VW Jetta Coupe Concept to Debut at Detroit Auto Show, Previews Sedan and Coupe Production Models

Those of you that are disgruntled with VW's decision to not bring the sexy Scirocco Coupe over to the States might find some comfort in the German firm's plans to stage the world debut of an all-new sporty coupe at next week's 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Called New Compact Coupe or NCC for short, the show car will give American consumers their first taste of an upcoming two-door coupe model that's based on the next generation Jetta four-door sedan and is destined primarily for the U.S. market.

Our sources tell us that the NCC concept is in fact an almost production-ready version of the Jetta Coupe though we're not sure if the German firm will actually use this name when the car is launched onto the market within the next year or so.

Similar in size with the current Jetta sedan, the two-door concept model will also showcase a new hybrid powertrain comprising of a small displacement four-cylinder TSI petrol unit and an electric motor that may find its way into the Jetta and the Golf in the very near future.

PS: Even though many car websites and blogs are claiming / assuming that the above drawing is / may be official, fact is, it's a julino billym sketch...

Alfa Romeo Milano / Giulietta Uncovered: Will Be Available with Five Engines Including a 235HP 1.7-Liter Turbo

We're still in the dark about the name and the presentation date of 147's replacement as according to reports, Alfa Romeo was forced to drop the Milano name and postpone today's unveiling at the very last moment due to a conflict with its Milan-based workers (details here). The same reports suggest that Alfa might use the Giulietta nametag instead. In any case, and until the Italians come out with official photos, here's what our inside sources confirmed to us about Alfa's sporty compact hatchback.

The Italian automaker's offering in the premium hatchback segment, which will most probably compete against the likes of the BMW 1-Series and Audi A3 as well as the more powerful versions of the Seat Leon 5d, will make its world debut at the Geneva Salon in March 2010.

European sales are scheduled to start in Spring of the same year.

Designed by the Fiat Group's 'Centro Stile Alfa Romeo', the new hatch measures 4,350mm in length, 1,460 mm in height and 1,800 mm in width featuring a wheelbase of 2,630mm. This means it is slightly longer, taller and wider than the current 147.

From what we were told, Alfa's five-door hatch will be available at launch with a total of four, 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol and diesel engines. These include the 1.4-liter TB and 1.4-liter TB Multiair petrols with 120HP and 170HP respectively, and the 1.6-liter JTDM and 2.0-liter JTDM diesels with 105HP and 170HP respectively.

Shortly after, the range will be complemented by the addition of a sporty "Quadrifoglio Verde" (four-leaf clover) version powered by Alfa's 1.7-liter (1,750cc) four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine delivering a notable 235 horsepower.

Photos via: Facebook

Tokyo '09: Toyota to Release First Photos of Subaru Co-Developed Rear-Wheel Drive Sports Coupe this Week

Toyota's version of the much anticipated rear-wheel drive sports coupe that the automaker is developing in conjunction with Subaru will make its world debut as a thinly-veiled concept car at this month's Tokyo Motor Show. And according to our well-placed sources, we're going to get our first glimpse of Toyota's affordable compact sports coupe sometime this week with the release of the first official photos and details.

For those of you wondering why we chose to 'decorate' the article with photos of Toyota's 2007 Detroit Show star, the FT-HS hybrid concept, that's because we've been informed by our source that the RWD Coupe prototype draws heavily upon the styling of that concept model.

But while the FT-HS featured a hybrid drivetrain built around a 3.5-liter V6, Toyota's compact coupe will get a front-mounted, 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer engine sourced from Subaru sending power to the rear-wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

If we are to take Subaru's official press release on the firm's 2009 Tokyo Motor Show offerings for granted, then we won't be seeing its version of the RWD coupe in Japan this month.

In a previous statement, the two automakers said that the sport coupes will share the same hardware (meaning the Subaru-sourced boxer engine, chassis, suspension etc), but each model will feature a distinct exterior design.

The market launch of both the Toyota and Subaru badged coupes are targeted for the end of 2011, with production set to take place at Subaru's new Gunma plant in Japan.

Even though Toyota has not made any official announcements on the matter, back in 2008, a reliable source here in the States told us that the company plans to sell its variant of the RWD coupe in the U.S. as a Scion essentially replacing the TC. The same source also informed us then that the iQ would head over to the States as a Scion, something that was confirmed with the presentation of the iQ Concept at this year's New York Auto Show in April.

However, bear in mind that these sort of decisions may change over time in response to the different demands of the market.

2007 Toyota FT-HS Hybrid Sports Coupe

Insider: VW's R32 Successor, the 270HP Golf R to get All-Wheel Drive after All

Earlier this week we told you that VW will take the wraps off the Golf R hot hatch at this month's Frankfurt Motor Show. We also said that while we knew that the sportiest Golf would use the Scirocco R's 2.0-liter turbocharged four with around 270 horsepower, we weren't sure if it would keep the GTI's front wheel drive setup or go for an all-wheel drive system like the R32 that it will replace. Well, we've just been tipped off by a credible source that, unlike the FWD Scirocco R, the Golf R will be equipped with a four-wheel drive system similar to the one featured on the Audi S3.

We can also tell you that the Golf R that will be available in both three- and five-door bodystyles hits the 100km/h (62mph) mark from standstill in 5.5 seconds when equipped with VW's dual clutch transmission and 5.7 seconds with the standard six-speed manual gearbox. More to come next week.

Seat to Tease Ibiza Sport Tourer with Concept Model at the Frankfurt Show

Seat is planning to take the wraps off a thinly disguised concept version of its forthcoming Ibiza Sport Tourer (ST) model at next week's Frankfurt Motor Show, julino billym has learned. The production model that will most likely be revealed at either the 2010 Geneva Salon in March or the Barcelona Show in May is expected to arrive at European dealerships in the second quarter of 2010. Earlier this year SEAT said that the Ibiza ST range will include a selection of engines that are not currently offered in the SC (three-door) and five-door hatchback models.

The third member of the Ibiza family will be produced at Seat's factory in Martorell Spain.

Ford's Seven-Seater MPV to be Named Grand C-MAX

It appears that Ford's marketing team took a liking to the naming system used by their French colleagues at Renault on the longer versions of the Scenic and Espace MPVs as according to julino billym sources, the seven-seater version of the all-new C-MAX will employ the 'Grand' moniker. While Ford has already published the first photos of the five-seater C-MAX, we'll have to wait a few more days for the Grand C-MAX that's also planned to make its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

In addition to being longer than the five-seat model, the Grand C-MAX also makes use of a pair of sliding doors at the rear to provide easier access to the two last rows of seats that can accommodate three and two passengers respectively.

The Grand C-MAX will be available with the same diesel and gasoline engine range with its five-seater sibling including Ford's brand-new 1.6-litre turbocharged direct-injection EcoBoost unit.

2010 Ford Grand C-MAX Spy Shots

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2010 Ford C-MAX