Ten most significant import cars, 2008 and beyond

Happy New Year!

We've had the pleasure of helping to create and now write and and moderate this automotive blog beginning in June, 2008, and so far it has been an enlightening, exciting and very enjoyable journey. It's made me a better writer and researcher. Can't wait to see what happens next!

No one, least of all me, thought that the auto industry was going to be the #1 or #2 story in the world; we always knew Detroit would someday go through what they're experiencing now, but never expected all of this to happen so soon. It's been, as we used to say, a real trip.

As in our previous post about the most significant Detroit Three cars, this list is in no particular order and rather than naming a "best" or "most fun" or "best-looking," these are choices currently in showrooms or arriving there soon, all of which have some important feature or combination of features which makes them interesting and/or important. And we want to hear from you how we're right or wrong, and also want to know what cars should be on our list - but aren't.

2009 NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID
On-sale now.

Nissan pays Toyota for borrowing their well-evolved hybrid system for Altima hybrid models, the company's first and still-only hybrid offering. Renault/Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn (pro: "Gone") says the real "next step" in automotive technology are full EVs, using advanced batteries, which Nissan has been developing for the past four (or more) years; the first Nissan EV should be in the US by year 2010. Nissan is selling a hybrid, says Ghosn, only because Americans expect them to offer one. The company's 2010 Maxima is available with a clean diesel engine, so Nissan is giving customers a choice of technologies. Hybrid mileage figures are 35 in-town, 33 highway. Base price is $26,650.

2009 EURO CLEAN DIESELS: AUDI, BMW, MERCEDES-BENZ, VOLKSWAGEN
Various models on-sale now.
(One of the clean diesel-equipped Audi SUVs which participated in a cross-country, NYC to LA trek with several other Audis and achieved more than 38mpg overall).

Once California's Air Resources Board (CARB) approved clean diesel engines for sale in the Golden State, that opened the floodgates for their sale in all 50 states. Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen all have clean diesel models in their US showrooms now; Detroit says clean diesels will be available in 2010, first in their full-size pickups. There are several large-scale projects nationwide to retrofit big rig truck engines with clean diesel technology; that's more than 11 million engines. VW's Jetta TDI starts at $21,990.

2009 HONDA FIT
On-sale now.

Fit is an example of Japan's very popular "kei-cars" (short for: keijidōsha, "light automobile"), which have engines of 660cc's or less and various size restrictions, now translated into an Americanized product. Kei-car buyers in Japan enjoy tax breaks and can avoid having to buy a license to park, a necessity for larger vehicles in Japan's big cities. Fit has a 1.5-liter engine producing a veritably throbbing 117 horsepower; mileage is 28 city, 35 highway with the automatic transmission (better mpg than the stick shift model). Honorable mention: Nissan Versa, Toyota Yaris. Pricing begins at $14,550.

2008 SMART
On-sale now.
(We shot this photo of the Smart ForTwo, the only Smart now on-sale in the US, at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show, when the Smart craze was revving-up in Japan).

Smart is the spawn of Germany's Mercedes-Benz (engineering) and Switzerland's Swatch watch (design and styling). In the US, Smart is only sold at around 75 of Roger Penske's new car dealerships (world's second-largest auto dealership group, with about 250 dealerships nationwide). Two-door coupe and convertible body styles are offered. The sole engine is a 71-hp 1.0-liter 3-cylinder that teams with a 5-speed automated manual transmission. Mileage is 33 in-town; 41 highway. Prices begin at $11,590.

2009/10 HYUNDAI/KIA
On-sale now.

Both companies are controlled by Hyundai, a South Korean "chaebol," a huge conglomerate of companies which is responsible for more than 10% of South Korea's gross national product. Over time, Kia and parent Hyundai (both receiving technical help from Japanese carmakers) improved their products, offered great warranties and are now nearly full-line carmakers. A V8 engine has also been developed; high-mileage "Blue Line" 2010 hybrids are expected in late 2009. Prices start as low as $11,070 (Hyundai's 2009 Accent) and $11,495 (Kia's 2009 Rio).

2010 LOTUS EVORA
On-sale early 2009.

Colin Chapman (sort of a British Carroll Shelby) founded the UK's Lotus in 1953, and since then the company has produced simple, light and nimble cars for the race track and the street. Evora will use the familiar 3.5-liter V6 engine made by Toyota, but in a mid-engine/rear drive configuration with 276-horsepower and mated to a 6-speed stick shift. Lotus, like Ferrari and Porsche, makes a lot of their money doing R&D and engineering work for other carmakers. EV-maker Tesla uses Lotus cars as the basis for their roadster. No mileage figures reported yet; this car is purely for weekend fun. Evora will cost above $75,000.

2010 MAZDA 3
On-sale mid-2009.

Mazda 3 models come in sedan and hatchback flavors, and, through their excellent styling, have almost single-handedly revived the hatchback segment, which had, by the '90s, grown old and cheap-looking to American buyers. Engine choices include a 2.0-liter (148-hp), 2.5-liter (156-hp) and turbocharged 2.3-liter models (263-hp), all four-bangers. Mazda and Honda are Japan's best engineering-oriented carmakers. 3's 2010 iteration will get a cosmetic "freshening" and more horsepower. 2009 models' mileage ranges from 18 city to 32 highway, depending on model; '09 pricing begins at $14,690.

2010 PORSCHE BOXSTER
On-sale mid-2009.
(Porsche's 2010 Boxster, with 2010 Cayman in the background, at their world introductions at the recent Los Angeles Auto Show).

Porsche belongs on any "significant cars" list; they're always up to something new. The 2010 Boxster and Cayman both had their world introductions at November's Los Angeles Auto Show. Porsche's Cayenne SUV is getting a VW-built clean diesel engine in late 2009 (in Europe; US sales not yet announced), and the Panamera, the company's first four-door, will be in the US in 2010 with a 385-horsepower 4.8-liter V8; a turbo version will make 500-horses. Displacing 2.9-liters, the newest Boxster's flat 6-cylinder "boxer" engine develops 255-hp. The 3.4-liter "lump" (what F1 engineers call engines) in the Boxster S with Direct Fuel Injection now delivers 310-hp. No official mpg figures yet; pricing is guessed at a minimum of $52,000 for the base model and $61,000 for the S.

2009 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STI
On-sale now.
(The Los Angeles Auto Show's Subaru exhibit, with Travis Pastrana in video form from the X-games in front of a Subaru WRX STI race car).

Like Porsche, Subaru uses flat, boxer-style horizontally-opposed engines; so do BMW motorcycles. The newly-styled Impreza WRX STI packs a lot of technology in the company's ultimate street expression of their successful World Rally race cars. Vitals include: a 305-hp 2.5-liter DOHC intercooled, flat-four cylinder turbocharged engine, "Symmetrical All Wheel Drive," Brembo disc brakes and 18-inch alloy wheels. With all that horsepower, the car manages 17 mpg city and 23 highway. They can do better than that, though, and they should. It's a technical tour de force, starting at $34,995.

2010 TOYOTA VENZA
On-sale mid-2009.

This is the first all-new Toyota in some time, and the new-for-2009 4-door, five-passenger wagon slots between the Camry and Highlander in size and price while borrowing parts from both. For 2010, Venza will continue in a single trim level, which keeps prices down by making its actual assembly easier and faster. Venza can be ordered with front- or all-wheel drive. Engines include a 182-hp 2.7-liter 4-cylinder and a 268-hp 3.5-liter V6. A 6-speed automatic transmission is standard. Four-cylinder models can tow up to 2500 pounds, the V6 up to 3500. But where's the hybrid version? Camry and Highlander have them; Venza should, too. Expect mileage figures of 19 city to 29 highway depending on engine; base price is $25,975.

Some photos by www.SteveParker.com.

Comments

[Iccarus]

I can't beleive they left out the Prius. I've been getting 51mpg mixed driving for 3 years now. what surprised me is it rides like a caddy, real smooth. Good in snow 5 star safety rating. If everyone who could drive one did, it would help alot... I know ...smug alert!

[Steve Parker - Huffpost Blogger]

We left out the Prius because it's not "new" and everyone knows about it already (we bought ours in 2005, a first-generation model, and enjoy it greatly). Thanks!
Steve Parker

[ErnestineBass]

I saw a Smart Car on Monday afternoon. Bright yellow and tooling along at 65 on the Interstate. It was really cute.

[johncando]

You should see them after going through a snow storm in Canada ? The drivers are a ghost gray but i'll bet fun and the funny smell coming out of the car might be polution of another kind.

[Steve Parker - Huffpost Blogger]

The Smart "phenomenon" has been a wonderful study in marketing. The people from Swatch watch worked on the design of the cars, and Daimler handled the engineering.
It's one of the first, if not the first, mass-produced car designed from the start with space below the passenger compartment which can hold a variety of different engines and motors. Smart thinking, eh?
And when Daimler decided the Smart might sell in the US, they picked one of the most-respected people in the US car business, Roger "The Captain" Penske, who has turned-down the "opportunity" of being GM's CEO and president more times than I can remember.
All Smarts in the US are being sold only at Penske-owned dealerships, the second-largest dealership group in the world. About 70 of Penske's 250 dealerships are selling the car.
Still, on the open road, they seem SOOO small! But we're very impressed with the amount of safety and protection they've built into the Smart cars -- total race-car-type technologies (they aren't much larger than IndyCars, anyway).
Steve Parker

[kellygrrrl]

Love the Smart Car. There are tons of them here in So Cal. Adorable!

[markusmarkus]

They missed one - BMW will be bringing its diesels to Amercia in the spring.

[Steve Parker - Huffpost Blogger]

You're right. I'll try and make that fix.
Thanks!
Steve Parker

[markusmarkus]

". If all gasoline cars, trucks, and suv"s instead had plug-in electric drive trains, the amount of electricity needed to replace gasoline is about equal to the estimated wind energy potential of the state of North Dakota." That's hard to believe. Link please.

"Why don't we use some of the billions in bail out money to bail us out of our dependence on foreign oil?" How?

"This past year the high cost of fuel so seriously damaged our economy and society that the ripple effects will be felt for years to come." No, the high cost of fuel was a small component of the economic downturn. The freeze of the credit market was the primary cause.


Look, I'm all for green energy. I've been pushing my condo for the last 2 years to install solar panels (PV and solar hot water) on the large flat roof of our building. I drive only when necessary. But to think that we can just throw money to solve the energy problem is very naive. The problem or rather the host of problems, issues and impediments that need to be solved are enormous. we need to work at them every day, but with a long steady pull.

[johncando]

when you wake up in the new year and the loan from the government is no longer a debt of the North American car builders . Then what?

[Steve Parker - Huffpost Blogger]

Thanks for your comment.
I think this is one of those times when "throwing money at the problem" would do some good. You have to get these projects rolling somehow...money will be a big part of it.
My own Detroit Three bailout plan starts by merging the Three into One, and then finding the best people in the world to sign contracts which will keep them working on these projects until the problems get solved.
It won't happen fast, but, really, what other choices do we have?
Steve Parker

[netzwerg]

My favorite import car this year is the Audi A5 3.0L Diesel!
Hell of a car, and now mine! ;)

[PlugINCarsRule]

It would cost the equivalent of 60 cents a gallon to charge and drive an electric car. The electricity to charge the car could come from solar or wind generated electricity. If all gasoline cars, trucks, and suv’s instead had plug-in electric drive trains, the amount of electricity needed to replace gasoline is about equal to the estimated wind energy potential of the state of North Dakota. Why don't we use some of the billions in bail out money to bail us out of our dependence on foreign oil? This past year the high cost of fuel so seriously damaged our economy and society that the ripple effects will be felt for years to come. Why not invest in setting up some alternative energy projects on a national basis, create clean cheap electricity, create millions of badly needed new green collar jobs, and get out from under our dependence on foreign oil. What a win -win situation that would be. There is a great new book out called The Manhattan Project of 2009 Energy Independence NOW by Jeff Wilson. www.themanhattanprojectof2009.com If you think electric cars are way out there in some futuristic lala land please check out the web site for a company Better Place. http://www.betterplace.com/ they are setting up infrastructures in San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland as well as the state of Hawaii to accommodate electric car use.

[Steve Parker - Huffpost Blogger]

Thanks for writing.
We spend about half our time in the Palm Springs (CA) area. We have around 360 days of sunshine a year here in the "upper Mojave" desert.
In the Coachella Valley (where Palm Springs is located) there are about 500,000 people; it's one of the fastest-growing areas of the country, less than 2 hours by car from Los Angeles.
There are several train stations in the Valley, but no passenger trains ... just freight-only.
Why this area has not been made the premier laboratory for the entire world when it comes to solar power - well, I just don't know why. Especially with our so-called "green" governor.
Our local transit agency runs several busses daily which are hydrogen-fueled fuel cell EVs. Let's put some solar panels on the roofs of those busses to see how they operate in a desert environment.
It's going to take leadership at the national level to begin a much-needed New Manhattan Project. We all did our best this past year to get that kind of leadership into Washington.
I'm hoping (and planning for) the "best" from our new national-level administration.
Steve Parker