A minivan from BMW, a pickup from Mercedes, and a fourth model from Porsche
Those are the highlights of possible/probable product additions from the European firms as they try to sell more over-priced vehicles to Canadians.
There may also be two or three more models from Volvo, as Ford's Swedish brand searches the company parts bin for models it can turn into cars for North Americans. This it needs to do to make up for the huge shortfall in sales for Ford's Jaguar division, which appears to be in more trouble than anyone originally imagined.
And there won't be a Volkswagen W8 to kick around any more, as the company declines to admit the odd engine configuration was a failure in the market but stops building it anyway.
All of this is of course on top of the extra models of Audi, BMW, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Saab and Volkswagen that have already been announced. This intense product proliferation and brand dilution is all part of the companies' plans to increase share and volume in a flat or declining Canadian market.
On top of that, these vehicles will likely all be built in countries whose currencies are worth more than the Canadian dollar, so it will be tough for these companies to sell these new models at their usual steep product ratios without jacking up their prices.
For its part, BMW does not call its potential new model a minivan (it prefers "space functional concept''), but the general design intent outlined by the Munich firm suggests nothing so much as a vehicle for rich soccer moms.
Seating configuration for six or seven people is said to be as important as anything in the new square-ended vehicle, which will be taller than a sedan but not quite as tall as an SUV, and roomier than both. If that doesn't sound like a minivan, nothing does.
As always, BMW promises superior ride and handling, which would make the new car the ultimate driving minivan.
Even if BMW decides by the end of the year to build the minivan, it probably wouldn't come to market until 2007 at the earliest.
Up north in Stuttgart, DaimlerChrysler AG is serious about the possibility of a pickup truck for the North American market, using the shape-twisting Mercedes-Benz Viano Activity concept vehicle.
Most interesting of all, the Viano Activity has a pickup bed that extends to accommodate more cargo. Overall, the length of the Viano would stretch from 4990 mm to 5,700 mm with the pickup bed completely deployed.
A pickup bed that stretches is a favorite feature on concept trucks by aftermarket firms, but it has never been attempted on a production vehicle.
The compact Viano Activity also features sliding rear doors and front buckets that swivel to face the rear seats, which would both be unique features on a production vehicle.