Autoblog

The rendering specialists at AutoBild have come up with images of the next Passat. It gets a bit more character in the twin swage lines running down the side of the body, a feature that is looking like the next big design thing. The front end continues the tripartite bumper design VW has recently taken up, but swaps the giant headlamps for some sleek, stylized numbers reminiscent of Audi.

We aren't sure about the sedan design. It looks like it could be a contender with character... or it could be a sedan just trying to be fancy. The wagon, however, looks pretty sexy. We'll know when we see it in the flesh, but the Passat CC is probably a good indicator in the mean time, so if you like that, then you'll probably like this.

[Source: AutoBild via German Car Blog]

It is, of course, no secret that we here at Autoblog like our horsepower. But what we like even more than that is good automotive sense and a great driving experience. And if we're honest with ourselves, we can admit that those don't always require a 580-hp V10.

Audi appears to feel the same way when it comes to the next S4. For the next generation model due in 2010, Audi doesn't plan to boost the output of the current model's V8. Instead, a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 is supposed to be pulling this mule caught lapping the 'Ring in Germany.

Autocar's sources say that Audi wants the next car to be lighter and get better gas mileage, and be able to compete with the BMW 335i. A more frugal car that can still do the business when asked and has better handling thanks to its lighter weight represents the kind of goal we can really get behind. To keep the S4 distinct from the next RS4 due in 2011, the top shelf super sedan is expected to keep its V8 lump.

[Source: Autocar]

Although the Volkswagen Group brands that sell in the United States (namely Volkswagen and Audi) tend to keep their respective platforms to themselves – almost to a fault – in foreign markets the German automaker rebadges and rebodies the same cars under several different labels. Skoda is one such brand, and its flagship sedan, called Superb, is due for replacement. And that's just what the Czech carmaker is preparing to unveil at the Geneva show next March.

What you see above is the second-generation Skoda Superb, based on the current (fifth-generation) Volkswagen Passat and stretched some. Details and additional pictures haven't yet been released, but Skoda promises it'll incorporate many "smart solutions", including an anticipated creative approach to the hatchbach-trunk debate.

[Source: Automotive News Europe - subscription required]

As long as BMW doesn't own Volvo, then the Swede is allowed to target the roundel's cars as competitors. Autocar reports that Volvo is shaking up the lowest two rungs on its sedan line to put more space between them, and to better compete with the 3 Series.

The smallest sedan, the S40, will be be made over from a 4-door sedan into a 5-door hatchback along the lines of the A3 and BMW 1-series. The very name S40 might also be sacrificed, changed instead to V40. The S60, instead of disappearing entirely, will get a longer wheelbase, a better interior, shared tech from the S80 and Mondeo, and a chassis that does a better job at challenging 3 Series dynamics. Part of that redesign, if the renderings are accurate, will be a flared three-section front bumper that is the new hotness in car design. Regarding the car's sporting aspirations, engineers are said to be battling accountants for funds to design a more sporting chassis. Engines for the S60 will include a 2-liter and 2.2-liter 4-cylinder diesels, the D5 5-cylinder diesels, as well as a 2-liter gas turbo.

It is claimed also that the Volvo logo will also be altered, losing the diagonal bar that spans the grill. Only the circle and arrow -- a stylization of the chemical symbol for iron -- will remain. All of these changes are slated to appear in 2009-10.

[Source: Autocar]

News of the next generation Pacifica being cancelled and the model dropped from Chrysler's lineup has come to us right out of the rumor mill, albeit from a source we trust. We're told that official word of the Pacifica's fate is forthcoming and could arrive as early as today.

The Pacifica was never the sales success that Chrysler hoped it would be, a fact that could be blamed on its lukewarm launch. Its sales were slow to gain momentum on account of the absence of a lower-priced base model, and when such a model was added it seemed too little too late. Talk to a Pacifica owner, however, and you're likely to find someone who is very satisfied with his or her choice of transportation. The big four-door wagon (oops, Chrysler hates it when you call it that) was a competent crossover before the term was cool, combining the all-wheel drive attributes of an SUV with the slicker shape of a traditional wagon, effectively offering a vehicle as useful as a minivan without the suburban stigma. Sales of the vehicle are off 10% year-to-date, with Chrysler managing to move 60,885 units through October. We'll keep our ears open all day today in case Chrysler makes this rumor an official act.

UPDATE: A piece just posted on the Detroit Free Press website corroborates what our source has told us about the next generation Pacifica, codenamed the CT, being cancelled. The DFP has word from several suppliers who told the paper they have been ordered by Chrysler to stop work on the project and even lay off associated contracted engineers and designers.