Cosworth appears to be stepping in to help upgrade the Toyota 86 (Subaru BRZ/Scion FR-S) platform as the market continues to wait for a forced-induction edition from the factory.

The tuner has released a teaser video for its “FA-20″ Power Package, referring to the sports coupe’s 2.0-liter boxer engine. Customizations appear to include a body kit and exhaust and engine components, potentially with suspension tweaks on the list.

“At Cosworth our ability to engineer and manufacture complete engine systems for our customers is a key capability,” the company said in a statement. “For 2014 we are bringing this to our Performance Parts range – providing complete performance upgrade kits that have been designed and validated as a system to provide guaranteed levels of power and reliability.”

The FA20 engine platform will be the first in line for the Cosworth Power Package treatment. Specific details remain undisclosed, though the language hints at a significant power upgrade, such as a turbocharger or supercharger, rather than just an exhaust system and aesthetic enhancements.

Additional details are expected to be revealed ahead of the Power Package’s summer debut.

General Motors has rehired a former public-relations executive to help lead the response to the ongoing recall controversy.

Tony Cervone will return to serve as senior vice president of GM global communications, reporting directly to chief executive Mary Barra.

The executive formerly served as vice president of global communications strategy and operations at the end of this 10-year career with the company. He left early in 2009 ahead of the bankruptcy and government bailout, later working for United Airlines and most recently as executive VP of group communications for Volkswagen Group of America.

“Tony brings an ideal mix of outside perspective and experience that complements a deep background in GM and today’s global auto industry,” said Barra. “I’ve worked with Tony in the past and he has my trust and respect. I know he’ll be another catalyst for change on our leadership team.”

Cervone is one of several top executives to return amid the recall crisis. The company earlier this month announced the resignation of its senior VP of global communications, Selim Bingol, and the rehiring of former PR head Steve Harris on a contract basis.

“It’s a great time to rejoin GM,” Cervonne said in a statement.

The company also recently enlisted crisis-communications expert Jeff Eller to help formulate a PR strategy.

Analysts are watching GM closely as it announces more recalls and continues to face criticism and government inquiries, which have already led to a $35 million record fine from the Department of Transportation. So far sales are continuing to grow, with numbers up for March and April, though the increases fall short of the industry average.

Hyundai has announced a recall for Tucson compact crossovers with 2011 through 2014 model years.

The company has discovered an assembly issue that allows the Tucson’s steering-wheel airbag to come loose from its mounting. The retaining bolts may not have been properly torqued from the factory.

“An air bag assembly that is not properly mounted may result in an increased risk of injury to the driver in the event of a crash,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report notes.

Loose airbag assemblies have been reported in warranty claims for at least 141 vehicles out of 177,000 that are currently in the field. The problem was initially spotted in December, at which time the company changed its assembly procedure and monitored service reports. Warranty claims began to accelerate into 2014, leading to the safety recall.

The company has not officially associated the problem with any accidents or injuries.

Recalled vehicles will be brought in to have the existing bolts torqued to higher specifications.

In truth, it’s only about a year that we’ve been waiting for Volkswagen to bring its new GTI over from Europe, but that time has seemed to stretch out into an eternity. If patience were really a virtue, we’d be Mahatma Gandhi by now.

VW’s hot hatch has long balanced performance, practicality and value better than nearly any other model on the market, so we’ve naturally been anxious to see the latest, greatest iteration on these shores.

Was it worth the wait? You bet.

Charting the Changes

It’s never easy to replace an icon, but that’s exactly the task Volkswagen was faced with in redesigning the GTI. While the basic formula and exterior design have changed little, what lies beneath the sheetmetal is new and improved in nearly every way.

Power comes from Volkswagen Group’s turbocharged and direct-injected “EA888″ 2.0-liter four-cylinder, which produces 210 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque – gains of 10 ponies and a substantial 51 lb-ft of twist over the outgoing GTI. A six-speed manual with short throws and an impressively easy-to-modulate clutch is standard, and a quick-shifting six-speed dual-clutch automatic is offered as an option.

Despite the extra output, mileage is up to 25 mpg in the city (+4) and 34 mpg on the highway (+3) for the stick, and two-pedal models have also improved to 25 city mpg (+1) and 33 highway mpg (+1). Credit the new motor, a more slippery shape and a lighter structure for the improvements.

Like the 2015 Golf on which it is based, the seventh-generation GTI is underpinned by Volkswagen Group’s MQB modular component set, a flexible architecture that trims as much as 82 lbs. from the hatchback’s curb weight.

Even as mass has been whittled away, the content level has crept up. A 5.8-inch infotainment touchscreen, VW Car-Net connected services and a Driving Mode Selection system join the torquier turbo four as new standard features of the base model, now known as the GTI S, which also comes with heated front seats and 18-inch wheels.

Pricing starts at $25,215 – on a content-adjusted basis, VW says that’s down $700 from last year – while $28,215 SE and $30,415 Autobahn trims tack on goodies like leather upholstery, navigation, a Fender-branded audio system, a rearview camera and a sunroof. Three- and five-door models remain available, although only the latter can be had in range-topping Autobahn form.

Notable (read: fun-boosting) options include an $800 adaptive damping system and a $1,495 Performance Package that ups the horsepower count to 220, brings larger brakes and adds an electronically controlled mechanical limited-slip differential.

Unlike the previous model, which was assembled in Germany, the new GTI will be built in Mexico for the North American market.

Looking the Part

Subtle evolution is the order of the day outside, where the crisp and conservative lines of the normal Golf are dressed up with an aggressive front valance, a honeycomb grille with a red graphic that extends into the headlights, unique wheel designs and a spoiler atop the hatch. A lowered ride height, special fender badges and twin exhaust pipes provide the finishing touches.

As expected, the interior is an exercise in Germanic refinement and restraint. Though understated, the dashboard is furnished in upscale materials, and all the important controls fall readily at hand. A flat-bottomed-steering wheel, sports seats, aluminum-look pedals and a GTI-specific instrument panel provide a little bit of attitude and differentiation for what is otherwise a very handsome, but standard-issue Golf cabin.

Manual-equipped cars get another model-specific touch in the form of a funky golf ball-style shifter knob, and base models naturally are fitted with the plaid cloth seats that have been a GTI hallmark for decades.

Gripes? We do have a few. For one, the 5.8-inch touchscreen looks slightly low rent, especially with the glossy black plastic surround that makes it seem like a placeholder for a larger display. Things are also somewhat dark and severe inside, especially in cars without the plaid upholstery, although oversized windows do provide a bit of a respite from the darkness within. All in all, those are relatively minor complaints for an interior that noticeably eclipse rivals like the Ford Focus ST and Subaru WRX in terms of material quality and ergonomics.

A welcome surprise, given the weight loss, is that cargo capacity has actually expanded due to incrementally increased exterior dimensions and better packaging. Behind the rear seats, space has climbed to 16.5 cubic feet (+1.2), while maximum acreage with the rear seats folded down is now 52.7 cubes (+ 6.7). Bring on the Costco runs!

On the Road

Should big box stores inspire in you the same feelings of vague apprehension and overwhelming drowsiness that they do for us, at least the GTI can make getting there a memorable experience.

While the outgoing GTI’s motor wasn’t exactly a slouch, the new mill’s 258 lb-ft of torque can only be described as a big step forward. Not only is there copious grunt down low in the rev range, things don’t really begin to taper off until you approach the redline. Both the slick stick and surgical-feeling dual-clutch are excellent for extracting the most from the motor – choosing a gearbox here really comes down to personal preference.

Pick Sport from the Drive Mode Selection system, which also includes Normal and Individual settings, and the GTI prepares for extra-spirited backroads romps by sharpening the throttle response and steering. The latter, which has switched from hydraulic- to electric-assist, is precise and responsive no matter the mode, though a modicum of feedback has gone missing in the transition.

Spring for the optional adaptive dampers, and more sedate Comfort and Eco modes are added for commuting or indulging the odd hypermilling impulse. Comfort mode subtly softens up the already livable ride of the standard suspension, which does a commendable job of both limiting body roll while providing occupants with a reasonable degree of protection from poorly maintained roads.

Whether the GTI is thrown into a curve with ham-fisted abandon or methodical precision, the Performance Package’s torque-vectoring diff keeps things calm and composed by sending power to the outside front wheel to quell understeer.

Leftlane’s bottom line

It may have taken longer to arrive than we’d have liked, but the GTI is otherwise hard to fault. A high-bandwidth car that’s even more polished than its capable predecessor, it excels as a family hatch in the daily grind, a sporting machine on a Sunday afternoon, and in a multitude of other roles.

Better late than never, indeed.

2015 Volkswagen GTI base price range, $25,215 to $30,415.

Photos by Nat Shirley.

Now you can rent practically any car under the sun, from an E30 BMW M3 to a 1970 AMC Javelin to the Acura NSX Concept that’s not even out yet. The only catch is, you’d have to go to a Europcar store in France and the car will be in 1:64 scale.

In an ingenious marketing campaign, Mattel teamed up with Europe’s largest car rental agency and created the Hot Wheels Car Rental. Using select Europcar locations across France, parents who rented an actual car could sign their kids up to rent a toy car at a station inside the store.

Just like a real rental experience, children could select from a catalogue of vehicles, ranging from a Delorean DMC-12 to the Batmobile. Both online and at-the-counter booking were available. The planners made the process as authentic to the real rental experience as possible, with contracts and even a loyalty points program. No word on whether random Hot Wheels were engulfed in cigarette smoke or rented to other kids when you had clearly made the reservation months in advance and just gotten off an overbooked six-hour flight that taxied inexplicably for an additional 35 minutes.

If the toy cars were damaged or lost, Europcar charged the parents’ credit cards. Forty-five percent of them were kept and paid for. The campaign also served as a survey for Mattel to determine which models were most popular with kids. Presumably, more Lamborghini Sesto Elementos were pocketed than 1986 Monte Carlos with flame paint jobs.

You can watch the video describing the program at Advertising Age. Someone, however, should tell its producers the differences between a Bentley versus an Infiniti G37 and a Camaro versus a 1970 Ford Torino Talladega.

An updated version of Honda’s popular and adorable premium super-compact, the N-One, went on sale in Japan on Friday.

Unlike traditional mid-generational refreshes, the N-One’s does not come with a facelift. That’s because the car trades primarily on its exterior design, a throwback to the 1967 Honda N360. The retro body shares Honda’s N-series kei car platform, which also underpins the more conventional N-Wgn and the high-roof N-Box. Instead, the N-One’s update adds more safety features, better fuel economy, and mod cons.

The new N-One adopts Honda’s City-Brake Active System, basically a rear-end collision warning that alerts drivers to an impending crash. If the driver fails to respond, brakes are automatically applied. The system also controls engine output to prevent unintended acceleration if the driver mashes the go pedal while there’s obstacle within four meters of the front of the car. Side curtain airbags are also now standard.

The city car now also gets 67 mpg, thanks to reduced friction and improved thermal efficiency from its 660cc DOHC three-cylinder. Output is still capped at 67hp per kei car standards, and the engine is mated to a CVT on both front- and all-wheel-drive models. Curb weight ranges from 1,852 to 2,028 lbs depending on options.

The glass now boasts both UV and infrared blocking technology, the latter to reduce heat transferred into the cabin by sunlight. Sharp Electronics’ Plasmacluster air filtering system, which claims to reduce allergens and sterilizes mold, is now standard as well.

Lastly, two new colors, Fresh Lime Metallic (available with an optional white roof) and Horizon Turquoise Pearl (available with an optional silver roof), are now available, bringing the color combo count to 25. Sadly, Honda has no plans to export this stylish city runabout to the US.

China-based Volvo parent company Geely has announced the Swedish automaker will move up a notch on the market in order to go head-to-head against well-known players like Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi.

“We will make Volvo cars more luxurious and high-end. Volvo will strive to become one of the dominant players in the luxury car sector,” affirmed company chairman Li Shufu during a press conference held in China.

Shufu did not reveal details about Volvo’s future product plans but he has previously indicated the automaker will develop a large, range-topping luxury sedan aimed at the BMW 7-Series and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Tentatively called S100, the flagship will ride on a lengthened version of the modular Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA) that will underpin the next S80 and the upcoming second-gen XC90.

The S100 is expected to enter production in Volvo’s Chengdu, China, plant in the next couple of years. Shufu has not commented on whether the sedan will be exported to other markets such as Europe and the United States.

In addition to boosting profits, moving Volvo up a notch on the market will make it possible for parent company Geely to sell a full lineup of aggressively-priced mainstream models built with technology gleaned from the Swedish automaker’s R&D department.

“Geely and Volvo are like brothers, not father and son,” explained Shufu, adding that he would like the two companies to operate like Volkswagen and Audi.

Volvo is hoping the popular V40 hatchback will help it sell 80,000 cars in China this year, an ambitious goal that would make China its largest global market. Last year, the automaker sold approximately 61,146 cars in China (up 45.6 percent from 2012) and 61,233 cars in the United States (down 10.1 percent from a year earlier).