Top 10 Cars at Detroit Auto Show

Top 10 Cars at Detroit Auto Show
Buick LaCrosse
Like the Saturn Aura and Chevrolet Malibu before it, the 2010 Buick LaCrosse promises to be better than the car it replaces, with improved exterior styling and interior quality. The LaCrosse returns with front-wheel drive, but all-wheel drive is now available. When it goes on sale this summer, the LaCrosse will be offered with two engine options: a new 255-horsepower 3.0-liter V6 or a carryover 280-horsepower 3.6-liter V6.
Top 10 Cars at Detroit Auto Show
By Chuck Tannert
This is the list you’ve been waiting for. Forget the overviews of the best or worst dressed celebs at the Golden Globes. That’s kid stuff. Here, we give you our picks for the top 10 cars — ranging from on-the-way production models to pie-in-the-sky concepts — from the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. While the mood might be somber here in Motown, there is impressive metal to see. These are our favorites, in alphabetical order.

Video: Top Cars of the Show
Top 10 Cars at Detroit Auto Show
Audi Sportback concept
Audi calls this slick ride the “Sportback” because, unlike other sedans with coupe-like lines that have a trunk, it has a hatchback. It also features a minimalist design aesthetic, which Stefan Sielaf, Audi board member in charge of design, says is meant to help people focus on the overall shape rather than flashy design tricks like those that adorn its competitors. It will be powered by a 3.0-liter 6-cylinder turbo diesel that produces 225 horsepower and features a 7-speed automatic transmission. Rumor has it that the Sportback is a mirror image of the much-anticipated Audi A7.
Top 10 Cars at Detroit Auto Show
Buick LaCrosse
Like the Saturn Aura and Chevrolet Malibu before it, the 2010 Buick LaCrosse promises to be better than the car it replaces, with improved exterior styling and interior quality. The LaCrosse returns with front-wheel drive, but all-wheel drive is now available. When it goes on sale this summer, the LaCrosse will be offered with two engine options: a new 255-horsepower 3.0-liter V6 or a carryover 280-horsepower 3.6-liter V6.
Top 10 Cars at Detroit Auto Show
Cadillac Converj
If this sexy looking coupe is any indication, GM’s luxury brand is hot-to-trot in the race for zero emissions. Like the Chevy Volt, which is due to go into production by the end of 2010, the Converj is an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV), which means it will be equipped with an electric motor as well as a gasoline engine. The electric motor provides primary propulsion, while the gas-powered engine acts as a generator to recharge the vehicle’s batteries. Plus, it’s super sexy. Just look at it.
Top 10 Cars at Detroit Auto Show
Chrysler 200C EV
Another EREV, the 200C promises to go 400 miles on a fully charged battery and full tank of gas; 40 of those possible on 100 percent electric power. The 200C features goodies like a “panoramic multimedia touch screen,” which takes the place of all switches and levers, and can be customized down to the desktop background. It’s based on a shortened version of Chrysler’s rear-wheel drive platform. Designers tell us that the 200C’s sweptback nose and “wind-cheating shape” make better use of the high-tech drivetrain crafted by Chrysler’s ENVI division.
Top 10 Cars at Detroit Auto Show
Ford Taurus
We were pleasantly surprised by the redesign of this American icon. Instead of the conservative family car we expected, Ford’s new Taurus, set for release this summer, will feature fun-to-drive underpinnings and an all-new look that’s very sporty. Under the hood, you’ll find a 250-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 (a carryover from the vehicle’s days as the Ford 500). Ford’s EcoBoost turbocharged 355-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 will also be option, but not initially. Buyers will be impressed by the options list as well, which includes massaging seats, push-button starting, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, blind spot warning and cross traffic alert.
Top 10 Cars at Detroit Auto Show
Honda Insight
Who’s kidding who, the all-new Insight was specifically designed to compete with the all-new Toyota Prius. It is propelled by an electric motor, a 1.3-liter i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine and a continuously variable automatic transmission. Total output is 98 horsepower, with fuel economy ratings of 40 mpg city/43 highway. It also features an EcoAssist system with guidance and scoring functions that encourage efficient driving. Promised to be America’s lowest-priced hybrid, the new Insight goes on sale April 22, – Earth Day
Top 10 Cars at Detroit Auto Show
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss
Though it won’t be available in the United States, this 650-horsepower, 217.5-mph open-top roadster will be one of the world’s most exclusive super cars. Production of the SLR McLaren on which it is based will end in May, making the Stirling Moss edition one final variant to outdo all the others. Only 75 will be built, and only current SLR owners will be considered for the privilege of plunking down 750,000 euros (that’s over a million bucks) to purchase one.
Top 10 Cars at Detroit Auto Show
Mercedes-Benz BlueZERO Concept
The three cars that make up the BlueZero lineup could represent a monumental culture shift for the luxury carmaker. The BlueZERO E-Cell is a plug-in electric vehicle that can drive around 125 miles on a single charge. The BlueZERO E-Cell Plus adds a small 3-cylinder gasoline engine and has a range of more than 370 miles, while the BlueZERO F-Cell has a fuel cell that converts compressed hydrogen into electricity. It can drive 350 emissions-free miles on one tank of gaseous hydrogen.
Top 10 Cars at Detroit Auto Show
Volvo S60 Concept
Though packed with lots of design features — such as a floating center console made of solid Orrefors crystal — that probably won’t make it to the production model, this new “sport” sedan provides a look into the Swedish automaker’s future. The front is unmistakably Volvo, with an enlarged, trapezoidal grille flanked by sweeping LED headlights. Beneath the sculpted hood is a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder Gasoline Turbocharged Direct Injection (GTDi) engine that produces 180 horsepower and is expected to achieve 47 mpg on the highway and emit just 0.42 pounds of carbon dioxide per mile.
Top 10 Cars at Detroit Auto Show
Volkswagen BlueSport
Boasting a top speed of 140 mph while managing to get a claimed 55 mpg on the highway, this turbocharged 2.0-liter diesel concept puts out 180 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque at just 1750 rpm. Coupled to a 6-speed double-clutch transmission, the TDI engine launches to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds. Vehicle weight is kept to a minimum (2,600 lbs) through extensive use of aluminum and other lightweight materials.
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