Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne was spilling the beans about everything that was going on at Chrysler at the 2011 North American International Auto Show. According to Automotive News, Marchionne spoke about a whole host of new developments designed to turn the ailing Chrysler brand around by producing automobiles that customers want because of their desirability, not because of their cost. The resurrection of a seven-passenger Jeep Grand Wagoneer is due out for 2013, as is a hybrid version of the redesigned Chrysler 300 and an all new Jeep based pickup truck. New transmissions providing enhanced fuel economy will also be offered. A nine-speed transmission will be utilized in new front-wheel drive vehicles, with an eight-speed unit finding its way into rear drive sedans such as the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger. Both transmission are designed by ZF Friedrichshafen AG. There will also be a replacement for the Dodge Nitro/Jeep Liberty and the mid-sized Dodge Caliber. The long and short of it is that Sergio Marchionne has a mission to resurrect Chrysler back to its former status as a world leader in automotive production.

Source: AutomotiveNews

Porsche's 918 RSR. Image: Porsche AG

I’ve been a subscriber to AutoWeek for a long long time; in fact, I subscribed back in the day when they were a weekly publication and actually had a staff of writers, not just interns and freelancers. As print mags go, they’re still among the better ones, but that may be damning by faint praise. I no longer take their reviews as gospel, but they’re generally accurate enough to be credible.

To a manufacturer, however, awards from print magazines are still heady stuff. It gives them bragging rights, for one, and something to use in future ad campaigns. The awards look nice in the trophy case, and the trickle down effect does indeed get subscribers into car showrooms. In 2011, AutoWeek editors handed out awards in four categories: Best In Show, Best Concept, Most Significant and Most Fun. Here are the cars they awarded them to:

Best In Show: Porsche 918 RSR Concept

Image: Porsche AG

Best Concept: Ford Vertrek

The Vertrek beat out the Honda Civic Coupe, the Mini Paceman, the GMC Sierra All Terrain HD and the Toyota Prius c.

Most Significant: Chrysler 300

Image: Chrysler

Most Fun: BMW 1 Series M Coupe

Image: BMW

Call me cynical, but I’d expect an increase in Porsche, BMW Chrysler and Ford ads in the coming issues, with a corresponding decrease in GM ads, Hyundai ads and Mini ads.

Source: Autoweek

Audi unveils the A6 Hybrid in Detroit. Image: Audi of America

I like Audi and I love the styling of the new A6, but I cannot imagine why they thought it was necessary to build a hybrid version of their midsize luxury sedan. Audi, if you recall, promised to bring a diesel variant of all their cars to this side of the pond in the coming years. Speaking for most enthusiasts (the type of buyers that Audi is likely to attract), I’d much rather have a clean, fuel efficient diesel than an expensive, heavy and needlessly complex hybrid.

Audi’s A6 Hybrid was designed for the U.S. market, which tells me they needed a stop-gap car to boost CAFE until their range of diesels could be EPA certified. The A6 Hybrid comes only in FWD flavor (strike 1), and uses Audi’s 2.0 liter TFSI four cylinder engine as a starting point. That’s a good enough motor for the TT or the A3, but moving a car with the A6’s mass takes more than 208 horsepower if you want to maintain a sporting image. Sure, the electric motor adds 45 horsepower and 155 ft lb of torque, but the A6 Hybrid also needs to overcome the weight of the motor, the batteries and the controller.

Audi says the A6 Hybrid can run on battery power alone up to 62 miles per hour. Getting there requires hard acceleration, since the batteries will be depleted from a full charge in 2.86 miles. On the plus side, the A6 Hybrid does return 38 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving, so at least you’ll be saving money on the monthly fuel bill. Personally, I’d wait for the TDI versions to grace our shores. They’ll be simpler (and hence, less expensive) to maintain, they’ll have no battery packs to wear down and they’ll get comparable (or better) fuel economy. If my previous experience with VW/Audi TDI models is any indication, they’ll be plenty entertaining to drive as well.

Source: Autoblog

Hyundai's Curb concept. Image: Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai doesn’t want you calling the Curb a crossover. It’s not a compact SUV, either, nor is it a multipurpose utility vehicle. Hyundai defines the Curb as a Compact UAV, or Urban Activity Vehicle; in other words, it’s meant to survive potholes and nightclub parking lots, not mud pits and Class III trails. It also isn’t aimed at the traditional SUV or crossover audience; instead, Hyundai has designed the Curb solely for Generation Y, a group generally more concerned with social interaction than with driving or car ownership.

Image: Hyundai Motor America

Designed in California, the Curb’s wrap-around glass was inspired by the faceshield of a motorcycle helmet. It’s also designed to give better peripheral vision, something critical for driving in a crowded urban environment, unless you don’t care about trading paint with fellow motorists. The Curb is built to carry passengers or cargo, depending upon owners needs: the exhaust vents, for example, pop out to reveal a built in bike rack. The roof contains pop-up roof rack towers, enabling owners to quickly add a ski rack or cargo pod. Since the headrests are built into the roof, the seats fold flat for maximum cargo capacity. The rear hatch features a clamshell design for cargo loading, and the Curb uses the same “third door” layout as the Veloster for easy passenger access.

Image: Hyundai Motor America

Inside, the Curb boasts “Empowered Connectivity”. A large acrylic screen shares information between driver and passengers, and the steering wheel itself features a built in monitor to provide the driver with data. A heads up display on the windshield is used to show navigation and mapping information. Rearview mirrors are replaced by cameras, and a real time image of surrounding traffic is projected on the heads up display. The central display can also be used to show album cover art or vehicle diagnostics; it can even be used as a video phone. The Curb showcases Hyundai’s Blue Link technology, including Location Sharing, which broadcasts your location to members of your social network. If you’re stepping out on your girlfriend, you may want to make sure this particular feature is disabled.

For now, the Curb is just a concept vehicle, but that’s how the Veloster started life as well. If there’s sufficient interest, chances are good that Hyundai could put the Curb into production within a few years time.

Source: Hyundai Motor America

In the past, Chrysler’s Jeep brand has been known to do some experimenting by integrating pickup trucks into their lineup. In 1962 they released a truck known as the Gladiator, which was basically a big Wagoneer sans the two rear doors and rear passenger compartment. Then in 1986 they took another stab with the Jeep Comanche. This was again, based on Jeep’s then XJ class Cherokee and was offered with either a six or seven foot bed. By far the most successful of the two offerings, the XJ went on to a six-year production run that eventually ended in 1992. Now it seems that Jeep is going to give it another shot, and that shot may look a lot like the Gladiator concept you see here.

At a discussion with journalists at the North American International Auto Show, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne stated that, “I like that vehicle. I liked it the first day I saw it. There’s a better than 50 percent chance that you’ll get one. Regardless of what Ram says. They’re totally peeved off at the fact that we’re going to have anything that looks like a pickup truck with a Jeep badge on it. I actually think that there’s space for it.” Keep in mind though that Marchionne isn’t calling this a pickup truck in as much as he’s calling it a “multipurpose vehicle”. Honestly, we don’t care what he calls it as long as they build it, as the Gladiator Concept is a pretty bad-ass machine as far as we’re concerned.

Source: PickupTrucks.com

Now here’s some great news for those of us who were kids in the 1970′s and 1980′s. The Jeep Grand Wagoneer, an SUV icon, is apparently going to be resurrected by Chrysler in January of 2013 according to Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne. For those under 40, the Jeep Grand Wagoneer was likely the first real SUV many of us had ever seen. Released back in the mid-1960′s, the Grand Wagoneer was the first American made truck that provided consumers with a combination of luxury, seating for five and true off-road capabilities. The nameplate has been lying dormant since the big Jeep when out of production in 1993, so to see it being revived is actually quite nostalgic. “>Automotive News is reporting that new the Grand Wagoneer will be built on the same platform as the new 7-passenger 2011 Dodge Durango. At the North American International Auto Show this week, CEO Marchionne stated, “It’s time we gave the market an upper-scale Grand Wagoneer,” – something that we here at Ridelust totally agree with.

Source: AutoNews.com

Ford's Vertrk concept; don't call it the new Escape yet. Image: Ford Motor Company

Now that Ford has completely re-designed the Explorer, it’s time for them to turn their attention to the compact SUV market. Rumors have been flying that the next Escape would be based on the EU’s Kuga; the two vehicles were remarkably similar in size and capability, so making the Kuga a global platform seemed to make good economic sense. This “good enough” thinking may have been how Ford operated in years past, but it’s not how Ford operates today. One of the more interesting concepts debuted at the NAIAS was Ford’s Vertrek concept, which may be used to replace both the aging Escape and the relatively new Kuga.

Image: Ford Motor Company

Ford is being remarkably coy about the Vertrek, calling it a “concept vehicle” but releasing spec sheets comparing it to both the Escape and the Kuga. They’ve even gone so far as to speculate on engine options for both the U.S. (1.6 liter EcoBoost, 2.0 liter EcoBoost or 2.5 liter inline 4) and EU markets (1.6 liter EcoBoost or 2.0 liter Duratorq diesel), so I’m guessing that the Vertrek is quite a bit more than a design study. Compared to the current Escape, it’s a whole lot better looking, it’s got a longer wheelbase, it’s wider and it’s lower; in other words, it’ll handle more like a car than a truck while carrying more passengers and cargo in greater comfort.

Image: Ford Motor Company

Ford is highlighting the use of Auto Start-Stop on the Vertrek, which will reduce both emissions and overall fuel consumption. Auto Start-Stop places more of a demand on components such as the battery and the starter, but Ford has taken steps to address potential issues. Like a hybrid, the Vertrek will use regenerative braking to boost alternator output and ensure a proper level of battery charge. The system also has a failsafe to disable the Auto Start-Stop feature should the battery’s state of charge drop below a prescribed minimum.

As of late Mini has been charging hard with models like the new 2011 Countryman and Clubman. These vehicles have slowly been extending Mini’s market range and have opened them up to new consumers who may have otherwise bypassed the brand due to its small sized automobiles. Mini categorizes the Paceman as a “Sports Activity Coupe”, which basically means they cut two doors off the Countryman and renamed it. It’s good looking and sporty enough, and by building it Mini will have basically found away to inflate the original Mini Cooper into more of a grown-up / masculine package. To cope with the Paceman’s weight, Mini has decided to drop in the 211 hp / 192 lb-ft of torque turbocharged 4-cylinder mill out of their own JCW edition. In my opinion, this should be just enough engine to get its estimated 3,200 lb + weight up and moving.

*Photo Credit: MotorAuthority

I’ll give Mini credit for developing the Paceman Concept, as I think it’s the first real Mini that appeals to men. It has an aggressive feel, all-wheel drive capabilities, can be had with a traditional six-speed manual gearbox and looks the business as well. It’s also one of the first crossover vehicles, from any manufacturer that actually looks really good. So now the question is, will they build it? My guess is absolutely, especially after all the positive feedback they’ve been getting.

Hyundai's 2012 Veloster. Image: Hyundai Motor America

Fuel efficient cars are boring, coupes have two doors and affordable cars don’t come with luxury features, or so the gospel of the automobile has been written for generations. Hyundai wants you to re-think all of that, since their soon-to-be-on-sale Veloster contradicts all of those edicts. It gets 40 MPG on the highway, but its curb weight of less than 2,600 pounds, dual clutch gearbox and 138 horsepower direct-injection engine assures you that it won’t be boring. It’s a coupe, but it actually has a third door on the passenger side for easier entry and exit from the back seat. It’s got a starting price of around $17,000, yet it comes with a seven inch touch-screen infotainment display, Pandora radio (linked to an owner’s smartphone), Blue Link and Bluetooth phone integration. A Dimension Premium Audio system is an available option, as is navigation and a rearview camera. That doesn’t sound like an economy car to me.

The Veloster's third door. Image: Hyundai Motor America

Image: Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai is clear that Veloster is aimed at Generation Y, and they’re equally clear that they intend to pirate sales away from the Honda CR-Z, the Mini Cooper and the Scion tC. On paper, the Veloster beats these competitors in most categories, including interior volume, front headroom, front legroom and front shoulder room. It loses to the Scion in terms of horsepower, but it easily beats the Honda and the base model Minis. If safety is your primary concern, the Veloster comes with Hyundai’s Vehicle Stability Management system, which combines Electronic Stability Control with Electric Power Steering to combat torque steer and vehicle yaw. It’s got ABS, but it also includes Brake Assist, which provides maximum braking effort when a panic stop is detected and Electronic Brake-force Distribution, which adjusts braking front to rear depending upon vehicle load. It’s also got six airbags, just in case you feel the need to push the boundaries of physics to their absolute limits.

Source: Hyundai Motor America

For the last 6 months or so news, photo’s and specs on BMW’s new strudel-rocket, the 1 Series M Coupe, has been filtering down through the internet. Its 340 hp twin-turbo 6-cylinder and 6-speed manual transmission means that the car will be quick. It should also handle like a rock star due to all the tweaking from BMW’s M division. Now, after much speculation, we also have some pricing. BMW has formerly announced that pricing for the 1 Series M Coupe will start at $47,010. This puts it on par with sports cars like the Porsche Boxster and Audi’s TTS Coupe. Right now I think BMW enthusiasts everywhere are just waiting to see the reviews in the hopes that the little 1 Series M Coupe trumps the competition.

According to BMW, the 1 Series M Coupe is

“Essentially a BMW M3 chassis with Competition Package packed into a modified 1 Series body, the 1 Series M Coupe is one of the fastest, most remarkable M vehicles ever built. It features one of the most powerful inline-6 engines BMW has ever built, massive brakes, and a very wide footprint for maximum agility and stability in the spirit of the original BMW M3, which was a race-ready homologation special.”

Source: BMW