Sleuth: the Week of April 25

Hot off the press!

A Lexus Prius?: With the success and popularity of the Toyota Prius, it should come as no surprise that the Japanese automaker is planning a hybrid-only vehicle (with no gasoline-engine variation as is the case with other Lexus gas/electric hybrid vehicles) for its Lexus premium brand. What might come as a bit of a shock is that Lexus is planning to essentially rebadge the Prius as a Lexus model. According to Japan’s MagX magazine, Lexus is planning to introduce the yet-to-be-named model in late 2010 or early 2011. The vehicle will have the Prius’s distinct overall shape but will have styling that is unmistakably Lexus. Look for plenty of luxury amenities and, of course, a higher price tag.

Topping out the Z4 with new options: These days, automakers are willing to offer all kinds of options to buyers. BMW, for example, Instead of only offering a retractable hardtop version of its next Z4 roadster, will design separate hard- and soft-top models for the 2010 model year. The German automaker will also make a diesel engine part of the decision-making process, which falls in line with the quest for greater fuel efficiency and should make those stoplight-to-stoplight rides a little more interesting. Oh, yes, the Sleuth likes his torque!

Saab 9-4X is Saab’s first dedicated sport ute: The Sleuth’s European spies have spotted Saab’s newest sport utility vehicle on the roads around Germany and it means exciting things for the Swedish brand. The Sleuth first saw a preview for the upcoming tall wagon in the form of the 9-4X BioPower Concept at the Geneva, Switzerland, auto show last year. The Sleuth hears that the road-going version won’t deviate too much from that show car. The 9-4X is being developed under the codename GMT168 and should come to market by the 2010 model year. As previously reported by your faithful gumshoe, the 9-4X will share its basic chassis and suspension layout with the upcoming Cadillac BRX and will be produced in Mexico. Both companies are subsidiaries of General Motors. Unlike the current 9-7X, the 9-4X will be sold worldwide. The 9-4X is essentially Saab’s first true sport ute and will replace the 9-7X, which has been on the market since 2005 and is built on the Chevrolet Trailblazer platform.

Mercedes-Benz thinks Green . . . at just about any cost: While some automakers are moving slowly into the Green technology zone, look for Mercedes-Benz to dive in head-first with high-dollar investments in hybrid gas/electric and hydrogen fuel-cell technology, said Chief Executive Officer Dieter Zetsche. High costs won’t stop M-B from offering new technology. Zetsche told Motor Trend magazine that Mercedes will not transfer development costs to the buyer, meaning it will absorb most of the investment. Zetsche also said the Diesotto engine that debuted in the company’s F700 concept is making significant progress. Zetsche says that despite having only four cylinders, the powerplant offers similar performance to the company’s 3.5-liter gas V6. He says that Mercedes should be in the mass-production hydrogen fuel-cell business by 2014 or 2015.

Toyota, Subaru sports cars moving forward: Toyota’s investment in Subaru is about to get a lot more interesting. The two Japanese automakers are reportedly collaborating on bringing two affordable sports coupes to market. The most recent updates to the unofficial news has the cars — one with the Subaru logo, the other flying the Toyota flag — on the roads in Japan by 2010, and making its way to North America shortly thereafter. Final designs should be approved by July. The coupe is believed to be rear-wheel-drive. While the Subaru car will keep the company’s signature horizontally opposed engine, it will forego the equally synonymous all-wheel-drive system, mainly to keep costs down. A 2.5-liter engine is likely in North American cars with somewhere between 175 and 200 horsepower.

Market indicators

Hopes for Chinese manufacturers in North America: The Toronto Globe and Mail newspaper reports that the two largest Chinese-based automakers, Geely and Chery, are at least “several more years” away from launching an assault on the North American market. This confirms what the Sleuth unearthed last January during the Detroit Auto Show, where a senior bureaucrat with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that no Chinese company had submitted any of its products for safety-related scrutiny and approval. The Globe story went on to state that Chinese manufacturers are too busy satisfying the growing demand at home as well as supplying the less-safety-sensitive Middle East, Asian and European markets and are unwilling at this time to spend the millions of dollars needed to set up shop on our shores.

Ford Expectations: The company estimates that the new Flex, due to go on sale this summer, will be built at the rate of 100,000 units per year and Ford brass is confident it can sell every one it can build. Jim Farley, Ford’s group vice president of marketing and communications, said it is “absolutely” possible for the sales goal to be reached. With the new vehicle — and especially, fuel-thirsty truck and sport utility — market on a sales slide in 2008, Ford expects the wagon-like Flex to appeal to buyers considering big vehicles such as the Explorer and Expedition, but who want better fuel economy. New-car sales in 2008 are predicted to be slow and Ford is counting on new products such as the Flex, its Lincoln-brand MKS sedan and all-new F-150 to help the company through it, according to trade paper Automotive News.