By Jens Meiners
Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners, but we simply call him . . . the Continental.
I skipped the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and decided to kick off 2013 with a real auto show: the unfortunately named North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Press events begin on Sunday, and the number of debuts confirms its role as the most important auto show on your turf. Among the many cars to be shown there, I am most curious about the 2014 Cadillac ELR. Not that I am a big fan of electrics—but I believe this Cadillac will be an extremely desirable vehicle, and not the least because of its styling.
Another interesting one is the 2014 Lexus IS sedan, which probably tries a bit too hard to be both sporty and original. The hourglass-shaped grille is has been dubbed the “Diablo grille” in Europe, but is referred to as a “spindle grille” in the US. Perhaps this is so god-fearing customers won’t be offended? We at Car and Driver, who started the Save the Manuals campaign, are offended by the fact that the manual transmission is history on the IS.
Hopefully Lexus will at least give us an adequate replacement for the awesome IS F, which—alongside the chubby and unimpressive IS convertible—carries on into 2014 on the outgoing IS platform. It’s possible that neither the IS F nor the convertible will get a direct replacement. Instead, Lexus is pondering a two-door coupe, similar to the LF-CC concept it showed off at last year’s Paris auto show. The coupe would be available with an ultra-powerful 5.0-liter V-8. Go for it, Lexus!
AMG is launching a number of fantastic cars this year. We know about the new compact A45 AMG hatchback and CLA45 AMG sedan, as well as the updated E63 AMG and the CLS63 AMG, which both will get a 4MATIC all-wheel drive system. It has been confirmed that all-wheel drive also will be standard on the AMG derivatives of the new S-class flagship.
Mass-Market News
Hyundai is launching its i30 coupe in Europe, the third i30 body variation after the five-door hatchback and station wagon. The i30 is a sister model of the Elantra GT you get in the U.S., but the three-door version isn’t headed for your shores. Hyundai’s got the i30 coupe’s lineup position covered by the larger Elantra coupe, which has a big trunk and classic two-door style. I like the compact i30 coupe better, but actually, it wouldn’t be so easy to adapt it to the U.S. market. Despite wearing nearly identical sheetmetal, underneath the European i30 is not as close to the five-door Elantra GT as one might think. It has a unique rear suspension and a very different engine portfolio, including several powerful diesels.
The new, entry-level Mitsubishi Mirage is launching in Europe with the name “Space Star.” The moniker was pulled from the brand’s past, where it adorned a less-than-glorious high-roof compact sold between 1998 and 2005. It was available with an advanced gas-fed, direct-injection engine that just about financially crippled Mitsubishi in its time. Otherwise, the Space Star was forgettable—just like the new car. The Mirage’s conservative styling takes the safe route, and it seems to signify an unfortunate trend. Nissan is following exactly the same strategy with its current Micra/March. The predecessors of both the small Mitsubishi and Nissan both had daring and interesting, if a little polarizing, styling.
Nissan has kicked off production of its Leaf electric vehicle in Smyrna, Tennessee; shortly, it will be made in Europe as well. Production capacity in Smyrna is 150,000 units annually for the Leaf alone. Contrast that with the EV’s sales figures, which have kept a safe distance (on the low side) from the 10,000-unit mark both in 2011 and 2012. Let’s hope Nissan doesn’t choke on all of that production capacity, which is bound to go mostly unused unless sales of the range-deprived Leaf take off like a rocket. Quite honestly, I couldn’t think of a reason why they would.
Renault is launching a new, small crossover called Captur and based on the Renault/Nissan B-segment platform shared with the Nissan Cube and Juke. The Captur is even smaller, and arguably better-looking, than the tiny Buick Encore.
Let’s Divorce
A long-standing cooperation between Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen could come to an end. Since 1996, Volkswagen has been rebadging Daimler’s Sprinter commercial van as the LT and later as the Crafter. But word in Germany is that Daimler wants to rejuvenate an old connection with MAN, the Munich-based truck maker which now belongs to the Volkswagen empire. As early as 1979, MAN and VW cooperated on a small truck based on the old Volkswagen LT; in fact, derivatives are still sold in South America as the VW Delivery and VW Worker. It looks like the Crafter’s replacement will be co-developed with MAN.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Car & Driver
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