Toyota talks powertrain plans

After trailing many of its competitors in the recent engine- and transmission-technology wars, Toyota Motor Corp. will launch a swath of powertrains in the next several years, a top powertrain r&d executive said. Koei Saga, senior managing officer in charge of drivetrain r&d, said that Toyota is investing heavily in turbocharged engines, larger displacement Atkinson cycle engines, continuously variable and fixed-gear automatic transmissions, and new hybrid and fuel cell technologies.

Audi plans expansion of hybrids, electrics

Audi plans a rapid expansion of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles over the next few years as a key component in Volkswagen Group's strategy to dominate the alternative-powertrain market by decade's end. Michael Dick, Audi's board member for technical development, told Automotive News that the next-generation A6 sedan will have the potential to be a full hybrid by the end of 2012. The A6 would join the recently introduced hybrid A8 sedan at the Geneva auto show and the soon-to-be-launched Q5 hybrid crossover.

Jaguar C-X16 (Jaguar XE) gets its own website

The Jaguar Future Website Are Jaguar serious about the Jaguar C-X16 Concept? If the launch of a new website detailing every bit of information they can cobble together is anything to go by, the answer is a very reassuring yes. As we wait for solid news on what exactly the Jaguar C-X16 will become for production - the XE badge is by no means a certainty, never mind whether it launches as a convertible too – Jaguar are busying themselves offering up every single morsel of information they can showcase on a new website devoted to the C-X16.