All the big news at this year’s LA Auto Show is small cars. It all started with the big reveal of the Chevy Cruze compact car that will be replacing the outgoing and aging Cobalt model. The new Cruze will sport either a 1.8L engine or a turbocharged 1.4L with the same power output as the larger engine but with an estimated 40mpg. This new compact from Chevy will target the Honda Civic, Ford Focus and Toyota Corolla as its sales competition.
Ford and Mazda have micro on the mind as they reveal their new hot hatch sub compact cars. First one being the highly anticipated Ford Fiesta, sporting a 1.6L engine and 40mpg (seems to be a trend here) the big news though is the inclusion of the PowerShift electronic dual clutch automatic transmission. This will allow the Fiesta to be lighter than a typical automatic transmission car and has a sealed internal lubrication so it is maintenance free. The new Mazda2 was announced for the US market without specifics. It is known that the car is based on the same architecture as the Ford Fiesta but the engine and driving dynamics being specifically built to Mazda’s Zoom Zoom quality.
The big winner of the day on reveals goes to Mitsubishi with its announcement of the Colt here in the USA. The EVO nosed Colt is a current global car for Mitsubishi and will be up against a tough and growing crowd of B-Segment cars like the Ford Fiesta, Mazda2, Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa, and Honda Fit. No details have been given yet, but we know that it will come with a manual or CVT transmission and have a MIVEC engine. A turbocharged Ralliart version is sold in Japan and would be the fastest B-segment on the market if introduced.
Now if we could twist American Suzuki Motor Corporations arm a little we could fill the segment with the world’s best B-Segment hit the Suzuki Swift, maybe there will be a surprise left at the LA Auto Show.
Stay tuned to OdoClub blog for the latest updates from the LA Auto Show. Also, if you are planning to attend the LA Auto Show make sure you sign up for OdoClub before you hit the road. OdoClub members earn rewards for every mile they drive. Rewards can be redeemed at participating dealerships for discounts on goods and services.
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