Mahindra has had its fair share of issues and delays in bringing its TR20 and TR40 diesel-powered compact pickup trucks to market here in the United States, but it seems that experience hasn’t turned the Indian automaker off from a planned launch of its Scorpio SUV in America by the end of this year.

Considering the short timetable, we would imagine the U.S.-bound Scorpio wouldn’t differ too greatly from the model that’s available in other parts of the world, but Inside Line reports (without offering sources) that a new unibody version is in the works that could replace the body-on-frame design used at present.

We’d have to assume that the U.S. version of the Scorpio would share the TR’s 2.2-liter four cylinder diesel engine – which in pickup duty is expected to return 30 miles per gallon and tow up to 1.3 tons – and that it would offer similar fuel efficient benefits wrapped in a SUV wrapper.

If there’s one single item we think the Jeep Wrangler sorely needs, it’s a new powertrain. The current 3.8-liter V6 engine and four-speed automatic transmission are extremely long in the tooth and make Chrysler’s mountain goat feel downright anemic when traveling on paved roads. It could be argued that a small-displacement diesel engine would be the ideal way to add some much-needed grunt and improved fuel efficiency to the iconic off-roader, but apparently that’s not going to happen – at least not here in the United States.

Says Michael Manley, president and chief executive officer of the Jeep brand, “We have no plans at the moment for diesel Jeeps in North America, although one of the things I’ve learned in this business is to never say never… I wouldn’t rule it out, but specifically on Nov. 4, we were commenting on diesel in Europe.”

Fortunately, that doesn’t mean the 70-year-old Civilian Jeep won’t get any updates at all. According to the Toledo Blade – the Jeep brand’s hometown newspaper – Chrysler is likely to use its new Pentastar V6 engine, which we’d hope would also include a new six-speed automatic transmission, in the Wrangler starting next summer. Also, we’re told that more special edition models will join the recently unveiled Islander and Mountain models. Thanks for the tip, Tom!

Is the third time really the charm? We’ll leave that up to you as Kia has unveiled its third special edition Soul at the Detroit Auto Show, this time featuring automotive tattoos. The 2010 Kia Shadow Dragon Soul is available now and follows in the footsteps of the Denim and Ignition specials. As the name implies, the Shadow Dragon is done up in a special black color scheme, and it also features a Soul-first leather-trimmed interior and crowd-sourced black dragon graphics (the Korean automaker trolled the Kia forums to determine what type of ink the Soul should wear).

Besides the matte-on-gloss black graphics, the Shadow Dragon sports blacked-out 18-inch wheels like the ones on the Ignition, glossy accents in the front and rear bumpers, and a unique rear wing. Like the other two Soul specials, the Shadow Dragon starts out as a Soul+ model, so it’s stuffed to the gills with options. It includes the Audio Upgrade Package with its center speaker, subwoofer, external amp and those trick speaker lights that pulse to the beat of the music. There’s also an iPod connector, carpeted floor mats, moonroof, foglights and fender vents with encapsulated side markers.

On top of that, the Shadow Dragon Soul adds keyless entry, limo tint on the cargo area windows, body-color door handles and power mirrors. That’s in addition to the steering wheel-mounted cruise control, Bluetooth, dual power ports, separate tweeters and usual array of cubbies and lights to make living inside the Dragon a little more hospitable. All of that for just $18,195 with a manual transmission. That strikes us as a modest price but also makes it the most expensive special Soul so far, some $695 dearer than the Ignition

Sometimes, we come across head-scratchers. What’s the meaning of life? Nancy Kerrigan’s anguished “Why?” Or most recently, “what is the point of the 2010 GMC Terrain?” The answer to the latter seems easy – it’s to sell, silly. It appears to be having some effect; GMC finished December 2009 four percent ahead of its 2008 numbers. We’ve driven the Terrain and find it virtually identical to its sister car, the Chevrolet Equinox. The biggest difference is that we find the GMC to be significantly harder to look at. The Los Angeles Times‘ auto pundit extraordinaire Dan Neil has gotten some seat time in a V6 Terrain and notes its stylistic hardships: “the Terrain looks like it has a a window air-conditioning unit attached to the nose.” Amen.

Other incongruities and letdowns crop up in Neil’s assessment, not the least of which is the entire vehicle’s raison d’être in GMC showrooms in the first place. After all, Neil notes, the Terrain is a relatively blatant example of GM’s historical practice of badge-engineering. Neil goes on to wonder aloud as to why General Motors bothers with a GMC version at all – especially when the money could have been better spent raising the vehicle up to excellent from a point that he contends is solidly mediocre. The majority of the automotive press has come away rather more impressed with the Terrain/Equinox package (heck, the Chevy was a finalist for the just-announced North American Truck of the Year award), and despite our misgivings about the GMC’s looks, we’ve found the platform to be quite competitive with its classmates.

Still, the badge-engineering issue with this vehicle is one we’ve discussed in-depth on our podcast, and it remains a nettlesome topic. But then again, no consumers appear to be concerned about it those issues, as both the Terrain and the Equinox are selling at a handsome clip.

[Source: The Los Angeles Times]