Even Ian Callum, the presiding genius at Jaguar’s design department, concedes this. Asked why the name “JAGUAR” is etched into the chrome strip across the XF’s trunk lid, he explains that it’s to identify the car, because “a lot of people will look but might not immediately recognize what it is.” Question, then: Is a Jag not instantly recognizable as a Jag still a Jag?

Then I saw my first XF, in the showroom at Charles Maund Jaguar, the local dealer here in Austin, Texas. As the cliché has it, the car’s pictures don’t do it justice. Happily, it’s less Lexus- or Hyundai-like in the flesh. Low and sleek like the 4-door coupe it essentially is (it’s the XK’s big brother, after all), the car fairly quivers with hidden strength. The grill mimes a snarl; the slanted headlights exude new-design purposefulness. There’s a power bulge in the long sloping hood. It’s a dramatic-looking machine, no question. Far from recoiling, I caught myself thinking, “What a beautiful car.” Not “a beautiful Jag”; “a beautiful car.” This was suggestive: Maybe I could admire the thing without getting uptight and finicky about its aesthetic heritage and nameplate? Very well, I said to myself, I’ll put aside my biases and regard it as a car first and foremost. And as a car, it spoke to me. It said, “Hello. Take me for a drive.”

So I did just that, with the help of the able Ed Gordesky, a veteran of the Maund sales force and walking encyclopedia of Jaguar lore. Ed provided the car, and I provided the driver. My tester was a silver “base” model—if a car in this range can be said to have a base model. It’s the one they’re giving away at $49K; they call it the “Luxury.” The next trim level up is “Premium Luxury,” an odd system of nomenclature, a bit like “perfect” and “very perfect.” Top tier isn’t Luxury at all, but “Supercharged.” But my “Luxury” model, base or not, bristled with all the hi-tech gadgets I could ever want, and more…much more, actually. I have little interest in gadgetry per se, and I generally want to communicate with the outside world as little as possible, so all the MP3/Ipod/Nano/Bluetooth hookups left me cold, as did the nav screen. All very state-of-the-art, no doubt, but as far as music is concerned I’m quite happy with the in-dash 6-CD player, and I usually balk at using nav screens anyway, with their irritating implication that there are more interesting things than that boring old road for the driver to look at while he’s sitting there. But at least the screen in the XF is unobtrusive, and once you set it on the audio function it sort of fades to a bland gray and withdraws from your field of vision. Then you can focus on the highway coming at you at… legal speed.

But I liked other features. The round, chrome-ringed start-and-stop button, for instance, which you activate with your Smart Key fob gizmo from outside the car, looks like a floor-selection button on a ‘50s elevator. It’s fun to push a button and start a car. To the left of the smooth walnut-covered center console is another retro design cue, this one from the days when everything mechanical, like my dad’s Revox reel-to-reel tape recorders, boasted big round dials: the transmission shifter or “drive selector,” a big shiny knob that–in the unctuous prose of the Jaguar brochure–“rises to meet the palm” when you start the car. It works well, too, which is the important part. Just dial in P,R,N,D, or S for Sport (i.e., Warp Drive), and you’re off.

Overall, I thought the interior was a resounding success. The seats (simple leather on the base model, perforated leather on the über-models) are unusually comfortable for a car with sporting pretensions. Shoulder and headroom are ample. The dash is smooth and flowing, austerely elegant in a rather more Scandinavian than a British way, all brushed-aluminum and discreet burled walnut beneath a stitched-leather canopy of muted hue. Rotating air vents rotate silently in and out, according to the dictates of the automatic climate control. In front of the driver is a very trad-style semicircular cowling, which I suspect harks back to just such a cowling on the XK120 (or even the Spitfire fighter), housing two simple, elegant gauges ringed in chrome: speedo on the left, tach on the right, just where they should be. No excess there. In front of the gauges, as one would expect, is the steering wheel, and it’s just about perfect: compact, leather-bound, and satisfying to the grip. You never want to let go, and you don’t have to, even if for some reason you want to interfere with the silky smooth transmission by playing with the wheel-mounted shifter paddles that are increasingly common these days and are a silly affectation, in my opinion. One commutes to the office, one is not Michael Schumacher at Monza. But in the XF, if you don’t want them, you can forget they exist and let the superb ZF 6-speed tranny work its magic.

And on the road, where a Jag should be king of the beasts? Well, the XF rules OK. It’s a great highway cruiser. I found it tight, taut, tossable, and solid, with great brakes and an almighty punch from under the hood. There are no surprises there; it’s powered by the same 4.2 litre V8 found in the XJ, XK, and S-Type, but the pleasure at rediscovering that engine’s mighty torque, 300 horses, and feline snarl was enhanced when I demonstrated the XF’s acceleration to an insolent Infiniti that was buzzing around like a horsefly. (It buzzed off.) While doing my own sub-Schumacher imitation, I kept a weather eye out for troopers as I piloted the XF up and down and around the undulating ribbon of the Capital of Texas Highway, known as Loop 360, Austin’s western beltway, a pretty good test route, dipping and rising as it does through gorgeous and precipitous Hill Country outcroppings.

Driving along 360 calls for precisely the right balance of steering, acceleration, and braking that one should bring to a test drive. Naturally, abiding by the dictum that a good driver never brakes unless he has to, I used the brakes as infrequently as possible; but when I did, they responded very well, grasping firmly and instantly but not grabbing, and without the old-fashioned clunk of the S-Type’s. The XF’s handling is superb, too. Guided by that wonderful little steering wheel, the car is instantly responsive to driver input, never off kilter or reluctant. And, despite all this high-performance capability it’s a relaxing drive; the cabin is a very comfortable place to be, and not just because of the ergonomic seats which are, as already noted, quite amazingly comfortable, like lounge chairs designed for the lumbar regions. The rear seats are equally comfortable and notably more spacious than those in the S-Type.

The car is a quiet place to spend time, too. It was a windy day when I drove the XF, but inside I only noticed wind noise by its absence, not the case with my S-Type, in which wind noise can be blustery and intrusive. But the XF’s cabin is silent, apart from the usual Jag noises: the hum of the radials, the growl of the engine, and the burbling of whatever’s on the audio system.

So, you ask, what’s the verdict? Does the XF drive like a Jag? The answer is an unqualified yes. But it wasn’t until I’d been out on the highway for awhile, varying my speed, enjoying the grippiness of the steering wheel and experiencing the car’s limpet-like roadholding, that it began to sink in: If, I mused, I suddenly found myself plunked down inside the car without knowing what kind of car it was, because of its graceful maneuverability and that inimitable feeling of connection to the road—and the cat’s growl of the great engine–I would soon know: This is a Jaguar. This is the new Jaguar, as the company’s publicity has it. And so it is; and I think they got the most important part right.

The XF is stunning to look at, a hoot to drive, and a pleasure to ride in. It’s a splendid machine, and if I were in the market I’d take one any day over its BMW or Benz rivals, and not just because of the savings. (The MSRP of the base “Luxury” comes in $5k or more below its competitors.) It just has more personality than the Germans. That’s a good thing. And, crucially for Jaguar Cars, it has the right stuff at the right time, and it’s going to save the company: a very good thing. (That’ll be one in the eye for Ford, who did many things right during their tenure, but somehow they could never strike the right balance between interfering and keeping hands off, and they never figured out how to sell Jags. Let’s hope Tata can do better.)

But as I drove away in my antediluvian but poetic S-Type, it occurred to me that I’d driven a spanking-new, gleaming silver XF from one end of hi-tech, machine-obsessed Austin to the other and back, through city streets, along freeways, and up residential byways, and that (apart from that pesky Infiniti driver) not a single person had taken notice of it; whereas it’s an odd day when my S-Type doesn’t turn a couple of heads. Habit, I guess. In time, we’ll all get used to the new-Jag look, so that someday it will be as unmistakable from a distance as the old one is today. And car-loving old-timers will express outrage when the traditional design standards of the old XF are betrayed by some new-fangled designer, just to make money.

But wasn’t it ever thus?

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By Brendan Moore

03.30.2008

The news out of Amsterdam a few days ago was not good for Spyker Cars. After a bad 2006 in which the Dutch automaker Spyker lost 1.34 million euros, the final numbers are finally in for 2007 calendar year, and it isn’t pretty. The tiny exotic car manufacturer lost a stunning 72 million euros in 2007.

It seems almost impossible that a company the size of Spyker could lose that much in a year, but this is what happened in 2007 – The company sold the Formula One team it had just purchased in 2006 for a loss, its CEO resigned, potential investors appeared and disappeared, their flagship supercar, the C12 Zagato was canceled, and their suppliers and vendors stopping shipping to them. Spyker points to heavy losses in their Formula One business, GT racing and retail activity as the primary reasons for the awful financial performance of 2007.

But, Spyker now states that production and sales are up sharply in the first quarter of 2008, and orders in hand make the second quarter look very strong as well. The company said they have made 12 new cars and sold 18 new cars in 2008 so far.

In a statement reported by Thomsen Financial, CEO Victor Muller said, “2007 was a dramatic year, the likes of which the company had never seen before and which we would like to leave behind us as soon as possible.”

He added that now that Spyker Cars has been recapitalized, through loans and a capital contribution from Snoras Bank in Lithuania, the company has seen a remarkable turnaround in just three months.

“The Company is better positioned than ever before and ready for its next phase: controlled growth leading to profitability,” Muller said.

Spyker’s cars start at around $367,500 and go up from there. Their cars are noted for their stunning performance, power and unusual styling.

The original Spyker was started over 100 years ago by the Spyker brothers and made luxury sedans that competed with Rolls Royce. In 1914 Spyker merged with the Dutch Aircraft Factory N.V. From that moment on the Spyker logo consisted of an aircraft propeller and a wire wheel. The axiom “Nulla tenaci invia est via” – for the tenacious no road is impassable – was used by Spyker after that time. That firm went bankrupt in 1926 and the name was revived for the current Spyker in 2000, which still uses the same axiom in their corporate marketing.

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By Andy Bannister

03.29.2008

One of the more memorable attempts to interest the great American public in French cars was the persistent but doomed marketing of a tiny hatchback called the Renault Le Car, which now seems just a quirky footnote in motoring history.

Amazingly, though, the model – first launched in Europe in 1972 and usually known as the Renault 5 – lives on in the unlikely setting of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

With its radically simple, forward-looking styling and full length sloping rear door, the little French car was actually one of the great pioneering European hatchbacks, selling in huge numbers in France and across Europe over a long career lasting until 1984. Economy was its raison d’être, and its base engine was just 845cc.

Best suited for zipping around the back streets of Paris, the smallest Renault of its day was a bizarre choice of model to export to the USA, where it arrived in 1976. With federal bumpers and inset round headlights, which ruined the styling, it was much misunderstood and failed to tempt many buyers away from their Honda Civics.

Worse still, in a misguided attempt to capitalise on the model’s French origins, the Renault 5 title in the US was soon changed to Renault Le Car, emblazoned on the sides in large letters, to the bewilderment of French speakers (car actually means coach in French). In later years, these baby Renaults were sold through AMC showrooms, and boasted a five-door model with a 1.4-litre engine.

The model died in 1984, although a much enlarged second-generation Renault 5 was available in Europe until 1996, by which time it had been eclipsed by the more modern Clio.

Somewhere along the road, however, the original 5 went into production in Iran under the auspices of a company called Pars Khodro, which still makes it.

Iran’s market has traditionally being closed to imports, meaning such oddities are more common than you might think: until recently the Paykan, a variant of the 1960s Hillman Hunter, was the country’s best-selling car.

The Renault 5 was originally sold in Iran under the name Sepand in a form little-changed from the French original. More recently the model has been renamed simply the PK and limited exports have taken place to neighbouring countries such as Syria.

Pars Khodro itself is now a subsidiary of another Iranian manufacturer, SAIPA, which successfully manufactures various versions of the Kia Pride (better known to Americans as the original Ford Festiva). Somewhere down the line the PK apparently acquired the Kia Pride’s mechanicals and floorpan – which has necessitated a wider track, leading to the latest model having slightly odd proportions – together with other modern features such as air conditioning.

Around 2006 a supposedly new version of the PK was launched but, with the exception of new wrap-round rear light clusters it looks pretty similar to the five-door version of the French original.

Pars Khodro also assembles more modern Renault models, notably the Megane and the increasingly-ubiquitous Dacia Logan. It seems possible the Logan may eventually supercede the PK as the choice of economy-minded Iranians.

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By Chris Haak

03.28.2008

Yesterday, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) voted to slash its requirement that the six largest auto manufacturers that sell vehicles in the state sell 25,000 electric- or hydrogen-powered vehicles during the 2012-2014 period by 70%, to 7,500 units. The six manufacturers affected are GM, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan.

This is the sixth time since 1990 that CARB has relaxed its original requirement that 10% of all motor vehicles sold in California be zero-emission vehicles by 2004, as technology for zero emission vehicles is either far too expensive for mainstream consumers to accept, or simply unavailable at nearly any price. The last time CARB relaxed its zero-emission requirements was in 2003. In fact, CARB’s admission that the rules were unreasonable – again, not for the first time, but the fifth time – again point to the fact that innovation cannot be legislated. For more evidence of that truth, look at how CAFE standards set in the 1970s increased fuel economy requirements, yet our nation’s thirst for petroleum continued nearly unabated through the 1980s and 1990s – and indeed into the early part of this century.

Other than the 7,500 true zero-emission vehicles, the same manufacturers will also be required to produce and sell about 58,000 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in the same 2012-2014 timeframe. The previous regulations enacted in 2003 did not have any provision for PHEVs, because at the time, the technology was not thought to be feasible. Several manufacturers have announced plans to sell PHEVs in the US in the next few years, including GM (Saturn Vue and Chevy Volt) and Toyota (Prius).

While many see the news as a victory for the automakers, who lobbied fiercely against the higher standards, they were not exactly gleeful at the news. They were, instead, more reserved. Ford spokeswoman Jennifer Moore said, “We’re going to have to take some time and study it. The question is still what technology is ready and what is going to be commercially viable.”

On the other side of the spectrum, Chelsea Saxton, the executive director of Plug In America, an advocacy group, said, “It’s a huge blow. They sent the message to the carmakers that they can always get what they want from the board.”

While automakers may have dodged the worst news for the moment in California, many pitfalls lie ahead. Among these are new CO2 reduction requirements that will effectively increase the fuel economy requirement for some new cars sold in California to over 50 miles per gallon within the next several years, and the threat of requiring that far more strict zero-emission vehicles be sold in 2015 and later. “For 2015 and beyond, we’ll adopt a new program that will probably be even more aggressive than what is currently in effect,” said CARB member Daniel Sperling, without mentioning any specific targets.

With falling sales, additional regulatory requirements, and expensive fuel, 2008 is not an easy time to be an automaker.

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By Brendan Moore

03.28.2008

Nissan has stopped production temporarily at one of its large Mexican production facilities as a result of diminished U.S. demand.

The Nissan factory in Aquascalientes makes the Versa (called the Tiida in Mexico) and Sentra small cars, most of which are exported to the United States. The plant also makes the Nissan Platinas for Mexican consumers and the Renault Clio for South American customers. Production stopped on March 18 and is scheduled to start again in on Monday, March 31. The production site usually averages around 26,000 cars per month in output.

Nissan, Japan’s No. 3 automaker, and 44% owned by Renault, is anticipating lower production in Mexico this year as reduced demand in the U.S. market ripples out across their production facilities. Sales of the Sentra fell 11% in the U.S. in the first two months of 2008. Auto industry analysts believe that sales in the U.S. will be substantially lower this year than previous years, with estimates of annual sales anywhere from 14.5 million units to 15.5 million by the time 2008 is over. There are a very small number of projections that come in even lower; citing the possibility of a deep recession in the U.S. economy, but the consensus is for a sales number somewhere in the 15 million range.

Nissan assembled 498,288 vehicles in Mexico in calendar year 2007, according to figures from the Mexican Automotive Industry Association (AMIA). The majority, about 350,000 of the total, were produced in the Aguascalientes facility, which is 310 miles from Mexico City. The rest of the production total came from Nissan’s other production site in Cuernavaca, which produces mostly light trucks for the Caribbean and Latin American markets.

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By Chris Haak

03.27.2008

Although Scion’s lineup still has only three models (the xB, xD, and tC), sales have been down fairly significantly in recent months (2007 sales were down 24.8% compared to 2006, and are down 6.7% in the first two months of 2008 compared to the same period in 2007.

Initially, when Scion sales figures were comparing unfavorably to prior years, the brand’s management would attribute the drop to intentionally limiting supply to keep the brand “hip,” or to the new model changeover. The second excuse really never flew with me, knowing how brutally efficient Toyota production is. After all, they don’t let Toyota dealers run out of Camrys when a new model changeover occurs. More recently, however, Toyota executives have admitted that the launch of the two newest models, the second-generation xB and the new xD, was mishandled. In addition to that, I’d submit that those two vehicles are not meeting the requirements or desires of their buyers. The xB has become a larger, heavier, less efficient vehicle, yet has similar interior volume to the old model (albeit better crash test scores). In other words, they’re almost trying too hard. Keep that previous sentence in your mind for a moment.

According to Jack Hollis, vice president at Scion, the brand’s lineup size could conceivably double to six models in the coming years. The three existing models will probably remain in the lineup for the foreseeable future, but with expectations of flat sales (Hollis hopes to maintain a combined sales figure of about 130,000 units for those three models, similar to what they sold in 2007, but below the 173,000 sold in 2006). Additional models under consideration officially includes any “youthful” Toyota product sold anywhere in the world that could be federalized to meet US standards and buyer expectations. Models under consideration would need to have the potential to reach either 20,000 to 25,000 units, or 40,000 to 50,000 units – similar to what each model manages currently.

Back to the topic of trying too hard to be different and hip, I prsent the most recent concept car that Scion displayed, the Hako coupe. The Hako could be one of those future products. If it ever reaches production (and let’s cross our fingers that the gods of good taste strike down the idea before that ever happens), and if a production version kept the completely ridiculous vertical windshield and A-pillars, I don’t see Scion setting any sales records. Perhaps I’m too old to understand Scion, but I almost feel as if Toyota is intentionally making the new models hideous just to be “different” and to see what they can get away with. Now, if you put your thumb over the windshield in the above photo and imagine that it has a “normal” one, the Hako goes from being ludicrous to only being unattractive. Aside from the windshield, it would almost make a better xB than the actual xB did, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Scion’s product planners trying much, much harder to capture the essence of the original xB when they go back to the drawing board for the third generation. Reminding consumers of the original xB was probably part of the reason for the Hako concept.

Another rumored possibility for Scion is that a vehicle similar to the Toyota A-BAT pickup (shown in Detroit this past January in concept form) could be a Scion when it becomes production vehicle. It seems to be a reasonable guess, since it’s small and efficient, as Scions used to be, with some fun, youthful touches. The other possibility for a production A-BAT in my mind is to call it the Prius A-BAT if the rumors of an entire lineup of Priuses ever come to fruition.

Regardless of what models are chosen – a small convertible and a non-pickup hybrid are other possibilities – it will have to be easily customizable by owners, with a wide array of accessories and performance parts available from the start at dealers. Let’s hope that Scion can get their new models to look good, and that they don’t ruin the handsome, yet somewhat dated clean shape of the tC when it’s restyled in the coming years.

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By Andy Bannister

03.27.2008

Big French cars typically don’t sell well outside Francophone countries so Citroen is looking east of the Rhine for help in selling its newest model, the C5.

A sumptuous movie and TV commercial now airing in the UK hammers home the message that Citroën’s latest saloon is at least as good as good as its German competitors. It does so by featuring the new C5 in a series of cliché Teutonic settings to the sound of Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries.

Citroën is deadly serious about wanting to change the way its cars are perceived, and is using humour to get across this message. The commercial features every ludicrously stereotypical German scene imaginable, from a swashbuckling duel outside a snowy gothic castle to a traditional Bavarian hofbräuhaus.

At the end of an autobahn trip the 60-second film climaxes with the car’s enraptured blond-haired male driver alighting at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin to the slogan: “Unmistakably German. Made in France”, voiced over in a German accent.

Perhaps it says something about how secure modern Europeans feel about leaving recent history behind that such nationalistic German images can be used in a tongue-in-cheek way to sell a French car.

The C5 itself looks solid and impressive in a way its predecessor of the same name never was. The old C5 had peculiarly bland styling which made it look ungainly from almost every angle. Inside it was roomy but not particularly well screwed together, and suffered badly from that bane which seems to haunt larger French cars – steep depreciation.

The new car seems a far more attractive, even sporty, proposition, with a distinctive glasshouse. Diesel engines are king in Europe, and the C5 has no less than four units to choose from, the largest being a 201bhp 3.0-litre V6.

Its chief homegrown competitors are the Renault Laguna and Peugeot 407, with other Euro rivals including the Ford Mondeo, VW Passat and Opel Vectra. Citroën also wants to steal back some sales from the premium automakers who have gobbled up market share in recent years, so are hoping to tempt a few BMW, Audi and Mercedes buyers back into a French car, pitching a quality product with plenty of equipment at a competitive price.

Will it succeed? It is certainly an attention-grabbing idea and a world away from the dull commercials many manufacturers rely on. How many buyers sign on the dotted line and drive off in a new C5, though, remains to be seen.

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By Brendan Moore

03.26.2008

Fiat is engaging in what can only be described as the speed-dating version of automotive joint venture activity, as they are energetically and simultaneously talking with Ford, BMW, Tata and Chrysler about either manufacturing capacity and/or sales networks in the United States.

Fiat wants to sell all of their brands again in North America, as opposed to just their very successful high-end sports cars – Maserati and Ferrari. In order to make money selling their less-expensive brands, Fiat has decided it will soon (2011 is the preferred date) need to start producing those cars in the United States; specifically Alfa Romeos and Fiat 500 models.

Therefore, Fiat is looking like mad for a partner with some extra production capacity that could manufacture Alfa Romeo models and the single Fiat 500 model on Fiat’s behalf. Both Ford and Chrysler have unused production capacity in spades. BMW is not in the same position of having spare production capacity as the domestic makes, but conceivably might have enough extra capacity to squeeze out the small production runs Fiat would require in the short-term. So the dating game has begun.

How does Tata fit into this? Well, Tata owns Jaguar and Land Rover as of this morning, and Fiat is thinking about having Tata churn out some premium rear-wheel-drive cars for Alfa Romeo, as well as possibly piggy-backing on the Jaguar dealer network in the U.S. and Canada in order to retail the Alfa Romeo cars without having to go through the expense, time and bother of setting up their own dealer network.

“I think I would be more than pleased to collaborate with Tata in terms of Jaguar/ Range Rover, if in fact it ends up being owned by them,” Sergio Marchionne, Fiat’s chief executive, told the Financial Times when asked about this possibility.

Pretty heady stuff for Tata. Welcome to the big leagues, guys.

On the U.S. manufacturing front, it’s a pretty safe bet that Ford would be very interested in keeping some of their production capacity running and would be amenable to a deal. Chrysler would be just as interested in reducing idle production capacity, but may not be as interested in partnering with Fiat. BMW? Well, their current production ability is pretty much spoken for, but their interest in doing a deal with Fiat may still be considerable for more strategic reasons.

This should be well worth watching.
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