Eager to expand its performance-focused lineup, Nissan has confirmed it is busily developing a Nismo-tuned variant of the new Europe-only Qashqai crossover.

The Qashqai Nismo will be powered by a slightly modified version of the turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder found under the hood of the recently-unveiled Juke Nismo RS. The mill will send at least 215 horsepower and 210 lb-ft. of torque to the front wheels when linked to a six-speed manual transmission, or 211 ponies and 181 lb-ft. of twist to all four wheels when bolted to an optional CVT.

Nissan global product chief Andy Palmer explained to England’s CAR magazine that Nismo-badged cars and crossovers are about more than raw power.

“I want us to focus on ride and handling, making cars that aren’t just faster, but also feel obviously more fun to drive. When I’m discussing Nismo internally, I like to refer to it as ‘the democratisation of AMG.’ We want to offer these fun cars, but at a price lots of customers can afford,” admitted Palmer.

The crossover will gain a host of brake and suspension upgrades under the skin in order to keep the power in check and provide a sure-footed handling. Aerodynamic add-ons and a sporty interior will round out the updates.

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France’s Peugeot-Citroën has confirmed ex-Renault Chief Operating Officer (COO) Carlos Tavares will join its board of management next January in order to assist CEO Philippe Varin in the last few months of his career in the auto industry. Tavares will take over as CEO late next year when 61-year old Varin retires.

When he becomes CEO, 55-year old Tavares will face the Herculean task of expanding Peugeot-Citroën’s operations outside of the depressed European market in order return it to profitability. The automaker is in dire need of cash and it is mulling a controversial alliance with China’s Dongfeng in order to stay afloat. PSA’s existing alliance with General Motors is crumbling, and the French government stands ready to bail out the ailing automaker as a last resort in an effort to preserve jobs.

Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, Tavares’ boss for years, has not openly commented on the matter but reports circulating around the French media indicate Tavares has silently promised not recruit any of his former Renault colleagues at Peugeot.
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The best-selling car in America will be refreshed next year as part of Toyota’s bid to keep the Camry sedan in first place in the sales race.

Set to arrive as an early 2015 model year, the refreshed Camry won’t be a full-scale redesign, but it will receive “significant attention” said Toyota sales head Bill Fay in an interview with Bloomberg.

Toyota has rarely treated previous iterations of the Camry to a major update during what is typically a six-year model run, but the midsize sedan market has become significantly more competitive over the last few years. Camry will almost certainly emerge as the strongest-selling midsize four-door in 2013, but analysts are less confident about Toyota’s ability to stay on top next year.

Toyota feels differently.

“We’ll make some effort through the collective team to keep it No. 1 next year,” Fay said.

The current Camry went on sale for the 2012 model year and it has remained only lightly changed through the 2014 model year.

While Toyota is remaining mum on just when the updated 2015 Camry will arrive, it will probably debut at one of the first two major auto shows next year – that either means Detroit’s North American International Auto Show in January or the Chicago Auto Show about a month later. Toyota is one of the few automakers that regularly debuts a new or refreshed vehicle in Chicago, so it’s possible that the Camry will bow there.<![CDATA[
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The flexible new BMW Group platform that debuted in the 2015 MINI Cooper may pave the way for MINI models larger than the current Countryman crossover.

Speaking with Britain’s Autocar, MINI sales and marketing boss Ian Robertson explained that new Cooper’s FWD platform — which will underpin all future MINI models as well as BMW’s next 1-Series and upcoming MPV – will let the brand be “far more adventurous” with future models.

“The small car segment is growing at around twice the speed of the rest of the segments combined, so there are clearly opportunities,” said Robertson. “That opens opportunities, some of which may surprise you. The Countryman is 4m 17cm and when we launched it we were very conscious that we had to remain true to the Mini brand. But sales of 100,000 Countrymans a year show that it has been a success, and that we are capable of more.

“I do think there is a size limit. I’m not sure we could sell a 5m Mini. But so long as we remain true to the principles of it being very much an urban car, with a good turning circle, a decent size to park and so on then I think there are areas we can explore.

Aside from a potential upsized model, rumors have suggested that other future MINIs could include a four-door version of the 2015 Cooper, a Cooper sedan aimed at the Chinese market, and a sports car to replace the slow-selling Coupe and Roadster models.

A smaller MINI like the Rocketman concept isn’t likely to become a reality, however. Roberston revealed that the business case for such a model — which would require the development of an all-new platform — simply isn’t there at present.

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Turns out that General Motors neglected to mention a particularly interesting detail when it unveiled the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado last week: the bowtie brand’s new midsize pickup will be offered with a manual transmission.

Available only on entry-level WT extended cab 2WD models equipped with the 2.5-liter four-cylinder, GM feels the stick shift will likely be a low take-rate item, but one that could ultimately help draw a broader swath of buyers into showrooms.

“If you look at the past data, [the manual transmission] probably not a financially sound decision,” GM North America President Mark Reuss told Automotive News. “But we’re creating something here that hasn’t been created before. So we’re going to take some risks.

While the manual will be a decidedly limited-availability option on the Colorado, the other players in the midsize pickup segment — the Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier — offer a three-pedal setup in a much wider range of bodystyles, trim levels and engines.

Aside from the row-your-own option, GM may also cater to pickup enthusiasts with a new Colorado variant positioned as more of a hard-core off-roader than the Z71 trim level.

“The dealers already have been asking for an off-road model,” said Jeff Luke, General Motors’ top truck engineer. “We’re considering it.”

While Luke didn’t provide any concrete details concerning the all-terrain Colorado, it would likely be modeled after the ZR2 trim level of the Chevy S-10, which featured additional ground clearance, strengthened axles, tougher shocks and specialized tires.

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