Under its new owner, National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS), Saab has reportedly started building its first all-electric 9-3 sedans.

Based on the same 9-3 platform that was under production before the Swedish brand went bankrupt, the electric variant swaps the internal-combustion engine for an electric motor and lithium-ion batteries mounted low in the chassis.

With an electric range of 20 Scandinavian miles (~124 statute miles), the 9-3 EV is capable of driving 50 percent farther than the Nissan Leaf but only half the distance of a Model S, according to Swedish magazine Auto Motor & Sport.

The initial run is said to be limited to 200 units, all of which will be shipped to the Chinese city of Qingdao for further testing ahead of a wider rollout.

The company plans to eventually extend the range as battery development increases, though it is unclear if the first volume-production edition will benefit from additional power capacity.

After testing is completed in Qingdao, shipping to global customers is expected to begin later this spring or summer. Pricing information and full specs have yet to be announced.

France’s Peugeot has fully revealed the Exalt concept that will greet the public for the first time at the upcoming Beijing Motor Show.

Taking the form of a sleek four-door coupe, the Exalt borrows styling cues such as its slim, angular grille, its ripped hood and its sharp headlights form the Onyx concept that was presented at the 2012 edition of the Paris Motor Show. 20-inch alloy wheels and sculpted flanks accentuate the car’s sporty silhouette.

Inside, the Exalt concept boasts an upscale cabin with acres of real wood trim, an integrated air purifier and a new infotainment system dubbed Peugeot i-Cockpit. The bulk of the controls on the center console have been replaced by nine toggle switches arranged in two groups located on either side of the steering wheel.

Power comes from a gasoline-electric hybrid drivetrain consisting of 270-horsepower 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder borrowed from the 308 R concept and a 67-horsepower electric motor located on the rear axle. Together, the two power sources send 340 horsepower to all four wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.

Peugeot has not revealed what the future holds for the Exalt but sources close to the automaker indicate it could spawn an oft-rumored four-door coupe that would take on entry-level variants of the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class. The yet-unnamed model would help Peugeot target a younger clientele while moving up a notch on the market in Europe and in China.

Stay tuned to Leftlane for live images of the Peugeot Exalt concept straight from the Beijing show floor starting on April 20th.

Chrysler’s Ram truck division has launched a new version of its off-road ready Power Wagon. Based on the Ram 2500 Heavy Duty 4×4 Crew Cab, the Power Wagon promises to be one of the most capable pickups in the segment.

In addition to the standard 2500 kit, the Power Wagon includes a 2-inch lift, locking differentials and a 12,000-pound winch. The Power Wagon also boasts Bilstein shocks at all four corners, and a unique Ram Articulink suspension design that allows for better off-road articulation.

“Capability is top of mind with heavy-duty pickup truck customers. Ram trucks are expected to work every day without breaking a sweat,” said Reid Bigland, President and CEO of the Ram Truck Brand. “The 2014 Ram Power Wagon fills a need for those who travel into extreme terrain for rescue or recreation, while delivering on-road civility and the towing capability expected from a heavy-duty truck.”

The Power Wagon is powered by a 410 horsepower, 429 lb-ft of torque version of Chrysler’s 6.4L HEMI V8. No fuel economy ratings were released, but the 6.4L will feature cylinder deactivation for improved mileage. A lower 4.10 rear axle ratio, down from 4.56, should also help in the economy department.

Power is routed to the Power Wagon’s standard 33-inch wheel and tire package via a six-speed automatic transmission.

The Power Wagon will be offered in three trim levels – Tradesman, SLT and Laramie.

MINI has announced it will unveil a limited-edition version of the Cooper Hardtop called DeLux at next week’s New York Motor Show.

Designed by Virginia Commonwealth University sophomore Alex Coyle, the DeLux is the winner of the Final Test Test Drive contest that kicked off online a few weeks ago. The contest asked current MINI owners to design a bespoke appearance package for the recently-unveiled third-gen Cooper.

Starting with all-black MINI, Coyle added black light-inspired graphics on virtually every body panel in order to make the car stand out at night. Driving lights mounted in front of the radiator grille and 18-inch alloy wheels add a sporty touch to the overall look.

Interior pictures are not available but MINI says the DeLux packs an off-white dash and contrasting Black Pearl leatherette/cloth seats. It is loaded to the brim with optional equipment including the Cold Weather Package, the Premium Package, the Sport Package and the Comfort Access Package.

Coyle’s design uses the 189-horsepower Cooper S model as a starting point. MINI has not announced if the DeLux package will be offered on the more humble Cooper model.

Coyle explains her limited-edition model’s moniker hints at both the custom paint job and the level of equipment found inside.

“‘Lux’ is the root meaning of ‘light,’” explained Coyle. “After I went through all the options I had available to customize the car I went for all the bells and whistles and created what I call a “Deluxe” model. The result was DeLux.”

Pricing information for the limited-edition Cooper Hardtop DeLux will be published closer to the car’s on-sale date.

Although many companies choose not to respond to negative reviews or ongoing litigation, Tesla Motors has fired back against a lawsuit filed by Wisconsin’s self-described “Lemon Law King” on behalf of a disgruntled Model S owner.

In a blog post, the company claims there are “good reasons to be skeptical of the lawyer’s motivations.” It also cites evidence that suggests the owner may have been intentionally tampering with the car and making unsubstantiated claims about problems.

The attorney, Vince Megna, claimed that his client had attempted to contact Tesla three times to demand a lemon-law buyback, however Tesla claims to have received only a single legal form letter in November, as a prerequisite for filing the legal claim in Wisconsin, and the customer never brought up the possibility of a buyback during discussions with the service team before and after the letter was received.

“To give you a sense of our service relationship with this customer, it’s worth considering our efforts to resolve two of his main complaints,” the company adds. “One related to malfunctioning door handles. Even though our service team wasn’t able to replicate the issue with the door handles as described, we replaced all the handles anyway. Despite the fix, the customer said the problem persisted. We were never able to reproduce the alleged malfunction but offered to inspect the car again and are still trying to do so.”

The second issue related to a fuse that blew on numerous occasions. Tesla engineers claim to have “explored all possible explanations” and were never able to find anything wrong with the car, even after replacing several parts that could have caused the alleged problem.

“When the fuse kept blowing despite the new parts, and faced with no diagnosis showing anything wrong with the car, the engineers were moved to consider the possibility that the fuse had been tampered with,” the company claims. “After investigating, they determined that the car’s front trunk had been opened immediately before the fuse failure on each of these occasions. (The fuse is accessed through the front trunk.) Ultimately, Tesla service applied non-tamper tape to the fuse switch. From that point on, the fuse performed flawlessly.”

As its final note of interest, Tesla points to another lawsuit filed against Volvo last year by the same owner and attorney.

“Customer service remains of utmost importance to Tesla, and no Model S owner should be unhappy with their car,” the company says. “However, we would also like the public to be aware of the potential for lemon laws to be exploited by opportunistic lawyers.”