A new era of smaller, more fuel-efficient cars is on display this week at the Los Angeles auto show.
With stricter fuel-economy standards on the horizon, and consumers feeling pinched, General Motors and Ford Motor want to show that they've got more to offer than just US$40,000 gas-guzzling SUVs.
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Both carmakers are rolling out American versions of small cars they already sell in other parts of the world. For GM, it's the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, a compact that goes on sale here next fall, replacing the Chevy Cobalt. Ford is showing an even smaller car, the subcompact Fiesta, which will compete in a new, but growing U.S. segment starting in May. Both companies say their cars are capable of getting 40 highway miles per gallon. The sporty 2011 Mazda2, which shares a platform with Fiesta, is also on display.
Even mid-sized models are getting more fuel-efficient. Hyundai said its new Sonata sedan will lead the mid-sized segment with 35 mpg on the highway. Only four-cylinder engines will be offered, starting with a new high-tech 2.4-litre engine, followed later by a turbocharged four-cylinder.
The tiniest car on display -- just 3.5 metres long -- is Honda's P-NUT (Personal-Neo Urban Transport) concept, a three-seater that suggests how urban dwellers might be commuting in the future. The rear engine bay is designed to accommodate a gasoline, hybrid or electric propulsion system.
Closer to reality, finally, is GM's electricity-driven Chevrolet Volt. No longer a concept, the long-awaited production version of the plug-in hybrid was unveiled in L.A. The car can travel up to 65 km on electricity without using gasoline or producing tailpipe emissions. When its lithium-ion battery runs low, a gas-powered engine kicks on to generate electricity and extend the total driving range to more than 480 km.
GM officials said California, known for embracing green technologies, will be the first market where the Volt will be available, starting late next year. Other markets will follow. The price, yet to be announced, is expected to be around US$40,000.
The Cruze, which shares a global platform with the Volt, is likely to sell for less than half that. It features a new family of small-displacement engines, including a 1.4-litre turbo-charged Ecotec engine that GM says could get up to 40 miles per gallon on the highway. The Cruze, which will be built in GM's Lordstown, Ohio, assembly plant, is already on sale in Europe and Asia.
Like the Cruze, Ford's Fiesta is a global car, available here in four-door and hatchback models. Its 119 horsepower, 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine is expected to get at least 30 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway when paired with a new six-speed automatic transmission. A five-speed manual also is available.
The sporty 2011 Mazda2, which shares a platform with the Fiesta, is also on display. It's been available since 2007 in Europe and Asia, and will be available in North America late next summer. The five-door hatchback comes with a 1.5-litre engine and is available in a four-speed automatic or five-speed manual transmission. Fuel efficiency and pricing haven't been announced.
