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Sleuth: Week of September 1

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Hot off the press!

Cadillac considers rear-drive four-cylinder model: General Motors’ luxury brand is about to step into some interesting territory. The Sleuth hears that Cadillac is developing a new four-cylinder, rear-wheel-drive sedan for launch in 2010. The final powertrain offerings for the new car remain up in the air, but a four-cylinder will definitely be part of the mix. The Sleuth’s moles report that there is still an internal debate within Cadillac if the new car should be available with a six-cylinder engine. Some argue that the typical Cadillac buyer isn’t willing to sacrifice power, even with high gas prices. Whatever powertrain offerings Cadillac decides to use, the new sedan will slot below the CTS and will likely draw second looks from BMW 1 Series shoppers.

Hyundai works on upping the size of the Genesis’s V8: So what if fuel prices are sky high and people aren’t buying big engines the way they used to. Hyundai doesn’t really seem to mind. The Korean automaker is preparing to launch its all-new Equus sedan in regions outside of North America, but it appears some of the big car’s parts will make it here in the Genesis sedan. Although the Genesis just launched with Hyundai’s new 4.6-liter V8, the automaker is reportedly working on a larger 5.0-liter version for our consumption. Hyundai has set an internal goal of 17/25 mpg city/highway — which matches the 4.6-liter Genesis — and is trying to achieve that goal through better fuel management systems. Once development is complete, the new engine will likely have between 400 and 420 horsepower.

What will Bugatti do after the Veyron?: The hottest supercar on the planet, the Bugatti Veyron, is slated to end its production run sometime around 2012, but that doesn’t mean Bugatti is ready to ride off into the sunset. The Sleuth hears the company is working on an all-new high-end model to fill the void when the Veyron leaves at the beginning of the next decade. Bugatti’s next car could be a four-door sedan intended to take on the best from Rolls-Royce. It would likely have a high focus on performance, but could ride on the same platform as the next-generation Bentley Arnage, which is scheduled to arrive in 2012.

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Mercedes-Benz new Gullwing might not wear a three-pointed star: Remember the gorgeous Gullwing Mercedes from the 1950s? The Sleuth has learned that Mercedes-Benz will call its new supercar the Gullwing, not the SLC as originally thought. Though an official name has not been announced, the Sleuth’s sources say that it will be a successor to the current SLR. It is also known that the car is being developed entirely by AMG, Mercedes’ performance division. According to British-based Car magazine, however, the Gullwing won’t be marketed under the Mercedes nameplate. Instead, it will become the first car to be sold exclusively under the AMG badge, forgoing any Mercedes labeling and possibly revealing a new direction at the German automaker.

Chrysler’s new design direction will be a bit rounder: With the recent appointment of Canadian design guru Ralph Gilles to vice president of design at Chrysler, a new design direction had to be expected. According to Gilles, who is largely responsible for the style of the Chrysler 300, the plan will involve moving the company away from “edge” designs, like the Dodge Caliber and Chrysler minivans and into more organic shapes and rounded exteriors. Given his former position as head of interior design for the automaker’s trucks and sport utility vehicles, Gilles told trade newspaper Automotive News that there will be significantly more focus on improving interior materials and execution. The 2009 Dodge Ram is an example of the future direction for Chrysler and the upcoming redesigned interiors of the 2009 Jeep Patriot and Compass are also expected to illustrate the new interior emphasis.

Market indicators

Commodity prices affecting the price of vehicles: First the Sleuth heard that General Motors was going to raise its base prices on 2009 vehicles. Now the Sleuth hears that Toyota is raising prices across the board for gas/electric hybrid models in Japan and that might happen here next. Toyota blames rising steel and raw-materials cost for the hike, which is about three percent on Toyota’s two gas-electric hybrids, the Prius and Harrier. Soon, the base model Prius S will list for 2.38 million yen, or $22,000, which is up 73,500 yen. The Harrier Hybrid Premium S — sold in North America as the almost identical Lexus RX400h — goes up 136,500 yen to 4.76 million, or the equivalent of about $43,000. Price hikes between model years without a redesign are especially uncommon in Japan. Toyota has only raised prices in its home market between model years a handful of times in the last 30 years.

Sales predictions for 2009: Toyota has forever been the conservative, rising star in the auto world. Well, the company has joined General Motors and Ford in cutting its sales forecast for 2009. Japan’s largest automaker originally planned to sell more than 10 million vehicles around the world in 2009, but in light of the recent economic downturn has tempered those expectations. Toyota has already slashed its 2008 outlook by 3.7 percent to 9.5 million vehicles. Although Toyota has yet to announce by how much it will be reducing next year’s sales forecast, the Sleuth hears that the 2009 figures could be reduced by as much as five percent. Some Japanese media outlets are reporting that Toyota will set its 2009 sales target at 9.8 million units.

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