Not to be outdone by the likes of the Mercedes-Benz CLS, Porsche Panamera, Aston Martin Rapide or Audi A7, BMW will reportedly be building a production version of the Gran Coupe concept that debuted at this year’s Beijing Motor Show. It may be a late arrival to the growing segment of swoopy luxury sedans, but BMW will indeed poise the Gran Coupe to offer just as much in the way of technology and refinement as the lot of its competitors.

Based on the next-generation 6 Series, the Gran Coupe is set to launch sometime in 2012 and will share its powertrains with what we’re seeing in the 5, 6, and 7 Series BMWs, including a possible hybrid variant. Naturally, the production Gran Coupe will slot between the 5 and 7 Series in terms of size and price, and if the overall design doesn’t change too much, it’ll certainly be an attractive addition to the BMW lineup.

With many automakers expanding their lineups to satisfy every niche in the market, some previously thin segments have exploded with entries. One of the most notable is the four-door coupe. The Mercedes-Benz CLS-class kicked off the trend, of course, and the segment now includes stuff as varied as the Volkswagen CC and the Aston Martin Rapide. Heck, we wouldn’t call you crazy if you argued that the idea influenced the design of the latest Hyundai Sonata. The idea behind all of them: Combine sultry styling with four-door practicality, and, in some cases, hatchback versatility. The latest from Audi, this sexy A7 Sportback, is one that hits all three notes.

An Elegant Shape

The A7 actually is the second recent Audi to play this tune, but it will be the only one sold in the U.S.; the 2010 A5 Sportback will remain forbidden fruit. But we don’t mind that we had to wait for such a four-ringer, as we feel the swoopy styling looks even more fantastic stretched over the A7’s longer, 114.6-inch wheelbase. You might notice that figure puts the A7 size-wise in between the latest 2011 A8 (117.8-inch wheelbase) and the current A6 (111.9), which could lead to some confusion over this car’s origins. Let’s put that to rest: The A7’s underpinnings are more closely related to the A6’s, specifically those of the next -generation A6, which is due out for 2012.

Up front, the A7 wears the latest interpretation of Audi’s trapezoidal grille, as well as the brand’s now-signature LED running lights. Two lower intakes mirror the shape of the headlight housings, but they don’t house fog lights; those are integrated into the standard xenon headlights themselves. Eighteen-bulb, full-LED headlamps like those available on the A8 and R8 5.2 are an option on the A7.

The side and rear views are the most memorable to our eyes. What Audi dubs a “tornado line” gently arches from the upper corner of the headlight, flattening out as it moves rearward to the LED-lit taillight. This sharp crease defines the A7’s shoulders, and serves as a nice complement to the graceful roofline. The power-operated hatch’s large rear backlight flows into a hidden, automatically deploying spoiler that rises above 81 mph and retracts below 50. Eighteen-, 19-, or 20-inch wheels sit below subtle flares that contribute to an overall look of understated elegance, an impression further enhanced by the fact that the car is just 55.9 inches high. For reference, the A6 is 57.4 inches tall.

Elegant Inside, Too

Just as the exterior stays true to that of the A7 concept shown at the 2009 Detroit auto show, so does the interior. The upper section of the dash resembles the new A8’s, but the center stack in the A7 features upright climate controls and other buttons repositioned around the shift lever. Drivers will grip a four-spoke steering wheel that sits in front of a gauge cluster housing either a five-inch text display or a full-color seven-inch screen. An additional 6.5-inch screen in the center console hosts the MMI system. The entry-level version of MMI controls the stereo and other basic functions, with navigation available at additional cost. There’s also the top-dog MMI Navigation Plus setup, which adds an eight-inch monitor in the center console (in place of a 6.5-inch unit) and a nifty touchpad that can read inputs drawn with a fingertip. Internet connectivity is available on the A7, too.

This here is the refreshed 2011 CL-Class, which despite the rumors, doesn’t adopt the S-Class Coupe moniker as part of Mercedes-Benz’s new nomenclature that started with the new E-Class Coupe that replaced the CLK. For its mid-life facelift, the

This here is the refreshed 2011 CL-Class, which despite the rumors, doesn’t adopt the S-Class Coupe moniker as part of Mercedes-Benz’s new nomenclature that started with the new E-Class Coupe that replaced the CLK. For its mid-life facelift, the CL coupe has received a mild redesigned and a new bi-turbo V8 engine.

Visual updates include a redesigned front bumper housing LED strips with chrome surrounds for the daytime running lights, a reshaped hood, new headlamps and a more V-shaped grille.

The LED turn indicators and position marker lamps along with the reprofiled rear bumper and newly-designed tail lamps round off the exterior changes.

Inside, the higher-quality trim materials and new color options are matted with redesigned multifunction wood/leather steering wheel steering and additional ambient light spots.

Under the bonnet, there’s a new 4.7-liter bi-turbocharged V8 engine with BlueDIRECT technology for the CL500 (CL550 for North America), which comes with a revised version of Mercedes-Benz’s seven-speed automatic gearbox with an integrated stop-start system and brake energy recuperation.

The eight-cylinder unit produces 429HP, a 12 percent increase in power over its predecessor, which had an output of 382HP. At the same time, torque was raised from 391 lb-ft to 516 lb-ft, an increase of 32 percent.

Furthermore, the new V8 engine achieves a 10-15% improvement in fuel economy and 23% improvement in CO2 emissions.

The CL500 / CL550 4MATIC requires 4.9 seconds to accelerate from a standstill to 100km/h (62mph), a 0.5 second improvement over the previous model.

The range also includes the CL600, with its 510HP 12-cylinder biturbo engine and 612 lb-ft. of torque that accelerates the luxury coupé from a standstill to 100km/h (62mph) mph in a 4.5 seconds. Top speed on both models is electronically limited at 250km/h (155mph).

For buyers needing more power, Mercedes will debut the new CL63 AMG and CL65 AMG models later this year.

Among the many tech highlights is a new Active Lane Keeping Assist safety feature that utilizes a camera mounted on the inside of the windshield and a radar system that scans the side of the roadway, to gently apply the brakes when the driver steers away from his lane.

The 2011MY CL-Class will make its market debut in Autumn of 2010.

If you want to gauge how successful a minivan is, just talk to the occupants of the second-row seats. If they say they would be happy to schlep across the country in the vehicle, you know that the van’s maker got the recipe just about right. That was the case with my 12-year-old twins as they lounged in the reclining captain’s chairs in the Sienna XLE, viewing their favorite media on a large, 16.4-inch-wide screen.

The previous Toyota Sienna wasn’t a bad vehicle, but it wasn’t as good to drive or as well-packaged as the Honda Odyssey. This latest van rides on the same 119.3-inch wheelbase as the outgoing Sienna, but is 0.8 inch shorter and 0.8 inch wider (coming in at 200.2 inches and 78.2 inches, respectively). It is the same height overall, though, at 68.9 inches. We would describe the redesign as distinctive, but the front end is pretty brutal.

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