Green Tech Stars in LA

The Los Angeles Auto Auto Show is where the industry displays its most eco-friendly products, and OEMs did not disappoint this year. From Ford Motor Co. to Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd., auto makers showed off new hybrid-electric vehicles, with some fuel-cells and green diesels thrown in for good measure.

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. added spice with the introduction of a new Z-car, the quirky Cube and a new convertible Infiniti G37.

But even the best technology could not change the economic climate. The mood was more somber than years past, as the global financial crisis dampened spirits despite perfect sunny weather.

General Motors Corp. canceled its press conference and Chrysler LLC kept a decidedly low profile. Ford still had a big presence, touting its makeover of the Fusion and Milan midsize cars as well as a significantly revised Mustang.

Ford adds a new 2.5L I-4 to the Fusion and Milan lineup that produces 175 hp, as well as an enhanced version of its 3.0L V-6. Also, for the first time, the auto maker offers a 3.5L V-6, which will power the Fusion Sport model.

Ford expects the new I-4, shared with the Escape and Mercury Mariner cross/utility vehicles, to better the Accord's highway performance by at least 3 mpg (1.3 km/L) and exceed the Toyota Camry's rating by 2 mpg (0.9 km/L).

The '10 Fusion and Milan HEVs get an upgraded hybrid powertrain that allows drivers to travel at speeds up to 47 mph (76 km/h) in electric-only mode, and boasts a range of more than 700 miles (1,127 km) in city driving.

Meanwhile the new '10 Mustang gets fresh sheet metal and more aggressive proportions with a view toward modernizing the nameplate's heritage.

Honda Motor Co. Ltd. showed off its Insight HEV, first introduced several months ago in Paris. But what really got tongues wagging was the introduction of the Honda FC Sport, a fuel cell-powered sports car concept that aspires to be a Ferrari for the green consumer.

Featuring a dramatic, polarizing design that enthralled some journalists and disgusted others, the 3-seater features a mid-engine layout, with brightly colored hydrogen-fuel storage tanks exposed under the car's transparent rear hatch.

“The Honda FC Sport explores how to satisfy automotive performance enthusiasts in a world beyond petroleum,” says Dan Bonawitz, American Honda vice president-corporate planning and logistics.

BMW AG unveiled its pure-electric Mini Cooper powered by a lithium-ion battery pack that allows driving up to 156 miles (250 km) on one charge.

The 150-kW (204-hp) electric motor is coupled to a single-stage helical gearbox. The Mini E can accelerate to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 8.5 seconds and is capable of reaching a top speed of 95 mph (152 km/h). The batteries can be fully recharged in as little as two hours.

BMW says a total of 500 Mini Es will be leased to private and corporate consumers under a special pilot program.

Volkswagen AG played up diesels, including the '09 Touareg V-6 TDI CUV, which goes on sale early next year for about $43,000 (about $2,500 more than the gasoline V-6 version).

Hyundai Motor America vows to meet the U.S. government requirement of 35 mpg (6.7 L/100 km) fleet fuel economy early through a variety of measures announced at the LA show.

The strategy includes the installation of a hybrid-electric system in the next-generation Sonata sedan in 2010; offering more fuel-efficient versions of the Accent subcompact and Elantra compact cars next year; and a turbocharged gasoline direct-injection version of its 4-cyl. Theta engine that will be offered in a new CUV, among other models.

“Hyundai plans to lead all automotive brands in the U.S. in fuel economy by achieving a fleet average of 35 mpg by 2015, five years ahead of the National Highway Traffic Safety Admin.'s deadline, powered by the Hyundai Blue Drive global-product strategy,” the auto maker says.

Debuting at the show is a rolling chassis showcasing Hyundai's proprietary parallel hybrid drive system, which mates a 2.4L version of the 4-cyl. Theta engine with a 6-speed automatic transmission and 40-hp electric motor.

The system can power a vehicle's wheels from the gasoline engine, the electric motor or both, the OEM says.

Hyundai's Hybrid Blue Drive technology also includes a regenerative braking system; an integrated starter generator; hybrid power control unit; electric air-conditioning compressor; and lithium-polymer batteries supplied by LG Chemical Ltd.

Nissan added a little pizzazz to the show by introducing its next-generation Z sports car, which will hit the U.S. market in January with a new badge and bulked-up version of the VQ V-6, a perennial Ward's 10 Best Engines winner.

Now called the 370Z due to its larger 3.7L V-6, the new model represents the first redesign of the current Z since its 2003 reintroduction in the U.S.

The bored-out engine makes 332 hp, 26 hp more than the outgoing model's 3.5L. Torque is rated at 270 lb.-ft. (366 Nm), up from 268 lb.-ft. (363 Nm) in the '08 350Z.

Nissan also unveils the third-generation, '09 Nissan Cube CUV.

On sale in Japan since 1998, the Cube finally will make its appearance in U.S. dealer showrooms this spring after years of declarations by Nissan that it intended to bring the boxy subcompact state-side and five years after rival Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. released its similar Scion xB.

The latest Cube builds on the larger, more powerful second-generation model, which debuted in 2002 and gained an audience outside Japan via appearances in fashion and auto magazines, online and in videogames, Nissan says.

Mazda Motor Corp. unveiled a conservative redesign of the new Mazda3 saying it represents a “fully reengineered and completely redesigned” model for '10.

Mazda's conservative approach on redesigning the Mazda3 is understandable. The current car has helped to resurrect the fortunes of the Mazda brand in the U.S. in recent years, and it now is the auto maker's best seller worldwide.

A choice of two engines is offered for the '10 Mazda3, a 2.0L 4-cyl. making 148 hp and 135 lb.-ft. (183 Nm) of torque and or a 2.5L 4-cyl. shared with the new '09 Mazda6.

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