It’s easy to confuse weird with bad. The Mitsubishi i is weird. It looks like a computer mouse. It has windshield wipers that resemble Ultraman’s arms in attack mode. It is powered by a 66-hp electric motor mounted under the rear seats. It carries onboard the energy equivalent of less than half a gallon of gas. Its front tires look like compact spares. We could go on. But despite being weird, the i isn’t bad.

Keep Reading: 2012 Mitsubishi i Electric Vehicle – Instrumented Test

At 7.6 seconds, the 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon is 3.9 seconds quicker to 60 mph than the SUV it replaces, thanks to its new 285-hp, 3.6-liter V-6 and five-speed automatic. To put that in perspective: You could run a BMW M3 sedan to 60 mph and then, very immediately  thereafter, run the new  ute to 60 mph in the same time it would take the old one, with its four-speed auto and 3.8-liter noisemaker, to huff  its way to that speed.

Keep Reading: 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon – Instrumented Test

Saab apparently is not dead—it’s just in a persistent vegetative state. A total of five parties have stepped forward to bid on all or parts of the Trollhättan-based automaker as a bankruptcy court in Sweden manages the sale of the company’s assets. The aim is to recover some money for Saab’s creditors. The three parties receiving the most attention are two Chinese companies and Mahindra & Mahindra, an Indian automaker.

• Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile Co. is said to have made a bid in the hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars range for as much of Saab as it can get. Details of the offer haven’t been disclosed, but some very careful contracting must be on the table: Youngman tried to buy Saab before the bankruptcy, but General Motors ultimately vetoed that deal since it would have put so much GM-engineered Saab technology into the hands of a relatively small Chinese firm. It’s not clear what’s different this time around that might placate GM.
• Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Company (BAIC) also has expressed serious interest in picking at Saab’s carcass. Saab sold the tooling and rights to build the old 9-5 to BAIC in 2009—it’s re-skinning them with more-modern sheetmetal—so this seems like a predictable move. Analysts like to say that the Chinese auto industry is developing quickly, which it is, but the benefit of building a car on even an old western platform can’t be understated.
• Indian firm Mahindra & Mahindra—a major manufacturer of passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and agricultural equipment—is reported to have entered preliminary discussions to buy at least portions of Saab. These reports date back to December 30, however. As of this writing, Mahindra spokespeople weren’t available for comment.

If you’re confused by this quagmire of news, it’s understandable. And you’re not alone. Saab is a relatively large industrial firm, and it’s going through a sophisticated bankruptcy process in Sweden. State- and privately held Chinese manufacturers are in some cases declining to be forthcoming about their positions in negotiations—and in other cases are legally required to stay quiet. Even international news organizations with staff on the ground in Sweden and China are relying in part on second-hand information.

We’ll bring you more news if and when it develops.

Photo by Phil LaCombe

View full sizeCourtesy imageFiat 500L

Fiat SpA -- parent company of Chrysler Group LLC -- is planning to expand its 500 minicar  lineup in the U.S.

The Italian automaker is planning to launch the Fiat 500L, a five-passenger sedan, in the U.S. in 2013.

Fiat, which released the first photos Thursday, said the vehicle is 4.14 meters (13.58 feet) long and 1.78 meters (5.84 feet) wide.

According to officials, the 500L will remain "city-friendly," and continue to help the automaker expand its brand in the U.S., which has historically not bought small vehicles.

In 2011, nearly 20,000 Fiat 500s were sold in the U.S. – far below Fiat SpA and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne anticipated 50,000 units when it debuted last year.

The 500L is being produced at Fiat's factory in Kragujevac, Serbia, and will be introduced in Europe at the end of 2012.

According to officials, the Italian automaker will debut the 500L March 6 at the 82nd Geneva Motor Show.

Email Michael Wayland: MWayland@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/MikeWayland