* VW Tiguan a performer. The 2009 Tiguan is Volkswagen's first compact crossover SUV and is based on the Mk5 Golf model. Its sharp design features include an 18-degree front end, dual exhaust tips, chrome roof rail (two models), bi-Xenon headlamps (top model), fog lamps (two models) sleek external lines, and alloy wheels (16-, 17- and 18-inch depending on model).
A 4-motion four-wheel-drive system is standard, and in North America the Tiguan is equipped with a 2.0-liter gas engine that produces 200 HP (diesel engines are available in some markets).
Available in three models (S, SE, SEL), the Tiguan starts at just over $23,000 and offers plenty of standard features including ABS and stability control. It has a towing capacity of 2,200 pounds and the cargo space, with rear seats down, is 56.1 cubic feet.
We have test driven this unit and found it to be well-designed and very maneuverable. The handling aspects were amazing, and the Tiguan offered exceptional comfort and usability. EPA fuel estimates are 19 MPG/city and 26 MPG/highway.
A Tiguan HyMotion hydrogen fuel-cell concept model is being developed that will operate in conjunction with an electric motor and produce 107 HP.
* Bob Lutz lunches with journalists. Bob Lutz, vice chairman of General Motors and its global product planning chief, spoke about GM and its products with two dozen automotive journalists recently at a lunch in Seattle. He said GM is attempting to rid itself of vehicle duplication; will drastically enhance the electrification of vehicles; and will offer an expanded lineup of hybrid, fuel-cell, and other alternative-fuel vehicles in coming years. 
Lutz said that heavy-duty vehicles will most likely remain diesel-powered but that electric vehicles from GM will abound. He said a Saturn VUE electric plug-in model is coming and that lithium-ion battery architecture will be vastly improved. He added that the 100-vehicle test of the Chevrolet Equinox fuel-cell units is going well and that diesel offerings will continue to be vital to GM offerings.
While the North American market is struggling, Lutz said that global sales of GM products, including in China, are brisk and that new models are being introduced worldwide. Some of the smaller, fuel-efficient models being produced will most likely not come to U.S. market due to emissions requirements, he said.
* Toyota offers first crossover sedan. The 2009 Toyota Venza will be introduced to the North American market later this year and will compete with the Ford Edge, Nissan Murano, and Mazda CX-7. It is equipped with either a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine or an available 3.5-liter V-6 that produces 268 HP. Both are mated to a six-speed sequential-shift automatic transmission.
Targeted for the North American market, the Venza was primarily engineered at the Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor, Mich.
"The all-new Venza was developed as a vehicle that combines the styling, comfort, and fun-to-drive performance elements of a five-passenger sedan with the surprising utility of an SUV," said Bob Carter, Toyota Division group vice president.
The Venza has a distinctive grille, fog lamps, and sleek and sporty styling. An optional panoramic roof features two separate glass panels over the front and rear seats with a power tilt/slide function on the front panel.
The V-6 version will be equipped with 20-inch tires (19-inch on the four cylinder) mounted on alloy wheels. Towing capacity is 3,500 pounds.
* Amazing fuel economy with fuel cell. Pro Motors Group Corp. recently announced the results of several performance-based tests conducted after the installation of a Hydrogen Assist Fuel Cell (HAFC) in a 2006 Ford Fusion. Prior to the installation of the unit, the Fusion received 25-28 MPG/highway. Following the installation of the HAFC, the car averaged 65-67 MPG/highway.
Pro Motors said its HFAC is available for most vehicles and that future green technology is being developed.
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