Subaru has published an enigmatic teaser image that previews the Geneva-bound VIZIV 2 concept. The name VIZIV is derived from the phrase “vision for innovation.”

As its name clearly implies, the VIZIV 2 is billed as an evolution of the VIZIV show car displayed at last year’s edition of the Geneva Motor Show. The teaser image suggests the two-door crossover has been updated with a new front end that gains sharp headlights, round LED fog lights and a three-slat grille with a hexagonal frame.

The visual updates put the VIZIV 2 in line with recent additions to the Subaru lineup such as the 2015 WRX STI, the 2015 Legacy and the Japan-only Levorg station wagon.

The original VIZIV was powered by a diesel-electric hybrid drivetrain consisting of a 2.0-liter oil-burning flat-four spinning the front wheels and two electric motors independently providing power to the rear wheels. Subaru has not disclosed what lies under the VIZIV 2′s hood but it’s safe to assume it is powered by an equally-efficient setup.

Look for a full set of details about the Subaru VIZIV 2 concept to emerge in the coming days.

What’s Next?

Subaru has all but confirmed it is planning on adding more crossovers to its lineup. A seven-seater crossover inspired by the Crossover 7 concept is expected to replace the aging Tribeca in the near future, and a toned down version of the VIZIV aimed at a younger target audience could make production before the end of the decade.

Mazda has published a dark teaser image that previews a new concept called Hazumi. Named after the Japanese word for “bounce,” the Hazumi will greet the public for the first time next month at the Geneva Motor Show.

As is often the case, the teaser image reveals precious little but Mazda promises the Hazumi takes the form of a close-to-production concept that accurately previews the next generation of the Mazda2 subcompact, one the oldest member of the company’s lineup. The concept closely follows Mazda’s KODO design language with slender headlights, curvaceous flanks and an elegant five-point grille.

Interior shots are being kept under wraps until the hatchback’s formal debut but expect a well-finished cockpit with a clean layout and a generous serving of high-tech equipment.

Full details about the Mazda Hazumi concept will emerge in the coming days. The next Mazda2 could bow as soon as next fall’s Tokyo Motor Show and land in U.S. showrooms as a 2015 model shortly after.

New Skyactiv

Mazda will also showcase a new 1.5-liter four-cylinder Skyactiv-D turbodiesel engine in Geneva. The mill will be widely used in Europe as an entry-level oil-burner and it might make its way to the United States under the hood of smaller models like the Mazda3.

The Department of Homeland Security has temporarily shelved a plan to establish a commercial database for tracking license-plate numbers scanned from various sources around the country.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement had published a solicitation for a tracking database for license plate numbers that “pass through cameras or are voluntarily entered into a system,” to help the agency hunt down fugitives and undocumented immigrants.

“The solicitation, which was posted without the awareness of ICE leadership, has been canceled,” said ICE deputy press secretary Gillian Christensen in an statement to Bloomberg. “While we continue to support a range of technologies to help meet our law enforcement mission, this solicitation will be reviewed to ensure the path forward appropriately meets our operational needs.”

License-plate tracking systems are already in place throughout the country, with practices varying by state and individual enforcement agencies, however privacy advocates voiced concerns over the implications of a nationwide universal database.

“Where people travel can reveal a great deal about them — where they go to the doctor, who all of their friends are, every deviation from their daily routine,” said ACLU staff attorney Catherine Crump. “That is not the type of information that should be collected about each and every one of us when there is no reason to believe we are doing anything wrong.”

It is unclear if ICE plans to push forward with the plan after its initial review, though Christensen promises that the system would only be used for criminal investigations and the data would be collected and stored by a private company rather than the government.

Ford has cut ties with long-time pitchman Mike Rowe.

Best-known for hosting Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs,” Rowe has been promoting Ford’s cars, trucks and service for the last seven years. Ford didn’t give a specific reason for the breakup, saying only it was time to move on.

“We decided after a great association with Mike Rowe for several years that it was time to move in a new direction,” Ford spokesman Chris Preuss told Advertising Age, an affiliate of Automotive News. “We are no longer working together.”

Rowe confirmed the split on Glenn Beck’s radio show.

“After seven years, we’re going in different directions, and I’m wishing them every possible success that any car company could ever have,” Rowe said.

Preuss said Ford has no current plans to replace Rowe with another spokesperson.

Speaking to media at the South Carolina Auto Summit, Governor Nikki Haley made it clear that union jobs from Ford, General Motors, Chrysler or any other companies are not welcome in her state.

“I think unions are trying to get in wherever they can; they’re getting desperate and so they are trying to sneak in anywhere they can,” she told a reporter from The Greenville News. “My job is to make sure that I keep kickin’ ‘em out.”

When pressed for her opinion on Volkswagen’s attempt to establish a German-style works council, Haley suggested it was an “odd situation” that South Carolina attempts to avoid by talking with potential incoming companies “ahead of time” and clarifying the state’s anti-union stance.

“We discourage any companies that have unions from wanting to come to South Carolina because we don’t want to taint the water,” Haley added.

In an interesting twist following the vote by VW’s Chattanooga workers to reject UAW representation, the company’s labor leader threatened to block any further expansion plans in the South.

One of Haley’s Democratic opponents, State Senator Vincent Sheheen, supports union-restricting “right to work” legislation, however he has taken a more cordial tone regarding prospective employers.

“We need good, high-paying jobs in South Carolina,” he said. “Part of leadership is putting ideology and partisanship to the side when there’s something that could be good for South Carolina.”