With MINI’s Countryman now out in the open, reports have surfaced that Volvo is readying a small soft-roader of its own. Based on the C30 hatchback, the compact crossover is tipped to surface sometime in 2012.

Infiniti chief designer Shiro Nakamura first introduced us to the automaker’s latest flagship sedan, the 2011 M, last August at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Well, sort of. We were shown a virtual mock-up of the sedan and we had to wait until just recently to first sample the real thing.

It’s no secret that Mitsubishi is struggling to survive in the United States market – with some analysts suggesting the Japanese should “forget about America” – but the company’s revised compact SUV could just be the boost Mitsubishi needs.

This morning, Nissan announced that it will build its Leaf EV at its Sunderland, United Kingdom, assembly plant in addition to the automaker’s already-confirmed plans to assemble the car in Japan and Tennessee.

After years of gaining expertise designing and building the iconic F1 road car, Formula 1 race cars and the Mercedes-built SLR, McLaren has officially launched its all-new MP4-12C supercar. With a mid-engine configuration, rear wheel drive and a light and rigid carbon fiber chassis, the hand-built, 600-horsepower MP4-12C promises to be a force to reckoned with.

Vehicle pricing from other countries is always difficult to reverse engineer into United States dollars, but it at least gives us a general idea of what to expected when a particular vehicle finally hits our shores. The latest subject of speculation is the Nissan Leaf, with the EV’s JDM pricing hitting the Web.

General Motors pioneered the head-up display (HUD) in 1988, so it’s only fitting that the Detroit-based automaker is working on the next-generation of the technology. GM has partnered with several universities to develop its augmented-reality HUD technology, which superimposes the windshield with informative graphics.

Although the massive South by Southwest Festival is certainly taking center stage in Austin, Texas, that didn’t stop the area’s Lotus dealer from delivering the first Evora sold in North America.

Mazda’s French operations will take to the stage at Paris’ annual Salon du Cabriolet, Coupe & SUV next month with a special edition MX-5, also known as the Miata in North America. Swathed in a menacing matte black finish, this special edition helps Mazda celebrate the car’s 20th anniversary in the French market.

Scion has lightly updated its boxy xB with a light exterior refresh and a handful of interior upgrades for the 2011 model year. Set to go on sale in April in the United States, the 2011 Scion xB will retail from $16,000 – a $150 increase over the outgoing model.

In addition to the 8 million vehicles already being recalled by Toyota, another 1.2 million 2005-07 Corolla and Matrix passengers cars are being considered for a solution, which may or may not include a recall. Toyota is currently aware of a known issue where by the vehicles can stall without warning, but has yet to find a fix.

Scrappage schemes have provided a much needed prop to the world’s automakers, but with most incentives scheduled to expire by year’s end, another sales collapse could be right around the corner.

Moody’s Investor Service says it has taken note of Ford Motor Company’s recent sales gains and its strides toward long term profitability. As a result, it has upgraded the automaker’s credit rating to B2 from B3.

Every now and again Canadians are lucky enough to test out products before automakers take them to the U.S. or global markets. This time, Canada will gain access to an exclusive “accessory package” that thoroughly upgrades Kia’s hot new Koup SX.

Less than a week ago Leftlane reported that a BMW chairman confirmed that the luxury automaker will be introducing a new front-wheel drive vehicle that will slot between the BMW 1-Series and MINI branded vehicles. Today, we can report that BMW’s CEO, Norbert Reithofer, confirmed the future of at least one front-wheel drive BMW.

As some of you may recall from Leftlane’s recent reporting of Jay Leno’s ride on Mulholland in a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, Mulholland is a beautiful and challenging curvy road in the hills of Malibu. Now Tanner Foust took to the hills of Mulholland behind the wheel of his 5.7-liter 600 horsepower V8-powered Scion tC.

General Motor’s newly acquired CFO – Chris Liddell – announced that there is a possibility of GM both returning to profitability and selling some shares before the close of 2010. Liddell did clarify that GM will not rush an IPO, and they do not have an exact timetable.

After favorable reactions from the auto show circuit, it seemed it would only be a matter of time before General Motors announced a production version of its Cadillac Converj concept. However, the most recent reports have indicated a production version of the Converj was quickly falling out of favor, with the project now looking officially dead.

Of the four brands General Motors attempted to cast off last year, only one wound up finding a buyer: Swedish automaker Saab. But even that deal was not without stumbles, as a failed effort to sell the brand to Koenigsegg proved. Yet it was a simple email to GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz that saved the small brand from extinction.

Toyota’s top officials have already faced off against U.S. lawmakers, and now the Japanese automaker is taking heat from our neighbors to the north. Canadian lawmakers claim Toyota waited too long to inform government officials of its safety problems and, as a result, are now considering more stringent regulations.