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Now that Jaguar is safely housed under the umbrella of Tata Motors, the British marque is planning a major expansion of its current lineup. In addition to a rumored BMW 3 Series fighter, Jaguar is looking to take aim at the Mercedes-Benz CL-Class coupe with a stately two-door based off of the new-for-2011 XJ sedan. According to Automobile magazine, sources within Jaguar say that the XJ coupe will feature a pillarless greenhouse design, glass roof and will use separate sheetmetal from the sedan it's based on. Adrian Hallmark, brand manager for Jaguar in Europe, says that the two-door XJ will be "much more dynamic and emotional than a Mercedes CL." Hallmark also told Automobile that Jaguar is considering a whole slew of new models, including an XF wagon, high-end sports car based on the C-X75 concept, a crossover based on the Range Rover Evoque and even a possible shooting break version of either the next-generation XF or entry-level 3 Series competitor. [source: Automobile]

Chery has announced that it will compete in the 2010 Dakar Rally, and with that be the first Chinese automaker to participate in what

1. I was pleasantly surprised when I came across a popular Taiwanese car magazine that wrote a test review and compare the mentioned 2 cars. In Taiwan, Ford Focus is a higly regarded car. To bring in a Gen-2 to compare with it, it means the Taiwanese thinks highly of a Proton. In fact, of the past few Taiwanese Magazines I've read so far, the critics and end users are generally pleased with Proton products there. 2. The 2 cars are compared in the following departments and I briefly translated the key points of each: A)Equipment Level No kidding, Gen-2 won here depsite the fact that it was mentioned that although Gen-2 dashboard is plasticky but its dashboard display, layout & sound system are better. Gen-2 has cruise control as default. B)Performance Level Without doubt, Focus won but not by alot due to its heavy body and poor power to weight ratio. When in motion after a 0-100Km/h sprint, to accelerate from the next 0~400m, Focus is 18.3 secs and Proton is 18.7secs, so not much difference between a Duratec 1.8L and 1.6L Campro engine. C) Handling Although Focus excels in handling but owning to high CG of its tall body, it is less precise in cornering though stability is not compromised. A Gen-2 is about 1.2 ton but its has a much lower CG, outstanding chassis, very precise in cornering and it is a fun car to be in control and to be driven. D) Maintenance Here they talked about ease and cost of maintenance. Ford being a more established brand there has clear advantage over a Proton. E) Conclusion Performance and Handling wise, both cars are at par. Focus does not have an upper hand in the performance band due to its poor power to weight ratio. Both have excellent chassis and built, Gen-2 steering precision is highly commendable. 3. In the end, the editor/tester choice is Ford Focus. If a Ford Focus 1.6L is in the review, do you think it will be torn by a Gen-2? What do you guys think? Regards,