Toyota has released a minor model change of its popular Passo hatchback. The five door compact is sold in Japan and Europe under various brands and slots in, size-wise, between a Yaris and the now-defunct Matrix.

Though styling remains largely the same, except with just an updated front fascia and grille, the real story is in the reworked engines, which claim a 30 percent increase over the previous versions, exceeding the Japanese government’s strict 2015 efficiency standards. This is no small feat, considering that the two outgoing small displacement engines were already quite thrifty to begin with.

The new base 1.0-liter 3-cylinder mill, available on front- and all-wheel drive configurations, may output only 68hp and 68 lb-ft of torque, but is capable of a whopping 61 mpg on the Japanese driving cycle. Efficiency improvements come courtesy of a raised compression ratio, optimized valve timing and reduced internal friction. A 1.3-liter available only on front-drive models generates 94hp and 89 lb-ft while returning 45 mpg.

The Passo is also sold as the Daihatsu Boon in Japan, the Daihatsu Sirion and (briefly) the Subaru Justy in Europe, and the Perodua Myvi in southern Asia.

The Golf R 400 is powered by an updated version of the Golf R’s Audi-sourced 2.0-liter four-cylinder TSI engine that churns out 400 horsepower thanks to a host of performance-enhancing modifications. The hatchback is capable of reaching 62 mph from a stop in 3.9 seconds – a full second faster than the stock Golf R – before reaching a top speed of 174 mph.

Visually, the Golf R 400 looks more aggressive than the stock Golf R thanks to fender flares all around, wide air dams integrated into a deeper front bumper and large alloy wheels mounted on low-profile tires. A Silver Flake Metallic paint job and Lemon Yellow highlights wrap up the eye-catching look.

Aimed at the Volkswagen Jetta, the 408 is the four-door version of the Golf-fighting five-door 308 hatchback that the French automaker unveiled at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show. The two cars share roughly the same front end with a floating three-slat radiator grille, a wide air dam and angular headlights inspired by the 2008 crossover.

Out back, the 408′s tail lamps are similar to the ones that equip the 308 but they lose the hatchback’s claw-shaped LEDs in favor of more classic horizontal turn signal and reverse lights. Select trim levels come with dual exhaust pipes integrated into the rear bumper.

Peugeot is keeping full technical details under wraps until the 408′s official debut but it has confirmed the sedan will receive the ubiquitous 1.6-liter THP engine in a variety of power configurations. Chinese-spec 408s will not be offered with a diesel, but Russian-spec models will likely gain at least one HDi four-cylinder mill.

The 408 will go on sale in China and in other global markets such as Russia shortly after it debuts in Beijing. Look for the slightly more upscale European-spec 408 to bow next October at the Paris Motor Show and land in showrooms before 2014 comes to an end.

It’s safe to say that the original Volkswagen Phaeton was not a success in the United States. Consumers never warmed up to the notion of a pricey full-size luxury sedan from the “People’s Car” brand, and just 3,354 examples found homes during the three years before U.S. sales came to an end.

However, Volkswagen America CEO Michael Horn has confirmed in an interview with Bloomberg that the company will give the Phaeton experiment another shot, with the next-generation model slated to arrive in the states sometime in 2018 or 2019.

Few official details about the new Phaeton are available, but the flagship sedan is expected to utilize the same MLB platform as the Audi A8 and make extensive use of aluminum in order to reduce excess mass. Both six- and eight-cylinder engines have been rumored, and a plug-in hybrid powertrain could also be offered.

It’s unclear what measures Volkswagen will employ to better endear the model to image-conscious luxury buyers. In any event, it will likely be positioned as a low-volume halo vehicle and a showcase for Volkswagen’s technological prowess.

Almost impossibly lavish even by the lofty standards of the British ultra-luxury brand, Rolls-Royce’s latest special edition sedan – the Pinnacle Travel Phantom – features an artful cabin with some of the most intricate woodwork ever seen in an automobile.

Created by the Rolls-Royce Bespoke division to celebrate China’s second year as the largest outbound travel market, the special Phantom is outwardly distinguished by a two-tone Madeira Red/Silver Sand color scheme. Abstract pinstripe flourishes on the flanks are intended to evoke a streamlined train travelling at speed.

Those touches pale in comparison to the opulence found inside, where sumptuous Morello Red and Seashell leather abounds, lambs wool mats cushion the floor, and throw pillows (!) coddle rear seat passengers.

Topping it all off is incredible marquetry composed of 230 wood veneers that are laser-cut for optimum precision, then carefully assembled by hand into complex motifs that mirror the exterior’s theme by depicting a “cross-continental train speeding across a landscape with plumes of steam left in its wake.” On the door cards, the woodwork is set off by no less than 24,633 individual stitches in the leather upholstery.

Pricing has not yet been announced, but if you have to ask…

On the heels of the Discovery Vision Concept’s debut in the Big Apple, Land Rover design chief Gerry McGovern has revealed the first details concerning the new Discovery model family that the show truck will foreshadow.

“There will be three families within the brand: Range Rovers, which talk to luxury and refinement; Discovery [models] that talk to utility; and Defenders that will talk to purpose and durability,” McGovern told Car and Driver in an interview at the New York show.

“In terms of design, the [Discovery concept] is probably the probably the optimum full seven-seat package, but this particular concept will inform a full Discovery family in terms of design DNA, design cues, emphasis on versatility in terms of a reconfigurability of seating, storage, and those sorts of things.”

The first vehicle of the new range to arrive will be a compact crossover successor to the LR2/Freelander known as the Discovery Sport. Presumably, it will be joined down the road by a follow-up to the current LR4/Discovery, and more models could also be on the way.

All members of the Discovery family will feature unique styling elements, as McGovern says that Land Rover is looking to avoid the “one design [done] big, medium, and small” phenomenon that plagues some luxury brands. Additionally, in accordance with customer demand, they will move further upscale, which should set the stage for even more premium Range Rover models in the future.

With the XK coupe and convertible range now at the tail end of its nine lives, Jaguar has debuted a special model to commemorate the conclusion of the grand tourer’s production run.

Dubbed the 2015 XK Final Fifty Special Edition, it starts with the XKR and adds a louvered hood from the high-performance XKR-S GT, “Ultimate Black” paint, a center console badge and inscribed doorsill treadplates. Sport seats with diamond stitched white leather and a suede steering wheel are also fitted.

More than just a cosmetic package, the Final Fifty also receives a number of chassis elements borrowed from the XKR-S, including forged and fully machined front suspension components with dedicated spring and damper settings, an upgraded Adaptive Dynamics suspension system, and a 10mm lower ride height.

Additionally, the normally-optional Dynamic Pack and Performance Pack are standard, bringing extras such as 20-inch wheels, an upsized rear wing, special side sills, a rear diffuser and a performance exhaust system.

No changes have taken place under the hood, meaning power continues to come from a 510-horsepower supercharged 5.0-liter V8 that shifts through a six-speed automatic transmission.

As its name suggests, just 50 examples of the Final Fifty edition will be built – 25 coupes and 25 convertibles. Pricing has not yet been announced.

The Final Fifty draws inspiration from Jaguar’s last batch of E-Type sports cars. Produced in 1974, those 50 special edition E-Types are now coveted collectibles, Jaguar says.

Amidst the hubbub of the New York International Auto Show this week Lincoln quietly issued a teaser video that could augur the next MKX.

Precious little is shown in the video, but World Car Fans speculates that this is the next-generation of the Ford Edge-based luxury crossover. Its five-door configuration would seem to confirm the prediction and the model, introduced in 2007, is due for a redesign.

From what we can see, Lincoln’s trademark split-wing grille dominates the front end, while illumination makes use of LEDs throughout, from the headlights to the mirror-mounted turn indicators that outline the entire housing. A trunk-mounted spoiler and copious amounts of chrome trim round out the cosmetic touches.

The MKX is expected to debut at the Beijing Motor Show next week as Ford launches the Lincoln brand in China. It’s part of Ford’s concerted efforts to take on GM’s Buick, a perennial best-seller in that country. The MKZ, MKC and an as of yet unnamed mid-size sedan will help launch the marque, with the Navigator and “unnamed mid-size SUV” to join later. The redesigned MKX could be the latter.

Watch the video below.