Bolder Forester waits in Detroit wings

Gerry Malloy

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

An all-new, third-generation Subaru Forester, on sale this spring, will make its public debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit later this month.

The 2009 version of one of the original cross-over utility vehicles is said to project a bolder, more SUV-like design and make a major leap in safety technology, comfort, refinement and driving dynamics.

Built on an all-new platform, it will feature a 91 mm longer wheelbase (2,616 mm) and double-wishbone rear suspension.

The resultant benefits include improved crashworthiness, crisper handling, a quieter ride, and increased interior passenger and cargo room.

Side-curtain airbags with a rollover sensor, and a Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) stability and traction control system will be standard on all models.

Both normally aspirated and turbocharged/intercooled versions of Subaru's four-cylinder boxer engine will be offered

50TH ANNIVERSARY IMPALA

Chevrolet will offer a commemorative Impala 50th Anniversary Edition to mark the anniversary of the model, which made its debut in the 1958 model year.

Based on the Impala LT, the 50th Anniversary Edition will feature a black or red exterior, 50th Anniversary badges and seat embroidery, sport suspension, 18-inch alloy wheels, rear spoiler, two-tone leather-trimmed seats and other unique trim items.

CHRYSLER CONCEPTS GO ELECTRIC

Chrysler is expected to reveal three concept vehicles at the Detroit auto show, all of which will feature some form of electric drive, including plug-in hybrids.

The Chrysler ecoVoyager concept is a curvilinear one-box design that looks like an aerodynamic crossover vehicle. Chrysler says it celebrates "the romance of automobile travel embodied in a four-door, four-passenger, distinctively-American design."

A fuel cell acts as a range extender for its battery-pack, permitting travel distances of up to 500 km, and a 200-kW electric motor will theoretically provide 0-to-100 km/h acceleration in the eight-second range.

Jeep's Renegade concept is a little two-seater, not much bigger than a Mini, but with all the characteristic Jeep attributes. Capable of travelling up to 60 km on electricity alone, it employs a small-displacement Bluetec diesel engine for recharging and to provide additional range.

The Dodge ZEO is a four-passenger, 2+2 sport-wagon, with a long hood, rearward cabin, and huge 23-inch wheels. Chrysler calls it a "new, responsible breed of muscle car for the 21st Century."

A pure electric vehicle, with a larger battery pack than the other two, it is projected to achieve a 400 km driving range and provide 0-to-100 km/h acceleration in the six-second range.

The Detroit auto show, where they will be shown, opens to the public on Jan. 18.

SQUBA FULFILLS BOND FANTASY

One of the traditional features of the Geneva auto show, which takes place in March, is the introduction of an envelope-stretching concept car from the Swiss auto-design house, Rinspeed. But this year's offering may be better described as envelope-bursting.

Called the sQuba, it is billed as the "world's first real driving car with zero emission power."

Like the amphibious Lotus of James Bond movie fame (The Spy Who Loved Me), which was a product of animation, the sQuba is said to be capable of driving not only on roads but underwater, to a depth of 10 metres.

Thirty years after the movie, "this film sequence materializes and becomes reality in today's world," says Rinspeed boss Frank Rinderknecht.

An electric motor drives the rear wheels, while two stern propellers and two jet drives in the bow provide propulsion in the water.

The car's streamlined, lightweight body features components made of futuristic carbon nano-tubes. The driver and passenger are supplied with fresh air while under water by a self-contained on-board air supply.

TOYOTA DOES AN OUTBACK

Toyota will unveil a new crossover sedan to be called the Venza at the Detroit auto show next month.

Said to be "a unique blend of sedan and sport utility vehicle, offering seating for five, easy ingress and egress, a car-like ride and functional utility," it sounds very much like a Subaru Outback sedan in concept.

It is not a concept car, however. It is scheduled for production as a 2009 model at Toyota's Georgetown, Kentucky assembly plant.

WORKS KIT FOR NEW MINI

Mini Canada has announced that a John Cooper Works tuning kit is now available for the new Mini Cooper S.

Designed specifically for the new-generation Cooper S with a manual transmission, it boosts the output of the turbocharged 1.6-litre engine from 172 to 189 hp.

Torque gets a bump from 177 to 185 lb.-ft., over the range from 1750 and 5000 rpm. And in combination with the Mini's standard overboost function, it can reach a temporary peak of up to 200 lb.-ft.

Compared to the previous generation Cooper S with JCW, the new model with the JCW Tuning kit is said to cut 1.3 seconds off the 80-TO-120 km/h, sixth-gear acceleration time.

The John Cooper Works Tuning Kit has an MSRP of $2,342.50 plus installation labour, estimated to be about two hours.

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