Except for the efforts of a few carmakers such as Mazda and Toyota, concept vehicle design has increasingly become a way to preview production cars in recent years. The Suzuki Kizashi 3 is an excellent example of this school of thought, but unlike some of its more mundane cohorts the Kizashi blends a fresh and edgy concept-like look with the real-world, production-ready look of a street car.

The quintessential all-wheel drive luxury performance midsize sedan, the Audi RS4, will soon be joined by the new RS5 coupe. Expected to debut in the first quarter of 2009 ahead of a Geneva Motor Show debut, the car will refresh Audi’s challenge to its German cohorts’ offerings in the mid-range high-performance coupe segment.

High-powered variants of standard cars, be they luxury or more budget-oriented, have long been a staple of the automotive industry. Tough economic conditions and high oil prices have made those models somewhat less practical of late, however, and Audi is adjusting its approach to fit the times. Instead of going after larger-displacement engines, the company is adding forced-induction to smaller engines for its next round of high-performance small cars, including all-new RS versions of the TT and A3.

A whole range of Prius-branded hybrids are expected to emerge from Toyota’s development labs over the next several years, and an all-new version of the original Prius sedan will lead the way. Seen recently for the first time in public, these spy images reveal that while much will stay the same in the design of the world’s best-selling hybrid car, several significant changes are also planned.

Hyundai’s planned replacement for the Getz hatchback overseas, the upcoming i20, has been spotted testing ahead of its global market launch, expected early next year. The i20 hasn’t yet been confirmed for Australian sale, but the current Getz is Hyundai’s single most popular model on the market, and though it lags slightly behind Toyota’s Yaris, it trounces the competing Volkswagen Polo, Honda Jazz and Ford Fiesta in annual sales, and its importance to Hyundai Australia’s lineup is strong.

The European Commission has finally given permission for Porsche to acquire control of the Volkswagen Group, something the German sports carmaker previously confirmed it would do before the end of the year. Porsche’s supervisory body authorised the purchase of a majority stake in Volkswagen, about $15.73 billion worth of shares, as far back as March. The purchase would take Porsche’s current holding of about 31% beyond the 50% mark, giving it almost total control of the entire Volkswagen Group.

While American carmakers are intent on slashing their duplicative and excessively diverse product lines, European companies are issuing a new proliferation of models. Porsche, having established its Cayenne SUV line against strong opposition from brand purists, will be adding its first sedan - the Panamera - soon, and now our spy photographers have captured the next-generation Cayenne in testing. The new, smaller Cayenne will be a more performance-oriented model while also offering more fuel-efficient options.

Porsche's 911 is the company's all-time best-selling model, with one of the richest histories in all of motoring. The current 997 generation of the 911 is in the middle of its product cycle, part way through a facelift updating it with the latest dual-clutch and direct-injection technology. The next-generation 998 model, shown here in testing, is already being developed by engineers to take the car to new technological and performance heights.

A new type of vehicle, dubbed the Progressive Activity Sedan (PAS), is set to issue from BMW’s creative design centre at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. Continuing the proliferation of new automotive niche vehicles such as the crossover utility vehicle, the sports activity vehicle and the more established SUV, the PAS is expected to add a more car-like capable element to BMW’s already extensive lineup of soft-roaders.