After a lovely dinner at B.B. King's in downtown Memphis and a good rest, we're back on the road with the Audi Mileage Marathon. Today's drive will take us from Memphis to Dallas by way of Little Rock, where we will stop for lunch.

So far, our Q7 has averaged fuel economy numbers of 28.8 miles per gallon. One other car got the same readings, so we're tied for best fuel economy. Our average speed, however, is a bit below the curve. We've averaged 60 miles per hour thus far, though our attempts at drafting behind semis and using the adaptive cruise control have indeed aided our MPGs.

As for the other cars, the leading A4 is averaging 44.8 miles per gallon at 61 mph, the leading Q5 is averaging 38.5 mpg at 59 mph, and the (only) A3 is getting readings of 41.1 mpg at 59 mph. Stay tuned to see how these numbers change throughout the rest of our drive.

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Say this for Mazda designers; they certainly know how to get some serious mileage from a single design theme. Casting its tried and true Nagare styling language into the form of a highly efficient city car, Mazda came up with the flowing Kiyora for the Paris show. The concept may look radical, but it is powered by a truly conventional small four-cylinder engine; relying more on a slippery shape and lightness to make mpg headway.

Have a closer look at the Kiyora in our huge live image gallery of the concept above.

We've now driven about 250 miles on our way from Chicago to Memphis in the Q7 3.0 TDI and things are going well. We haven't made any attempts to draft behind eighteen-wheelers or do any other sort of fuel-saving techniques, and we've been able to observe fuel economy numbers of 28.6 miles per gallon. This seems to be in line with some of the higher MPG numbers that the Q7 groups achieved on the first wave of the event.

We'll be sure to give more updates as we continue on with the Audi Mileage Marathon, and hopefully the NextAutos team can win the first place rank for fuel consumption in the Q7.

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Mini offered up its Crossover Concept vehicle at last week’s media preview of the 2008 Paris Motor Show, showing off the first version of the car that will likely morph into a fourth model for the popular small car brand. We got down with the details of the car long before we flew to Paris (read that post here), but though it wise to take a minute to share some of the live images we brought back with us. Take a look above.

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We’ve seen plenty of spy shots of the 2010 Mazda3, but now the automaker has released the first official images of its new pivotal compact. The overhead front photo of a sedan variant came bundled with a press release confirming that the sedan will debut on November 19 at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, while the five-door model will roll out elsewhere on the international show circuit.

Although no real specifics were divulged, the Mazda3 is expected to be marginally longer and wider than the outgoing car, and it will once again be available in America with a choice of two four-cylinder engines, a 2.0-liter and a 2.5-liter, both with direct-injection.

What do you think of the 3’s new duds? Check out the official press release below, then drop us a line in ‘Comments.’

We've landed in Chicago and are eagerly awaiting the start of the second leg of the Audi Mileage marathon. So far, the Q7s, Q5s, A4s, and A3s have traveled from New York to Chicago by way of Washington, D.C. and Cleveland. We depart tomorrow morning for our first stint of the drive which takes us from the Windy City into Memphis, Tennessee.

We'll be sure to post more updates from the road about our time in these Audi diesels, including how our fuel economy figures are holding up. Stay tuned.

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Great news! We took delivery of our long-term Volkswagen Jetta TDI this morning, and we're quite excited about spending the next 365 days with the little diesel-burner. Since we normally only keep cars in our test fleet for a week or two, it will be interesting to see how our Jetta holds up after one year of driving. More importantly, we're curious to see what kind of overall fuel economy numbers are observed.

Since the Jetta will indeed become a trusty steed for our staff, we'd like to give it some extra personal touches, including a name. Thus, we're looking to you, our readers, for suggestions on what to name our Laser Blue Jetta TDI. Leave a comment with your best suggestion for a name, and if your name is picked, we'll send you some free Winding Road swag, including a couple of t-shirts, mugs, pins, and keychains.

Click through the images in the gallery above to see a bunch of shots of our new long-term Jetta TDI.

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Tata Motors announced today that the mother plant for the Nano will be relocated to Sanand in Gujarat, India. The plant will take up nearly 1100 acres of space and Tata hopes to crank out roughly 250,000 Nanos each year from this location, though the plant's capacity allows for around 500,000 cars to be produced each year. This new plant is said to generate over 10,000 direct and indirect jobs.

While this new plant is being built, Tata Motors will look into the possibility of manufacturing the Nano at its existing facilities at Pune and Pantnagar. The car is expected to launch in the last quarter of 2008.

Click through the post to read Tata Motors' official press release.

Today marks the start of the 2008 Audi Mileage Marathon, a cross-country drive featuring the latest clean diesel offerings from Audi, including the U.S.-bound Q7 3.0 TDI set to hit dealerships next year. This drive will cover more than 4800 miles between October 6th and 20th and twenty-three Audi TDI vehicles will participate in the rally.

Other vehicles included in the Mileage Marathon are the new Q5 3.0 TDI, A4 3.0 TDI, and A3 2.0 TDI Sportback. While it's not confirmed if any of these models will be making their way to the States, we're looking forward to experiencing the performance and fuel efficiency that these TDI cars offer.

The NextAutos team will be jumping on board the Mileage Marathon later this week. We'll be posting pictures and impressions live from the road, so stay tuned for further updates. In the meantime, click through the post to read Audi's official press release -- and check the list of towns we'll be stopping through, as well.

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Sure, you may remember the Lexus LF-Xh hybrid crossover concept from last year’s Tokyo Motor Show but if you’re anything like the wild concept car mavens at Lexus, you’ve probably been wondering how good it might look clad entirely in flat black.

We tease, but Lexus did reprise the LF-Xh for the Paris crowd, and the car which the automaker promises will foreshadow the replacement vehicle for the current RX looked pretty hot in its new duds. Under the hood the Prince of Darkness Lexus still offers the same combination of electric motors and V-6 power that it did in Japan. Have a further look at the concept in our gallery above.

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Honda Insight Concept Arrives in Paris

Honda debuted its new Insight hybrid concept today, and while we were happy to find that the car looked less like Toyota’s Prius in person than it had in photos, it is a bit disheartening to think that many of the elements that strongly set the two apart will likely be gone when Honda brings the car to market. The radical multi-element lights and slick allow wheels are likely to fall into the concept car dustbin of history, leaving the future Insight just a bit less desirable than its fancy concept forbearer when it makes it to dealers sometime next year.
 
We’ve got live images of Honda’s ultra-important and ultra-frugal Insight concept in our gallery above, and the full scoop from the company about the car in the press release below.

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The minimalist style and speedboat-like glass house are just two of the reasons that Saab’s 9-X Air made for a fine Paris debut today, and were also a huge hit with the company’s managing director, Jan Åke Jonsson, if our photos are any indication. Arriving at the Saab stand after the hubbub of the press conference had died down, we showed up just in time to catch Jonsson climbing into the Air concept, while making mention to some of his fellow executives that it was a car that he thought he looked good in. You go Jan Åke, work that “revolutionary Canopy Top” convertible!

Executive ego-bolstering aside, we were quite fond of the open top 9-X concept, which attempts to split the difference between the lines of a coupe and the freedom of a convertible top. The 9-X Air also manages the improbable feet of squeezing four seats into a body shape the really hides the extra space needed for that utility, a clever design trick that more automakers would do well to pay attention to. Saab claims that the car is as good for the world as it is to look at as well, with great excitement surrounding the car’s E85-burning, hybrid powertrain.

Have a look at the Saab 9-X Air (with and without Jonsson) in our gallery above, or read on below for the Saab press release.

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When we first stumbled upon spy shots of the Chevy Tacuma MPV, we knew that General Motors was in the process of creating a new family-oriented hauler. Now, official images and details have been released about the Chevrolet Orlando Concept set to debut at the Paris Motor Show later this week.

The Orlando rides on a modified version of GM's Delta II platform, shared with the new Cruze sedan. The Chevy seven-seater is powered by a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel engine which produces 150 horsepower and nearly 200 pound-feet of torque. The Orlando's interior closely follows the new design language found in the Cruze's interior, too. No word yet on if we'll see a version of the Orlando Concept in our market anytime soon, but look for cues from this concept to potentially appear on the next Chevrolet Equinox.

We'll have more details after the live unveiling in Paris, so stay tuned. Also, click through the post to read GM's official press release.

By majorly rethinking its small car concept, Toyota’s upcoming iQ city car is poised to offer new levels of space and utility in a very small package. One of the major advantages of the iQ is in the layout of its powertrain, with the differential moved ahead of the engine, the front wheels moved ahead of the crankshaft’s center line, and a much narrower transmission.

Much of these innovations are a result of Toyota’s New Small Car (NSC) program. Now reports in the September 17 issue of Autocar magazine suggest that technology from NSC is likely to find its way into another spacious and small Toyota. Company engineers are reportedly looking at a car that could replace the popular Yaris in the next three years by creating a vehicle that has a Yaris-like footprint but seats up to seven passengers. Such an improbably capacious small car would likely have to use every trick in the iQ book, including an ultra-thin fuel tank under the floor pan, and the new heating and ventilation system which is 25 percent smaller than normal.

+ Autocar

General Motors seems to be having a bit of trouble keeping all of its plug-in EV balls in the air these days, as new information from Chevrolet officials has further revised the company’s statements about how, exactly, the Volt will work.

Just a day after Chevy had clarified the Volt’s inner workings by revealing that the engine of the extended range EV wouldn’t work to charge the vehicle’s batteries after the much ballyhooed 40 mile all-electric range had been used up, a GM VP has come forward to reveal that none of that is really true. John Lauckner, GM VP for Global Program Management, told reporters today that the Volt’s 1.4-liter gasoline engine does deliver “surplus power” to the lithium-ion battery during periods of light load.

Lauckner points out that while this surplus charge from the engine will never be enough to give the battery it’s full charge back, it will be enough power for the gas powerplant to cycle back off for shorter periods of all-electric driving. That engine charging is exactly what we were told the car couldn’t do yesterday, when Chevy talking heads assured us that once the juice from the battery was gone, it would be gas power or nothing until the car was plugged back in.

If you’re curious about just what is going on at Volt HQ these days, you’re not alone. We’re waiting to hear back from GM about exactly which story is the real one, taking a few Dramamine for the spins we’ve developed in the meantime. Talk amongst yourselves (and probably us) below, in comments.

+ Edmunds Inside Line: As the Volt Turns: GM Exec Says Battery Will Recharge While Driving

Most of us here in the hopping NextAutos offices were floored by today’s revelation that the upcoming Chevy Volt isn’t going to work how we thought we knew it was going to work (read about it here). The fact of the matter is that GM hasn’t backed off its promise of 40 miles of pure electric motoring one iota, but they have significantly changed a fundamental way in which the system was supposed to operate by revealing that the gas engine wouldn’t charge the car’s massive battery bank. So the question is, does that matter at all? Is GM’s revision to the stated Volt blueprint something that would keep you from buying the car, or is the newly clarified dual-power system still just fine with you? Tell us how you break it down, in comments.

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We were front and center when General Motors launched its Volt concept car at the 2007 North American International Auto Show and we were in a similar position last week when the company rolled out the production version of the 2011 vehicle. Like most media outlets, we praised GM for taking such a bold step in creating not only a gasoline-saving vehicle, but an entirely new class of transportation—something the company has dubbed an “electric range-extended vehicle.”

Last week’s unveiling of the 2011 production car version of the Volt was met with some hubbub, mostly around a new design—with some stating that the bloom had come off the rose. While the design issue is a divided one in our office, we’re in universal agreement (and disappointment) over a new revelation in the Volt story we’ve just learned about over the last 24 hours. It seems that at some point over the last few months GM changed the powertrain story for the Volt, removing one of the concept’s groundbreaking features: the ability to charge its lithium-ion battery on the fly after the initial charge had expired.

In a press release posted by GM on January 7, 2007 (the day of the Volt’s launch at NAIAS), the company said that “when the battery is depleted…(an) engine spins at a constant speed to create electricity and replenish the battery.”

The problem is that’s no longer the case. In the production version of the Volt unveiled last week, little was made of the powertrain changes, but they were published in a press release which was later sniffed out by Edmunds' Inside Line . The new powertrain configuration has the gasoline engine providing power to the electric motor, effectively creating a “powertrain double” in which both the gasoline engine and electric motor are running in tandem when in “extended-range” mode to power the vehicle.

GM responded to inquiries about this today, saying that the change from the original method of charging the batteries on the fly to the new model of running the electric motor from gasoline occurred only recently “when plans for the production version firmed up.” Miles per gallon for the gasoline engine that will provide power to the electric motor are unknown at this point. What is known is the original press release from January 7, 2007 has been pulled from GM’s media website; the link to access it is no longer active, but it's still available on GM Europe's website as of this writing

While the detail might seem small, it is a fundamental change in the Volt story. We’re still big fans of the idea of the car but hope that between now and its on-sale date in two years it still keeps the magic alive. On a side note, our hats our tipped to the team running GM's Twitter feed (Adam and Chris, we believe) who were quick to respond to our inquiries throughout the day.

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—Santa Monica, California

As recently as just a few years ago, Volkswagen sold a wide range of diesel vehicles in the States. In fact, the company has a long history of selling oil-burners in the U.S. that dates back to the 1970s. These models were slowly jettisoned throughout the years due to stricter emissions laws, and by 2007, the Touareg V-10 was the only diesel Volkswagen that Americans could buy. However, in light of today’s higher fuel prices, the automaker is once again getting serious about broadening its turbo-diesel offerings in the States.

(Click through the post to read the full review.)

Continuing the current trend of green vehicles, Fiat has announced that it will unveil its new green label at the Paris Motor Show with fuel-efficient versions of the 500, Bravo, and Croma.

To make it's already fuel sipping cars even more economical, Fiat has implemented a series of changes. From a stop-start system, to longer gear ratios, to lower ground clearance and low-resistance tires, The Italian automaker was able to lower carbon dioxide emissions by a bit on the green label models versus their standard counterparts.

Along with the green label cars, Fiat will be bringing the Florino Qubo, a passenger derivative of the Florino Combi delivery van, to the Paris event. Built at Fiat's Tofas joint venture factory in Bursa, Turkey, The Qubo will have a much more refined interior as well as a sleeker look than the Combi. Qubo prices start at around $18,825 (from European figures) and Fiat hopes to sell around 20,000 of these each year.

+ Automotive News Europe: Fiat to unveil green label in Paris