Five for Friday: Five Thoughts About the Auto Industry for December 9, 2011

The 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque has made quite an impression amongst compact luxury suv fans. The crossover, which features a coupe-like roofline and the availability of a two-door body style could be on the verge of spawning a beefed up copy of itself to fill out the Range Rover lineup and provide mid-size buyers with a swoopy premium ride of their own. Autocar is reporting that Land Rover is very interested in stretching the current Evoque platform to create a larger model that would offer better rear passenger room and potentially the option of a third row of seating.

A four-cylinder engine would remain standard under the hood, although the bigger Range Rover Evoque would most likely move to a new 1.8-liter motor that might not share any technology with the current EcoBoost unit found in the compact model. A hybrid Evoque could also be in the cards.

A familiar name with a foreign face: expect this to become a common theme at Chrysler as the domestic automaker continues to blend its range of vehicle platforms and badges with those of corporate parent Fiat. The latest result of this strategy is the upcoming 2013 Dodge Dart, which makes an homage to the small car last sold in the United States in 1976. The compact sedan enjoyed a reputation as an economical (and occasionally muscular) automobile.

The Automotive News explains that the 2013 Dodge Dart will borrow its underpinnings and at least some of its styling from the Alfa Romeo Giulietta sedan, and the car's main focus will be fuel economy. The Dodge Dart is expected to provide 40 miles per gallon on the highway, will feature four-cylinder engines ranging from a 1.4-liter turbo on up to a 2.4-liter unit and could also offer an optional nine-speed automatic transmission. A six-speed dual-clutch automated manual will additionally be available with the new sedan.

January's North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan will see General Motors make its typical splash, with several new models being introduced at the upcoming festivities. Of these, one of the most interesting is a compact crossover that will join the Buick lineup.

The vehicle, which is based on the same platform that underpins the subcompact Chevrolet Sonic, is still largely a secret. It will most likely appear as a 2013 model, and it will give the brand a counterpoint to the much larger, full-size Buick Enclave that enjoys comfortable sales and a good reputation amongst premium crossover shoppers. Inside Line predicts that the new Buick will share at least some of its styling cues with the bold Buick Envision crossover that was unveiled at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show.

Despite facing consumer apathy in the United States, Smart will be bringing a subcompact pickup truck concept to the Detroit auto show to try to kick-start the brand's uninspiring performance on this side of the Atlantic. Dubbed the "Smart-for-us," it features a longer wheelbase and a wider track, but maintains the diminutive dimensions that have become the hallmark of Smart's only other American offering the Smart Fortwo coupe, measuring in at 11.6 feet in length The pickup can seat a pair of occupants, offers a cargo bed that is just under three feet in length and makes use of the same 75 horsepower electric motor that will be employed on the smart fortwo electric drive coupe when it goes on sale in 2012.

American drivers have stayed away from the Smart Fortwo for a number of reasons, including lackluster fuel economy, limited practicality and an unusual semi-automated transmission design that has a poor reputation for smoothness. It seems unlikely that an electric pickup truck of dubious utility will be the product that turns things around for Smart in the United States.

The Lotus Exige coupe and the Lotus Elise roadster have been forced out of the U.S. market due to the expiration of the small manufacturer's exemption that allowed the British automaker to sell these ultra-lightweight sports cars without having to install a smart airbag system. The DuPont Registry is reporting that there may be hope for fans of the compact performance cars in the form of a special version of the Exige that would be offered to American drivers as a limited edition.

There is a catch, however - the new Exige would not be legal for street driving in the United States. Should it actually go on sale, the 2012 Lotus Exige S would feature a supercharged, 3.5-liter V-6 pushing out 345 horsepower, which would be an almost triple-digit improvement over the most powerful 2011 version of the Lotus. The slightly heavier Exige S would hit 60 miles per hour in under four seconds, top out at 170 miles per hour and come with a number of competition-inspired suspension, engine management and aerodynamic options.