Small cars vie for best in show at Detroit

MOTOWN will try to convince buyers it has got its mojo back through small cars and alternative fuels when the Detroit motor show opens.

MOTOWN will try to convince buyers it has got its mojo back through small cars and alternative fuels when the Detroit motor show opens late tonight, Australian time.

The next-generation Ford Focus, a preview of the new Holden Barina and small hybrids from Toyota and VW underline the industry's commitment to using fuel efficiency to being people back into showrooms

Battery-powered cars will go centre stage with an exhibit dubbed Electric Avenue, which will include a vehicle from Chinese maker BYD. European electric debuts come from BMW's 1 Series coupe powered by batteries and Fiat showing an electric version of its retro 500 runabout.

Mini will extend the retro envelope with the Beachcomber, a concept that harks back to the original Mini Moke. The open-sided vehicle, based on the upcoming Mini SUV, is likely to be one of the small-car crowd-pullers.

Detroit will be keen to forget last year's event when the global financial crisis caused many brands to cancel plans to attend.

One of last year's highest-profile absentees, Nissan, returns to display its Leaf electric car, which goes on sale in the US later this year. But many premium brands, including Aston Martin, Porsche, Lamborghini and Ferrari, are shunning the show in favour of an invitation-only event at the MGM Grand Detroit casino.

Meanwhile, the stands of hometown favourites General Motors and Chrysler will bear witness to their traumatic 2009, when both went through bankruptcy. Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer and Saab -- the four brands being jettisoned by GM -- will all be absent, although the company's chief executive, Edward Whitacre, stepped boldly into 2010 last week with a forecast that this year GM could return to profit. Its small-car exhibit, the Aveo RS, shows what the next Holden Barina will look like.

Chrysler, which is now run by Fiat, is renowned for its glitzy presentations at Detroit but this year it has no new model to unveil. Its stand aims to attract visitors by displaying a Ferrari and Maserati.

Ford, the only one of the US big three not bailed out by Washington, is taking the unusual step of revealing the next-generation Focus more than a year ahead of launch. The small hatchback and sedan is the company's first global car. The Focus will be the centrepiece of Ford's attempt to persuade US buyers to downsize so that it can meet stricter fuel economy regulations due in 2016.