Following closely on the launch of the 2008 Challenger SRT8 come the rest of the Challenger family, bowing this fall as 2009 models. The two new siblings are the Challenger SE and R/T, the former powered by a 250-bhp 3.5-liter V-6 and the latter by a 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 making 370 bhp.

The entry-level SE is equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission, 17-in. wheels and tires, along with a host of standard equipment including side-curtain airbags, 60/40 split fold-down rear seats, AM/FM stereo with CD and MP3 capability, air conditioning, power locks and tilt/telescope steering.

The more potent R/T is offered with a choice of a 5-speed automatic or 6-speed manual transmission with the traditional “pistol grip” shifter. That manual gearbox, a Tremec 6060, will also be offered on 2009 SRT8, which boasts 425 bhp from its 6.1-liter Hemi V-8. The limited run of some 6000 ‘08 versions of the SRT8 are equipped only with the 5-speed automatic. The new 6-speed manual comes with standard Hill Start Assist (HAS), which helps the driver launch the car without rolling backwards on an incline.

Near the end of the 2009 model run, Dodge will offer the Challenger Classic R/T package featuring a blue paint scheme with wide black side striping, script-style badging and exclusive 20-in. 5-spoke alloy wheels.

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The full-size Expedition SUV, which is built on the same platform as the Ford F-150 truck, was new for 2007, with a host of new standard gear including standard side-impact airbags and a three-row Safety Canopy rollover detection system with stability control.

The Expedition also comes in an extended-wheelbase Expedition EL offering 14.8 inches of additional overall length and 130.8 cubic feet of cargo space - including 24 cubic feet more behind the third-row seat than the standard Expedition. The Expedition EL rides on a 131-inch wheelbase, 12 inches longer than the standard Expedition.

All versions are powered by 310-horsepower 5.4-liter V-8 engine teamed up with a new six-speed automatic transmission and either rear- or four-wheel drive.

For 2008 a King Ranch edition returns to the lineup with special trim and a unique leather interior. A rearview camera system is optional, as are 18-inch chromed wheels on XLT models. A keyless entry keypad, electrochromic rearview mirror, heated power mirrors, auxiliary A/C, an overhead console, illuminated visors, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel are now standard on all Expedition models. And on Limited and King Ranch Expeditions, the following items are standard as well: power adjustable pedals, power rear-quarter windows, a universal garage door opener, and a reverse sensing system.

The Expedition also offers an optional touch-screen DVD-based navigation with 6.5-inch color touch screen and voice activation, and a 340-watt AM/FM audio system with MP3 capability and in-dash six-CD changer with six premium speakers, plus a subwoofer. An iPod jack is standard.

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The Verve concepts become Fiestas in production.

We were okay with the Verve name, but Ford has decided to go with a tried-and-true global name for the small car it will sell in virtually every market, including the U.S. So when the Verve concept goes into production, it will be known as the Ford Fiesta.

There are three distinct variations of the subcompact, or B-segment, Fiesta for Europe, Asia/Pacifica, and North America—all to be launched by 2010.

At the 2008 Geneva auto show, Ford of Europe shows the three- and five-door Fiestas for that market, being assembled this fall in Cologne, Germany. Ford’s plant in Valencia, Spain, will add production next year.

Jim Farley, Ford’s head of marketing, said, “The good news is that Ford of Europe has figured out how to make premium small cars. It will be built in Valencia, Nanjing, Thailand, and Cologne. We will build it locally somewhere in the Americas.” Regarding the fact that it looks better than the Focus, he commented: “I would never advocate holding back on introducing better product and if it has an impact on our current lineup, so be it.”

Shown are the first, and exclusive, pictures of the five-door unveiled at the show, a body style which may come to the U.S. if reaction is positive. Also in our gallery are images of the three-door Fiesta that will stay on the European side of the pond.

The styling, inside and out, doesn’t veer much from the Verve concept shown at the 2007 Frankfurt auto show, including the futuristic center stack that was modeled after a cell phone and toggle switches on the steering wheel to perform many commands. The 2009 doesn’t increase in size from the current Fiesta sold in Europe, but it’s lighter through the use of lightweight, high-strength steel.

For Europe, consumers have a choice of five powertrains including a new Duratec 113-hp, 1.6-liter Ti-VCT gasoline engine. Others are 1.3-liter and 1.4-liter Duratec gasoline mills and a pair of diesels: a 1.4-liter and a 1.6-liter. Transmissions are a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic.

The Fiesta will be kind to the environment, with fewer than 100 grams per kilometer in carbon-dioxide emissions, Ford says. Much as CAFE regulations are dictating product development in the U.S., strict new emissions regulations are forcing greater degrees of efficiency in Europe.

The Fiesta is the first of what Ford says will be many global products, under the mandate of CEO Alan Mulally, who has criticized the regional development process that was in place before he joined the company. All versions of the Fiesta were designed and developed in Europe and are based on the Mazda 2.

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Powertrain Shared with Tahoe and Yukon Hybrids

Like the Tahoe and Yukon gas-electrics, the Escalade hybrid will be a two-mode hybrid that supplements GM’s venerable 6.0-liter V-8 with power from two electric motors. At low speeds, the vehicle can run on batteries only, the engine only, or a combination of both. At higher speeds, another operating mode engages the electric motors and the cylinder deactivation system for more efficient operation. GM claims that harmful emissions will drop significantly, and fuel economy will be boosted by some 25 percent compared with utes equipped with the 5.3-liter V-8. The fuel-economy disparity with the standard Escalade, which comes with the gluttonous 403-hp, 6.2-liter V-8, should be even more significant.

Styling Changes

The vehicle we saw was basically a working prototype that looked pretty much identical to the standard Escalade. We’re told, however, that some changes will be made to the grille and front bumper to create a distinction between the hybrid and the more hedonistic standard model. After all, what’s the point of driving a hybrid in Hollywood if you can’t show the thing off? No changes are expected for the interior, however—the wood is already fake.

The Escalade hybrid is expected to go on sale in April or May of 2008 as a 2009 model, but you can bet your spirulina-infused wheat-grass protein shake that several dozen preproduction vehicles will be available in early March to shuttle the superstars up and down L.A.’s busy boulevards during Oscar week 2008.

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