The Auto Sleuth

New ownership, new Jag model to compete with Porsche: Word out of Detroit, Mich., around the recent North American International Auto Show, is that India-based Tata Motors is poised to take control of Jaguar. In fact, the moment could come very soon. But the big news the Sleuth has for you is that the new ownership will hold many amazing surprises. Word is that Tata will not only produce the all-new XF sedan (that replaces the S-Type) but also build an all-new coupe intended to compete with the Porsche 911. Jag used to build some amazing cars — the E Type comes to mind — but this would make the British nameplate a legitimate competitor again in high-end marketplace.

Volkswagen begins testing Scirocco: A few years ago, when it was announced that Germany’s largest volume automaker would produce a new sports car called the Scirocco (again), tongues wagged. Well, get ready to really wag. The 2009 sports car has been seen trolling around the hills of southern Germany for full-scale testing. The front end of the production car will closely match the concept that was shown two years ago by VW. Inside, there will be chrome-ringed air ducts on the exterior and a very appealing center console in red lights. Expect it to appear here (reports have suggested otherwise) in 2010.

Saturn keeps moving up: General Motors gave its Saturn brand a real boost when it began lacing it with Opel vehicles from Europe two years ago. GM owns both brands. The move seems to be paying off. The next large sedan will be dramatically different than the Saturn Aura version that was created from Opel’s Vectra. The next-gen car will have all-wheel-drive as an option, the Sleuth hears, and dramatic changes to the interior. Look for a gauge cluster that that will be highlighted by four chrome-ringed dials with more cleanliness and less plastic than we have ever seen in a Saturn. Chrome will accent the gear shifter and a standard LCD screen. It should arrive later this year as a 2009 model.

A4 - 2 doors = A5; A5 + 2 doors = ?: If subtracting two doors from the Audi A4 makes an A5, what does adding two doors to the A5 give you? Still an A5, apparently. According to the Sleuth moles, Audi is planning to launch a four-door A5 to join the growing segment of so-called four-door coupes. Inspired by the success of the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class, it seems every automaker wants to get in on the four-door “coupe” party. Audi’s parent company recently launched the Volkswagen Passat CC, Jaguar XF and BMW is working on its low-slung Gran Turismo. Audi’s car will be called the A5 Sportback and is expected to launch in early 2009.

High-performance diesels?: Mercedes-Benz’s AMG performance arm will soon launch a diesel-powered model, the Sleuth hears. The AMG brand has only produced one diesel-powered vehicle before — the C 30 CDI AMG — but with stricter emissions standards being enacted worldwide, Mercedes is looking for ways to make its performance division a green leader. Although German automakers have a great amount of experience with diesel powerplants, the idea of diesel supercars is still relatively new. Audi was the first company to pioneer a diesel-power race car with the successful R10 and followed up with its V12 TDI R8 concept shown at January’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Mich.

Market indicators

More diesels at General Motors: So, you think all manufacturers are looking to add more diesel models? Not General Motors. Despite rising fuel prices and stricter emissions standards, GM is not expecting widespread demand for diesels in the United States, its prime market, in the coming years. Several German automakers are banking on the acceptance of diesel-powered cars here, but GM will continue to develop its diesels mainly for overseas markets. “Frankly in the United States, with diesel fuel the same price as gasoline, I don’t think that many Americans are going to pay a $3,000 or $4,000 premium for a modern diesel engine,” GM Chairman Bob Lutz apparently told The Car Connection Web site. Instead, Lutz says that ethanol-powered vehicles are a much better solution. “Nothing we can do in the next five or 10 years gets even close to that kind of impact,” he said. The only snag, at least in the Sleuth’s eyes, is that ethanol production is affected by weather (since it begins as a farm crop) and that typical production-based ethanol-powered vehicles usually don’t have the power or fuel-economy performance of diesels.

Small pickup trucks: With rising fuel prices and growing environmental concerns, most automakers are beginning to offer more compact cars, smaller engines, and new tall wagons. One segment that hasn’t seen too much downsizing so far is the pickup market. But that might be about to change, says Chrysler’s Jim Press. Back in January at a roundtable meeting with journalists, Press said he sees an emerging market for “very small, very fuel efficient” pickups. If Press gets his way, might we see just such a vehicle in the coming years? With Generals Motors expected to reveal a car-based GMC pickup concept and an El Camino-like Pontiac model in March, Press is probably right on the money.