Not to be outdone by General Motors’ new compact twins, Toyota plans to debut its next-generation Tacoma pickup at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show in January.
Despite falling gas prices and growth in the full-size truck segment, Toyota believes the small truck market is ripe for expansion.

“I believe you can draw the wrong conclusions just from looking at total [segment] sales,” said Toyota Senior Vice President of U.S. Sales Operations Bob Carter in an interview with Automotive News.

Despite its age, the Tacoma is a very strong seller in the compact truck segment. With more than 140,00 sold through November, it sells at twice the pace of its closest competitor, the Nissan Frontier.

With the GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado back in the market, Toyota believes the segment will grow sufficiently to make investment in the Tacoma pay off.

Photo by Andrew Ganz.

Ford has issued a voluntary recall order covering nearly 20,000 Transit Connect cargo vans in North America.
The vans, built in the Valencia Assembly Plant in Spain between Aug. 9, 2013 and Sept 20, 2014 may have been produced with sliding door panels that were improperly adhered. This defect can potential result in noise, water intrusion, a loose panel or complete separation. If the panel separates while the vehicle is in motion, it could result in an accident or injury.

Ford is not aware of any incidents related to this defect. Dealers will replace the affected panels at no cost to consumers.

The Transit Connect remains a consistent seller for Ford despite new competition from the Ram ProMaster and Ford’s own full-size Transit van. More than 40,000 examples are expected to be delivered in 2015.

Chrysler announced Wednesday that it would expand its recall campaign for potentially defective Takata airbag inflators used in several Dodge, Ram and Chrysler models between 2003 and 2008.
The new parameters of the recall expand its geographical scope to include vehicles that were at any point sold or registered in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Saipan, and the Virgin Islands.

Federal regulators, who have been pressuring Chrysler to augment its recall, were not satisfied with the expansion, calling it “insufficient,” according to Bloomberg. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been insisting that Chrysler initiate a nationwide campaign since late November.

Chrysler insists that internal testing has not turned up any issues that would require further expansion of the campaign.

The recall, which may affect as many as 11 million Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Ford, General Motors, BMW, Mitsubishi and Subaru vehicles worldwide, covers the following Chrysler products:

• 2003 – 2008 Dodge Ram 1500
• 2005 – 2008 Dodge Ram 2500
• 2006 – 2008 Dodge Ram 3500
• 2006 – 2008 Dodge Ram 4500
• 2008 – Dodge Ram 5500
• 2005 – 2008 Dodge Durango
• 2005 – 2008 Dodge Dakota
• 2005 – 2008 Chrysler 300
• 2007 – 2008 Chrysler Aspen

Chrysler is also under pressure from NHTSA to expand outreach efforts in an unrelated recall campaign affecting Jeep SUVs susceptible to fuel tank fires in rear-end collisions.

Ford has issued a voluntary recall of the 2015 Mustang with the 2.3L EcoBoost engine. Affected vehicles may have had the sensor installed incorrectly, resulting in potential fuel leaks which could result in a fire.
The recall covers 728 examples of the new turbocharged pony car, and Ford is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this defect.

This is not the first time the brand-new Mustang has been the subject of a safety recall. Shortly after 2015 models began to arrive on dealer lots, a recall was issued to address a potential problem with passenger airbag deployment. Only 53 vehicles were affected.

The rest of the news surrounding Ford’s new model has been far better. Initial sales are strong, with the new model nearly doubling the Chevrolet Camaro’s volume in November, carried by strong sales of the V8-powered GT model.

Photo by Bryan Joslin.

Audi has been dropping hints about its plans for a mainstream, all-electric vehicle for a while. Now, it seems the final product may be a crossover, rather than the previously-rumored sedan.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Audi AG CEO Rupert Stadler confirmed that development is underway, but added, “[i]t’s probably going to be a crossover, but development work is still ongoing.”

Given Audi’s flexible platform architecture (something Tesla has also touted as key to their product development strategy), it’s entirely feasible that both a sedan and a CUV could ultimately be delivered to consumers.

At the heart of any forthcoming product will be the powertrain confirmed for the Audi R8 e-tron, which Audi expects to launch with a 280-mile range. A larger sedan or CUV would likely have a correspondingly larger battery pack, allowing for similar (or perhaps longer) range.

Tesla’s Model X crossover is not expected until sometime in late 2015. However, the all-electric brand has promised that it will deliver all of the benefits of luxury CUV ownership (including towing) along with Tesla’s expected consumer experience, setting the bar high for any segment newcomers.