By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

With one of the longest, most awkward names attatched to it, the Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel will be shown off to the assembled auto press during media days at the Chicago Auto Show.

The long-awaited diesel-powered compact looks promising on paper... it uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine with 148 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque available at just 2,000 rpm. Under certain conditions, the engine can provide up to 280 lb-ft for about 10 seconds on 'overboost'... We know all American Cruze diesels will only be available with a six-speed automatic transmission, but we're hoping Canadian versions might offer the six-speed manual sold in other markets.

According to Chevrolet, the Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel does the 0-60 mph sprint in 8.6 seconds and will hit 42 mpg (US) on the highway. Emissions exceed Tier 2 Bin 5 standards thanks to technology and filters adapted from the Duramax heavy-duty pickups, which includes a urea-based exhaust treatment. The 17-litre tank lasts at least 16,000 km and is timed to be refilled during your regular oil changes; however, the tank does eat slightly into the trunk space.

Pricing in the United States starts at $25,700, or about $2,600 more than a loaded gas-powered Cruze LTZ or a base Volkswagen Jetta TDI, which obviously is the Chevrolet's biggest target. Here's hoping the Canadian strategy differs by offering a stripper model with cloth seats and fewer features to get it closer to the Jetta TDI's $24,000 (CDN) price tag.

Would you consider a turbo-diesel Chevrolet over a Volkswagen? Would the Cruze TD 2.0 make you a believer or does it just want to make you run even farther from General Motors? Let us know!

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

While we've known for a while that Ford officially pulled its factory effort from the World Rally Championship after decades of steady support, at least one other manufacturer has jumped into the messy fray. Volkswagen is the latest to go full-time with its newly-developed Polo R machines, and found quick success last week during the WRC's opener in Monte Carlo.

eThe legendary Monte Carlo is generally a 'tarmac' (read: paved) event that sometimes sees some snow and ice at higher elevations. But this year, every day was thick with freezing rain, heavy snow, and just horrible conditions threw everyone for a loop and forced organizers to cancel the final two stages.

Citroen rally monster and nine-time WRC champion Sebastien Loeb of course kept his cool and won the event, but VW's Sebastien Ogier was an incredible second. Loeb's Citroen teammate Dani Sordo ended up third, while the other Polo R driven by Jari-Matti Latvala retired late in the rally. 

As background, WRC cars are based on production shells taken straight from a manufacturer, but now bear little relation to their road-going cousins. Power comes from turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinders with around 300 horsepower, sequential transmissions and all-wheel drive.

Next up is the Rally Sweden held from February 7-10 where it'll most certainly be even colder than in Monaco...

Jim Motavalli, AutoWeek

Who would have thought it: After decades of resistance, Americans are starting to realize that today's smooth-running, fuel-efficient diesel cars bear little resemblance to the smelly, polluting slowpokes of old. According to recent sales information, clean diesel sales have jumped more than 25 percent so far in 2012. In October alone, they were up 21 per cent over the same month a year earlier. CNW Research of Brandon, Ore., reports the number of consumers considering diesels rose from 13 percent in 2006 to 28 percent in 2011.

So what happened to the diesel? It's fair to say that it cleaned up its act. Since 2007, new diesels have had to run on ultra-low-sulfur fuel (ULSD). It's a dramatic environmental change. According to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance, switching to ULSD will have the same effect as “removing the pollution from more than 90 percent of today's trucks and buses, when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet has been completely replaced in 2030.”

Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, says that today's entries “meet the same stringent standards as hybrids or other passenger cars. There's no longer a question as to whether diesel is a clean technology.”

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

Billed as motorsport's answer to an All-Star game, the Race of Champions is an annual racing extravaganza that pits top drivers and titlists from all corners of the globe against each other. This year is extra special since it's the ROC's 25th anniversary, and the event is making its first trip to Thailand, using the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok as a temporary track.

The ROC format is pretty simple: drivers race each other in identical cars around a mirrored track that includes a couple crossovers. Whoever beats the other to the line wins and it's best two out of three. The vehicles this year include some regulars, like the specially built ROC 'buggy' and KTM X-Bow, and newcomers like the Lamborghini Gallardo Super Trofeo, Toyota GT86 (our Scion FR-S) and a NASCAR-esque "Euro-racecar."

There are 12 invited drivers that are joined by few more local heros who can get to the ROC by winning a pre-qualifying event... The Saturday features the Nations Cup where drivers are split off into teams based on their country/region while Sunday is simply every driver for themselves. 

Some of the heavyweights included this year include Formula 1 champions like Sebastien Vettel, Micheal Schumacher, Le Mans legends like Tom Kristensen, rally stars like Sebastien Ogier, and IndyCar champ Ryan Hunter-Reay... 

While live television coverage can be iffy to find, the online Drive Channel will be covering both Saturday and Sunday starting at 7 p.m. eastern time both days.

By Greg Kable, AutoWeek

Senior Volkswagen officials have confirmed plans to reveal a seven-seat SUV concept at the 2013 Detroit auto show.

Speaking to Autoweek at this week's Sao Paulo auto show, a Volkswagen manager who asked not to be identified said the German carmaker was preparing to take public a new concept that presages an upcoming Passat-based SUV to be produced at the company's Chattanooga production plant in Tennessee.

By Greg Kable, AutoWeek

Volkswagen has revealed its intention to join the burgeoning compact SUV ranks with the Taigun concept revealed at the Sao Paulo motor show in Brazil.

The four-seat Taigun previews the look and mechanical layout for a new Volkswagen model to be positioned and priced below the popular Tiguan. The new SUV will be launched toward the middle of the decade as a rival to vehicles such as the Mini Countryman, Nissan Juke and Chevrolet Trax.

By showing the Taigun two years before its planned market introduction, Volkswagen hopes to receive valuable feedback from potential customers. The Taigun is set to provide the basis for a new family of vehicles, including similar-sized offerings from Seat, Skoda and possibly Audi.

Although the concept is described as a tribute to the Brazilian market, the head of Volkswagen research and development, Ulrich Hackenberg, confirms the upcoming production version of the new SUV is "not only planned to be sold in South America but around the world."

By Dale Jewett, AutoWeek

The convertible version of the Volkswagen Beetle gets a debut at the Los Angeles auto show in late November, shortly before the car goes on sale.

The launch of the 2013 VW Beetle convertible trails the arrival of the redesigned Beetle coupe by about a year. Both Beetles use VW's PQ35 front-drive platform that is shared with the current Jetta.

VW says the Beetle convertible's folding cloth top can be raised or lowered in about 10 seconds.

Safety equipment includes rollover bars concealed behind the back bench seat. If the car's safety system senses a crash, the rollover bars are deployed.

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

Few cars have as long and consistent a history as the Volkswagen Golf. Hatchback utility, conservative styling, European driving style, and reasonably well screwed together. Now, VW has revealed photos and a few details on its upcoming seventh-generation Golf that'll debut in Europe this fall before hitting North American shores later in 2013. 

The Golf's design evolution is plainly that: an evolution. No radical changes for the latest model, more a massaging of the sixth-gen's themes. A cleaner grille, sharp headlights with U-shaped LED details, and larger wheels, while the taillights angle upwards a bit in the middle, and the rear bumper and valance are cleaned up too. 

The interior looks like it's been significantly polished, and - at least in photos - appears that the dash and center stack appear angled slightly more towards the driver than before. Also a new steering wheel looks to be nicer to hold.

Under the skin you'll find the largest change - the new Golf uses a version of the corporate MQB platform that'll also be adapted for front-drive cars from Audi, Skoda and Seat. It allows the latest Golf to be five centimetres longer with a similar stretch in wheelbase, but is up to 100 kg lighter model-to-model than the MKVI. Some of that extra space will be transferred to the cabin with more rear knee- and shoulder room.

We'd bet that the aging 2.5-litre five-cylinder in base North American Golf models will be replaced with a smaller four-cylinder turbo for better punch and economy, while some version of the excellent and thrifty TDI turbo-diesel will be optional. More driver-oriented trims - GTI and R - will follow eventually.

What do you think? Would this push Volkswagen onto your radar to consider? Or do tech-heavy German cars just make you a little leery? Let us know.

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

I am a sucker for convertibles. There's nothing I love more than getting closer to the outside - the wind, the noise, the sun. It's fantastic. My first 'official' test drive happened in my first job out of J-school in the early '00s, and I was given a Mitsubishi Eclipse Convertible for a few days' evaluation. Unfortunately, it was late October, and the weather that week had been pouring rain for most of that. Thankfully, the final day ended up being clear, but cold. Maybe a high of three or four degrees, and certainly colder than that during my commute in to work.

Needless to say, I got prepared with a thick toque, scarf, gloves and jacket, put the driver's seat as low as it would go, turn on the seat warmers and cranked the heat. It was definintely chilly, but what a crisp memory! The stares from other drivers were the best part...

The first ride I can remember taking in a drop-top was when I was maybe six or seven, and an aunt and uncle were dropping by our house outside Ottawa. They owned a small British sports car - I remember it being dark brown, but not much more detail than that. Maybe a Triumph Spitfire? Don't think it was an MG. Anyway, while my aunt was chatting with my parents, my uncle found me playing with my Transformers, put a finger to his lips and pointed outside. We both snuck outside like  ninjas to the roadster, and he proceeded to push it out the driveway and started it a little farther down the street so no one inside would be the wiser. I don't remember much more about the drive, but I mentioned this story to my father a few months ago and he swore he'd never known.

Now that I'm a father myself, I'd been trying to figure out how best to give my daughter that same experience (minus the sneaking off, of course). She's now the perfect age to enjoy and appreciate the drive... The 'what car' question was solved when an arrest-me-red Volkswagen Eos - a coupe that turns into a convertible thanks to a mechanical ballet of metal, glass and plastic. Putting her car seat into the back was just about the easiest ever because I didn't have to duck or twist to avoid banging my head on the non-existant roof.

Anyway, that first drive around the block - done at very low speeds with the windows up, by the way - and she was laughing and having a great time. When my wife joined us later, she snapped the picture above. I'm happy that she was ecstatic and that she'll love convertibles as much as I do.

So tell us about your first ride in a drop-top! Fun or fear? Let us know in the comments.

By Greg Kable, AutoWeek

Volkswagen is not finished with plans to extend the Jetta portfolio.

The suits inside the Wolfsburg, Germany, headquarters are mulling a plan for a crossover version of the future Jetta SportWagen along the lines of the recently introduced Alltrack concept.

“We think there is definite sales potential in North America and other world markets for a new lifestyle-targeted Jetta model,” a senior Volkswagen source divulged. “It could be based on the successor to [the] existing model.”