Mazda is like a brilliant independent film. While not the biggest in terms of blockbuster sales, it is the critical darling amongst those whose professions it is to study and write about cars. Over the holidays, some big changes were afoot at the small, indie automaker, including the departure of its North American CEO.

Jim O’Sullivan, age 62, has retired his post as president and CEO of Mazda North America effective December 31, 2015. Succeeding him will be Masahiro Moro, who comes from his post as head of the global sales and marketing division.

O’Sullivan joined Mazda in 2003 as a transplant from Ford, when the former was still under partial ownership from the latter. However, when Mazda and Ford split up in 2008, O’Sullivan stayed on and helped the small but innovative automaker forge a path of independence.

As other automakers abandoned the nice of enthusiast vehicles, Mazda doubled down on them, creating the fourth-generation Mazda MX-5 and a slew of brilliantly fun-to-drive sedans and crossovers. However, Mazda continued to develop new fuel-efficiency technologies such as its SkyActiv range of powerplants and manufacturing techniques, and pioneer new directions in design with its Kodo-themed cars. You could say O’Sullivan was the perfect fit. A die-hard racer, he was not shy about climbing behind the wheels of Mazda’s fleet of vintage race cars for a sprint or two.

Despite Mazda’s excellent product portfolio, the company has not seen sales successes befitting of its lineup. That’s where Moro comes in. The new North American head honcho hails from company HQ in Hiroshima, Japan, where he headed global marketing, sales and “customer innovation” efforts. In an interview with Automotive News, he has stated that the red-hot crossover market will be the key to Mazda’s growth and hopes to see 50 percent of sales devoted to crossovers in the next two to three years.

A crossover-heavy range does not necessarily mean an abandonment of enthusiast machines, however. Mazda has proven it can engineer superb, car-like handling dynamics in vehicles such as the CX-5 and recently launched CX-3. The upcoming CX-9 will continue the trend, according to Mazda engineers we have spoken with. Furthermore, Mazda has affirmed its commitment to sports cars with the RX-Vision concept. Critics have already given Mazda all the accolades an automaker could want. Now it just needs the sales to match.

It has been said that Honda is primarily an engine manufacturer that just happens to make excellent cars on the side. In that case, the latest of their core products has just surfaced online.

Just days after a report about a performance-oriented Civic Si, the powerplant purported to power the hotted-up compact has appeared on CivicX.com, a forum dedicated to the tenth-generation of Honda’s longest-running nameplate.

The photo appears to confirm that the 230-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0L inline-four is not just rumor. It seems more likely than ever that there will be a performance model to slot in between commuter specials and the eyeball-melting Civic Type-R, which will come to the US for the first time in its next iteration.

From the looks of it, the mill is a detuned version of the Type R’s turbo four. That engine rated at 310 horsepower and powers the Type R prototype that currently holds the front-wheel-drive production car record at Nurburgring Circuit.

The engine appears to employ an aluminum intake with cooling fins, electric power steering, an integrated blow-off valve and an integrated oil cooler, possibly for the transmission. Sure to warm the hearts of enthusiasts, the motor is said to be on offer with a 6-speed manual only.

Honda has not made an official statement regarding the existence of an Si. If it does, we are likely at least a year away from the production version.

Mercedes-Benz has started developing a modular platform that will underpin at least four electric models in the coming years.

Called EVA internally, the platform will borrow a handful of components from the MRA architecture that underpins the C-Class and the all-new 2017 E-Class, among others. Entry-level models built on the EVA platform will use a single electric motor that will send approximately 400 horsepower to the rear wheels, while more expensive variants will benefit from a four-wheel drive, dual-motor setup rated at up to 600 ponies. All versions regardless of output will be equipped with an 880-pound battery pack built into the floor pan.

All EVA-based models will boast an adaptive suspension, wheel-selective brake energy recuperation, and torque vectoring. It’s not too far-fetched to speculate they’ll also be offered with the semi-autonomous technology that’s available on many members of the Mercedes lineup today.

Set to arrive in 2018, the first model built on the EVA platform will be a mid-sized sedan positioned between the C-Class and the E-Class in terms of size. It will be followed by a similarly-sized crossover that will slot in between the GLC and the GLC, a bigger sedan, and a bigger crossover. Car magazine reports that a S-Class-sized model and a SUV bigger than the recently-introduced GLS are also in the works, but they’re not expected to arrive until the next decade.

Note: Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive pictured.

BMW, a company whose slogan is “the ultimate driving machine,” might celebrate its 100th anniversary by unveiling a fully autonomous concept.

The yet-unnamed concept will primarily be built to showcase the Munich-based car maker’s self-driving technology. The software will essentially be ready for production, but it will be installed in a concept that’s expected to boast a highly futuristic look. Whether it will be a coupe, a sedan, a SUV, or something else entirely is anyone’s guess at this point.

Ian Robertson, BMW’s head of sales and marketing, told British magazine Autocar the rumored concept doesn’t indicate a fully-autonomous BMW is right around the corner. He points out the technology still has many legal and moral obstacles to clear before it enters production, and he expects that its arrival is at least 15 years away.

“In a situation where a truck is going to hit your car, what does the autonomous car decide to do: save you by swerving out of the way, swerve into the path of another vehicle and possibly kill someone, or hit a pedestrian, or does it simply decide that, yes, the truck is going to hit you? We’re not ready for that,” said Robertson.

BMW will celebrate its 100th anniversary on March 7th, so more details about what kind of party the company is preparing will trickle out in the coming months.

What’s next?
BMW is open to the idea of building an all-electric high-performance coupe, but executives explain the model won’t arrive in time for the centennial celebrations because battery technology hasn’t reached the point where offering buyers range and performance in a lightweight package is possible. Finally, the company has ruled out building a V8- or V10-powered sports car.