Complete Coverage | 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show

Once again people from all corners of the globe descended on Los Angeles as the 2010 Los Angeles International Auto Show provided a platform for automakers to introduce their new vehicles to the public. More significant than what was shown at the show was who was not there, with Nissan being the biggest company not to have the money to buy a booth at the show. Wow.

What’s Hot

Probably the most significant car announced at the show was the Hyundai Sonata. Sonata is Hyundai’s mid-size entry and the company indicated that it foresees the days of the V6 in a mid-size sedan as being numbered. With the government’s tightening of fuel mileage standards, this makes sense.

The beautiful new Sonata offers more space than comparable Toyota Camry or Nissan Altima models and is powered by either a normally-aspirated four-cylinder engine or a turbocharged version thereof. Turbos were in evidence all over the auto show as automakers work hard to turn small engines into powerful ones. The normally-aspirated, direct-injected four offers as much power as the previous V6, showing how far four-bangers have come with fuel efficiency being 12 percent better than even the previous four.

Hyundai promised diesel and hybrid versions of the new sedan which represents the first of their line to have the new “fluid design.” Over 1.2 million Sonatas have been sold since the introduction and Hyundai is now the fourth-largest car company in the world.

So why is this the most significant car? Hyundai is fast becoming a manufacturer that the mainstream buyer would consider and this is an outstanding car in the biggest segment in the car industry. It offers truly standout styling and a beautiful interior at a time when some others appear to be cutting corners with their interiors.

The Sonata offers good value and is built right here in the USA. It also boasts an incredible warranty and styling details that make it feel more premium than the sub-$20,000 price suggests. While the car will be marketed as a mid-size sedan, it gets an EPA rating as a large car.

Also announced was the new Hyundai Tucson compact SUV. Tucson was designed in Frankfurt, Germany and offers the same four-cylinder engine as the Sonata.

Tiny Tots

A lot of very very small cars were introduced at the Auto Show including one that was no surprise, the Ford Fiesta. The Fiesta has been featured in the media already but is significant in that it’s truly an international platform, rather than just being focused in one market.

Available in both hatchback and sedan models, the Fiesta offers up to 40 miles per gallon on the highway and is a very attractive little package. This multi-award-winning subcompact is also available with either standard or turbocharged mini four.

Mazda, too, showed a mini mobile in their Mazda 2, a similar car to the Ford Fiesta. The company boasts that it is the most road raced nameplate around and that its buyers are the second most youthful in the industry.

Chevrolet’s smallest announcement was the Cruze, a compact sedan based on European pieces. The Cruze boasts more room than the competition and has 10 air bags. I wonder when these will show up in the trunk to protect luggage?

The Cruze offers an available 1.4 liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that should return outstanding fuel economy while providing good performance as well. The real stand-out feature of the European-engineered Cruze was a truly beautiful interior, similar to that of the Chevrolet Malibu. The two-tone interior was a real stand-out at the auto show and made the Cruze feel like a premium car instead of one of Chevrolet’s most affordable entries.

Turbos, Turbos Everywhere

With the government’s insistence that carmakers improve their fuel efficiency turbochargers and diesels are becoming a popular method of accomplishing this. A turbo lets you boost the performance of an engine when needed without having to build a bigger engine, so fuel mileage is improved by using a smaller engine that offers performance on demand.

Ford is moving into turbos big time, announcing a turbocharged V6 Mustang and showing their turbocharged (they call it EcoBoost) full-size Taurus. Chevrolet’s new compact Cruze can be had with a tiny 1.4 liter turbocharged four and Buick is putting a 2.0 liter turbocharged four on the options list of their new Regal.

While Toyota showed their plug-in Prius hybrid, hybrids really weren’t the big news. Diesel was with the Audi A3 diesel, er, TDI winning Green Car of the Year. Diesel offers incredible driving performance, outstanding fuel efficiency and a design that mechanics are familiar with, unlike hybrids. This is the second year in a row that a diesel was presented with this reward with last year’s recipient being the Jetta TDI (featuring the same engine as the Audi).

Volkswagen showed a two-cylinder diesel-hybrid called the UpLight which is based on production pieces but is, essentially, a show car. Weighing in at just 1500 pounds the car is technically good for 100 miles per hour and 70 miles per gallon. The designer said the car could see production by 2011.

Buick jumped on the turbocharger bandwagon with the announcement of its 2011 Regal, a mid-size sedan based heavily on the Opel Insignia. The standard engine is GM’s good ol’ 2.4 liter four-cylinder but with modern features like direct injection. This engine is good for 182 horsepower. For real get-up, a turbocharged 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine will be available next year that has 220 horsepower.

While you might associate Buicks with the local retirement village, their newer vehicles are starting to appeal to people who only read about World War One instead of experiencing it first-hand and are trading in imports for vehicles like the Enclave. According to a company spokesperson, Buick’s conquest rate (people moving to Buick from a different brand) has tripled recently.

Other than its marketing, the Chevy Volt had no turbos but Chevrolet’s significant vehicle was officially introduced at the show. Bearing an electric traction motor (like a locomotive) the Volt promises 40 miles of driving on electric power only, which is about what most drivers need.

Beyond the range of the electrical system, a small gasoline engine driving a generator kicks in, providing additional range. According to GM VP Bob Lutz, this helps Chevrolet overcome the fear that most people have of being stranded in an electric car.

While Toyota recently announced that Lithium Ion batteries didn’t meet their standards for the Prius, those are exactly the type of batteries in the Volt. Lutz credited electric car maker Tesla with showing how to do LiIon batteries in a car.

Speaking of the Prius, Toyota showed the plug-in hybrid version of that car.

Toyota: Minivans Are Cool.

It used to be that minivans were very popular, but somehow it became uncool to have a vehicle that offered good fuel economy and a very flexible, capable interior wrapped by a very drivable package. So, we started buying large SUVs that offered poor fuel economy, less comfortable seating and lousy handling. How is that cool, again?

Toyota indicated that the 2011 Sienna was intended to counteract the uncool factor by wrapping a minivan in a cool package and adding more fun to the driving experience. The auto giant showed off the 2011 Sienna minivan and, frankly, it’s a nice upgrade of the old Sienna but I don’t see people suddenly changing their perception of the minivan.

Looking like a Toyota version of the Honda Odyssey, the new Sienna is larger and more capable and offers a third-row 60/40 seat that can be folded up or down with one hand. Neat. There are various versions including a sportier SE version that is one of the cooler minivans I’ve seen.

But is it cool enough to change perceptions? Well, there is either a 2.7 liter four-cylinder engine or a 3.5 liter V6 that offer improved fuel economy. The vans are built in Princeton, Indiana and are available with a radar cruise control that also offers preemptive braking if it senses an accident. Toyota’s sales are up ten percent over last year.

In Summary

More than ever fuel economy was a topic at the auto show with manufacturers, or at least those that could afford to show up, demonstrating interesting technologies that are real-world solutions. The combination of diesels, hybrids and plug-in hybrids are all now tech that can help us reduce our dependence on oil. We also have hydrogen in future tech and other potential solutions as well.

But, as Bob Lutz said, demand is the biggest factor and Americans actually have to buy these vehicles in order to foster future investment in them. Lutz advocated slowly but steadily raising gasoline prices over time as a way to encourage conservation as was done in Europe in the 1950s. Maybe he’s been reading Curbside too.

For a complete photo gallery including hundreds of photos of the 2009 LA Auto Show, visit the Curbside Photo Gallery .