The Auto Sleuth

Chevy Impala likely to remain on front-drive platform: The whole world isn’t moving to rear-wheel-drive, after all. The Sleuth hears that Chevrolet parent General Motors is thinking of keeping the Impala as a front-driver for its 2010 redesign. The Sleuth once told you that it might move to a rear-drive platform, but the word is that government legislation around mandating better fuel economy in the United States might mean keeping front-wheel-drive. The Sleuth hears that using a rear-drive setup would increase weight due to a larger drivetrain and make the car less efficient, which would mean higher fuel consumption. Will other manufacturers remain with or go back to front-wheel-drive for the same reasons? Stay tuned.

Good luck finding a new Dodge Challenger: Plenty of auto enthusiasts became excited when Dodge said it was going to build the retro Challenger in 2008. Well, not that many will actually get their hands on one. The Challenger will begin its new life as a low-volume car. Chrysler, which operates the Dodge division, will likely only build about 5,000 units in the first year for the entire North American market. In contrast, General Motors is looking to build about 100,000 of the new Camaros — considered a direct challenger to the Challenger — next year, possibly learning from its Pontiac Solstice launch where delays and partial production caused as much buyer angst as delight. The reason for the low Challenger numbers? The Sleuth hears its because Dodge will only offer the high-performance 6.1-liter SRT version in 2008. Also, expect only an automatic transmission for the first year of production. More powertrain diversity and more units (possibly as many as 30,000) will follow in 2009.

Toyota’s Tundra branches out to include diesel HD models: Japanese automakers have proven they can compete in the full-size truck market, thanks to vehicles such as the Toyota Tundra. Now they are looking to take on the really big boys. The Sleuth hears that Toyota is seriously considering getting into the heavy-duty diesel truck market. The template: the Tundra Diesel Dually, a concept truck that was shown at the recent Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas, Nev. The new model shows just how quickly Toyota can get a big, bad truck up and running and challenge the top-selling Ford Super Duty, GM’s heavy-duty Silverado and Sierra and the Dodge Ram. Why should anyone care? This is a key segment for the Detroit BIg Three with high profit margins and lots of dollars spent per model.

Will adding a Prius wagon help Toyota crack the one-million-a-year-hybrid barrier?: Toyota plans to add a wagon version to its next-generation Prius gas/electric hybrid model line, the Sleuth’s sources in Japan report. The Japanese carmaker hopes that selling the Prius as a wagon as well as a sedan will help it reach its target of one million sales a year of hybrid gasoline-electric cars within 10 years. This year, Toyota expects to sell about 450,000 hybrid cars globally, including up-market Lexus models, up from 312,519 last year. Prius accounts for about 70 percent of all Toyota hybrid sales. A Toyota source said the carmaker is taking direct aim at fuel-conscious delivery companies with the wagon. Toyota will introduce its larger third-generation Prius sedan in Japan in the summer of 2009, company sources said. Sales in North America and Europe will follow shortly after. The wagon is due to go on sale starting in 2011.

Crowds expected the Audi A1 and got something a little different: Audi, which was expected to show its new A1 entry-premium car at the recent Tokyo motor show, surprised visitors by unveiling its Metroproject Quattro plug-in gas/electric hybrid concept, a study for the two-door small car that Audi plans to sell starting in 2009. Its body style hints at the looks and proportions of the A1, although it is not the final design, Audi sources said. The concept is powered by a 150-horsepower 1.4-liter gasoline engine that drives the front wheels. A small electric motor, the batteries for which can be recharged from any power socket, drives the rear wheels when required. With its stop-start system and brake energy regeneration, Audi says the concept uses just 4.9 liters of fuel per 100 kilometres travelled, the equivalent of about 48-50 m.p.g. The Sleuth hears that Audi will offer its A1 as both an electric and gas-powered vehicle when it arrives in 2009.

Market indicators

Centralized design for the world: News out of Ford recently is that J Mays will reorganize Ford Motor Co.’s design department as the automaker shifts to a single global design “language” for the Ford brand. “Everyone’s focus will be slightly shifted,” Mays, Ford’s group vice president of design and chief creative officer said in a recent interview. While the successor to current design language will be global, regional tailoring will be done, he said. Ford’s moves mimic what General Motors is doing with its Chevrolet, Opel and Saturn brands as well as what Volkswagen wants to do with its brands. So, global is in and unique is out? The Sleuth can never seem to keep the trends straight.

Model proliferation in Detroit: Chrysler’s decision to axe the Magnum wagon, Crossfire two-seater, Pacifica wagon and PT Cruiser convertible is a sign of the times in Detroit. Ford is also cutting back its lineup and rethinking its strategy on many of its vehicles. Last year it killed its minivans and General Motors is contemplating a slimmed down Chevrolet lineup that will help focus the brand. GM also killed its minivans last year. More Chrysler models will get the axe before Chrysler LLC Chief Executive Officer Bob Nardelli and his team are finished. A new wagon code-named JZ49 — Chrysler brand’s version the proposed version of the forthcoming Dodge Journey wagon — already might have been cut, the Sleuth hears. The Journey is to debut next spring in North America, but, apparently, is an example of the overlapping vehicles that Chrysler executives want to eliminate. A source familiar with Chrysler’s product plans says the automaker is considering more cuts, including the Dodge Caliber small car and Jeep Compass and Patriot small wagons.