UPDATE: Hyundai, Ford Take Top Honors At Detroit Auto Show
January 12 2009 - 11:09AM
Dow Jones News
By Ron Amadon
WASHINGTON (Dow Jones) -- Imagine if someone told you four or
five years ago that Hyundai would take home the North American Car
of the Year award. Imagine that someone also said it would be an
entry level luxury sedan that did it.
No one would have believed it. But the Hyundai (HYMPY) Genesis
came away Sunday with the big award, the first for a Korean
brand.
The Genesis has been praised for its luxury touches, smooth ride
and build quality for a price tag just north of $30,000.
And in a year when Detroit auto firms have had little to crow
about, Ford captured the North American Truck of the Year honors
for its redesigned F-150 pickup.
Once the applause died down, it was time for automakers to swear
off big trucks and SUV's in favor of "cars of the future" that sip
little or no gas.
Honda (HMC) displayed the production version of its 2010 Insight
hybrid that will hit showrooms in May and April, at a starting
price of $23,650, below that of the Toyota Prius. Look for 48 miles
per gallon in the city and 45 mpg on the highway, according to the
EPA.
For its part, Toyota (TM) is slated to display its
third-generation Prius on Tuesday. The company also announced it
will launch a pure electric car in the U.S. by 2012. It is said to
be targeted at the commuter that travels 50 miles between home and
work.
Ford (F) said it will have an electric car in showrooms within
two years, and that it will drive along in silence for 100 miles
before requiring a charge.
"We do believe that electrified transportation ... is part of
the future of the industry and the market," said Sherif Marakby of
Ford's engineering team.
Many other makers believe him. Lexus showed off a hybrid sedan,
the HS250h. Lexus maintained that it will get better mileage than
the Smart car, meaning better than 33 miles per gallon in the city.
It should hit showrooms in the spring and start at about
$30,000.
Not to be outdone, at a combination pep rally for workers and
new car display for reporters, General Motors (GM) said it will
build a 40-mile-per-gallon mini-car to be called the Chevy Spark.
It is about the size of its chief rivals, the Honda Fit and the
Toyota Yaris. Look for it in showrooms in 2011.
GM also announced Cadillac will get a version of the
much-talked-about Chevrolet Volt. It will be called the Converj,
and like the Volt, it will be able to go 40 miles on electric
power, after which a small gas engine will help get motorists the
rest of the way home.
To go with the Spark and the Volt, (Can the "Amp" be far
behind?) comes the Dodge Circuit, which troubled Chrysler said will
hit the production lines in 2010. It looks like a slightly
redesigned Viper.
Not everything at the show was electric, as Ford unveiled a new
Taurus. The 2010 model is a complete redesign of the brand, turning
it into a full-size sedan. It will offer a six-speed automatic and
no price increase.
"We really targeted the value equation. It was very important,"
said Peter Raus, the chief Taurus engineer. The current Taurus
starts at about $26,000.
Volkswagen (VLKAY) showed off a sports car called the Concept
BlueSport. The nifty two-seater is designed to carry a
mid-ship-mounted clean diesel engine that VW said can deliver up to
50 mpg on the highway. Yet it can hit 60 miles an hour from a
standing start in 6.2 seconds, with a top speed of 140 mph.
And for the well heeled, Bentley showed off the Continental GTC
Speed. It is probably not for those wanting high gas mileage, in
that it packs a twin-turbocharged 12-cylinder engine that boasts
600-horsepower and 563 lb-ft of torque, plus a zero-to-60 time of
4.5 seconds.
Top speed for the car is said to be 200 mph. Even at what is
expected to be a breath-taking price, Bentley thinks the new GTC
will account for up to two-thirds of that model's sales in the
first year.
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