For the past 20 years (since the beginning of the horsepower wars in the mid-1980s) automakers have been providing American consumer with bigger, faster and more powerful vehicles every year. The focus on improving vehicle performance has been so all consuming that fuel mileage has remained nearly flat while specifications relating to acceleration, top speed, towing capacity and cargo space have all soared.
But recent sales trends, along with the line-up of new vehicles debuting at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, suggest a shift in consumer priorities. Large trucks, full-size SUVs and Minivan sales sagged in 2007, while small SUVs and crossovers broke new records. This was the year the Toyota Prius outsold the Ford Explorer. Who could have predicted that a few years ago?
These new priorities were expressed in vehicles like the Toyota A-BAT concept, a stylish pick-up truck with a Prius drivetrain. They were seen in the Mercedes-Benz GLK concept, the German brand's first small SUV, as well as in the Audi R8 supercar sporting a V12 diesel engine. The message? American consumers still want to drive fun vehicles, but they want to feel environmentally responsible while doing it.
Possibly the most seductive shape to debut in Detroit was Mitsubishi's Concept-RA. It looks like the coolest Eclipse you've ever seen, but what's that under the hood? A 2.2-liter turbocharged diesel engine? Even the new full-size Dodge Ram and Ford F-150 are looking to get green with available diesel and hybrid drivetrains.
And perhaps the most interesting announcement at the show came from GM. No, it wasn't the company's new 550 horsepower Cadillac CTS-V or 625 horsepower Corvette ZR1. It was GM's financial commitment to help produce the ethanol fuel that can (but rarely does) power so many of GM's flex-fuel vehicles.
We've entered a new world - one in which fuel mileage and emission levels are given the same consideration as zero-to-60 times and maximum seating capacity. If that means a diesel-powered BMW 3 Series that still delivers on its "ultimate driving machine" mantra, where's the downside?
