It might be cold consolation to those of us desperate for a Scirocco in the States, but the Volkswagen Compact Coupe Concept has the potential to fill that particular hatch-shaped hole in our hearts – with a bit of green cred to boot.

With a sharper, more sculpted front fascia than its Golf and Jetta siblings, a deep swage line running the length of the sides and a rather anonymous (exhaust-less) rump, the Compact Coupe – as we mentioned earlier – comes across as the poor man’s Audi A5. And the interior is something to behold.

Not only does it put the segment stalwarts to shame in both style and space, VW took pains to make the rear seats actually habitable. There’s ample leg room and a trick center console with independent climate controls for both passengers, a quad-zone setup we hope makes the transition to production.

Although there’s sure to be countless variants of the Coupe when it arrives in production guise (were sure a few versions of the 2.0T will find their way underhood), in the “concept” motivation is provided by a 1.4-liter TSI inline-four, putting out 150 horsepower and 110 pound-feet of torque. However, when partnered with its hybrid system (a 20-kilowatt electric motor drawing pour from a lithium ion battery), output is boosted by 27 ponies to 177 hp and an equal amount of torque. VW estimates that U.S. mileage should average around 45 mpg and with its hybrid setup, the Concept Coupe can be driven in full electric mode for an unspecified range. With it’s seven-speed dual clutch gearbox, VW pegs the Coupe’s 0-60 time at 8.1 seconds, with a top speed of 141 mph.

Although VW claims the Coupe is only a concept at this stage, the level of detail and V-Dub’s lack of a credible coupe offering indicates that a production version should be on the way. And if VW’s smart, they’ll ditch the slow-selling Eos and offer a retractable soft-top version a few years after the Coupe hits the market.

Honda CEO Takanobu Ito announced earlier this week that Acura will add a hybrid drivetrain to its models. Ito made the announcement at the Detroit auto show, during the unveiling of its new sporty compact Honda CR-Z hybrid model. He provided no further details.

In December 1999, Honda became the first car company to introduce a hybrid in the United States. It also was the first company to introduce a hybrid system in a conventional model, when it began selling the Honda Civic Hybrid in 2002. However, last year, it nearly lost the second place position in the hybrid market—behind Toyota—when the company failed to reach sales goals for the 2010 Honda Insight. Strong consumer interest in the award-winning 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid helped Ford come within a few thousand units of bypassing Honda in hybrid sales.

Honda is expected to attempt a comeback with hybrids. Ito said, “We will apply hybrid systems which are compact, lightweight and affordable to a wider range of products in the near future.”

The Volkswagen Touareg hybrid is now just a few months away from production, but the crew in Wolfsburg are staying busy by cranking out small concept vehicles with hybrid powertrains. The latest that debuts here at the Detroit Auto Show this morning is called the New Compact Coupe (NCC), a handsome hybrid coupe that looks remarkably production-ready. Designed to slot globally between the not-for-North-America Scirocco and the rakish CC, we could see a serial version of the NCC competing well here in the States with coupes like the Honda Accord and Nissan Altima.

In showcar guise, the NCC features Volkswagen’s 1.4-liter TSI inline-four with 148 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. The hybrid system uses the same basic architecture (if not dimensions) as the recent L1 and Up-Lite concepts from Frankfurt and Los Angeles. In this case, a 20-kilowatt electric motor is sandwiched between the engine and the seven-speed DSG dual clutch gearbox. A 1.1 kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery in the back of the car provides electrical energy storage for electric drive, electric boost and regenerative braking. The system also allows for the complete decoupling of the transmission for enhanced coasting even at highway speeds, although it isn’t immediately clear from the press release if the electric motor will push the NCC along for extended periods as it does with Volkswagen Audi Group’s Porsche Cayenne Hybrid system. Either way, VW is estimating the NCC’s mileage at 45 miles per gallon based on EPA test procedures with the EU numbers coming in at 56 mpg (U.S.) and 98 g/km of CO2. Acceleration to 60 mph is ballparked at 8.1 seconds and top speed is pegged at 141 mph.

The car itself is virtually the same size as the current Jetta except for wheelbase length and overall height (the concept has three more inches between the axles and the roof is two inches lower), and it may well be a preview of what to expect from the next-generation Jetta. Recently there have been rumors circulating that VW plans to revive the Jetta coupe, a model that hasn’t been in the lineup since the late ’80s. A production version of this poor-man’s Audi A5 could well be that car, although VW officials aren’t talking. Similarly, the forthcoming Tennessee-built New Medium Sedan is expected with both diesel and hybrid powertrains and the same could be the case for the next Jetta. While you wait, you can check out our high-res gallery below and VW’s official press verbiage available after the jump.

[Source: Volkswagen via World Car Fans]

If you want to maximize you fuel efficiency in the city, your best bet is probably a hybrid. On the flip side of the coin, if you do most of your driving on the open road, diesel engines tend to be much more economical than their gasoline-powered siblings. What if you could combine the two, though, and end up with the best of both worlds?

While it would hardly be the first automaker to embark down that path, Autocar is reporting that General Motors is working on a diesel hybrid powertrain that could see production in various Opel and Vauxhall models (such as the Astra and Insignia) sometime after 2012. Sounds good, right? Of course, there are problems to work out.

One thing that’s holding all major automakers back from diesel hybrids are both development and production costs, which can be substantial since both diesels and hybrids already carry a premium over gasoline-burning engines. Maurizio Cisternino, GM of Europe’s advanced technology chief engineer, has reportedly told the UK publication that the automaker is aiming for a premium of 1,000 euros (£880 or about $1,400 U.S. at current exchange rates) for the diesel hybrid over traditional hybrids, something that would be quite an achievement.

If the hybrid powertrain does come to fruition, expect it to be paired with GM’s upcoming 1.6-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder, a special version of which is said to be prepared with computer controls that are compatible with The General’s hybrid systems. It’s also possible that a diesel engine will at some point be coupled to the automaker’s Voltec powertrain as seen in the Chevrolet Volt and Opel Ampera.

[Source: Autocar]

If a report from Autosport Japan is to be believed, Porsche could be readying a hybrid version of its 911 GT3 for this May’s 24 Hours of Nürburgring race.

With a gas-electric Cayenne on the way next year and a Panamera hybrid in development, the rumor of a race-spec hybrid doesn’t seem that far-fetched considering Porsche’s proclivity for migrating it’s racing knowhow from the track to the road (although it’s a bit backwards in this application). Regardless, Porsche hasn’t confirmed the hybrid’s participation in the enduro yet, but rumors have been circulating that the automaker will use the knowledge it gleans from the ‘Ring race to campaign a GT3 hybrid in the 2011 ALMS season, with a possible running at the 24 Hours of Le Mans the same year.

[Source: Autosport Japan via LeBlogAuto]

Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen doesn’t seem to be a big fan of electric vehicles, yet the four-ringed automaker appears to be warming to the green tech. Since de Nysschen’s assault on the Chevrolet Volt (and electric vehicles in general), the German luxury automaker has unveiled the sweet-looking eTron concept, and it is now officially confirming that it will venture into the hybrid market.

Audi published a press release today touting the billions of euros it is spending to increase its product portfolio from 34 models to 42 in 2015. One of the info-bits buried within the text is the promised 2011 arrival of a Q5 hybrid, a development first rumored back in May. The hybrid Q5 would be Audi’s first full hybrid vehicle, giving the German luxury car maker an entry in the growing green scene. Audi didn’t take the opportunity to provide any details about powertrains or battery types, but it does say that the Q5 hybrid would be officially unveiled by the end of 2010.

Audi has in the past said that it didn’t plan to go all-in on hybrids due to the fact that the German automaker feels diesels make more sense both financially and in terms of practicality, particularly for the U.S. market. While most of us around AB agree with this thought process, we think that if Audi has decided to pursue gas-electric models anyway, the hot-selling Q5 should make a good first hybrid – especially as its size will enable Audi engineers to more easily fit an electric motor and a battery pack into its CUV proportions. Further, the Q5’s somewhat hefty price tag might help hide some of the added cost associated with a hybrid powertrain. Hit the jump to read over the official verbiage.

[Source: Audi]