At the 2010 New York Auto Show, Electric Ideas

By Seth Fletcher

NY Auto Show Audi

The New York International Auto Show is always a smaller affair than the bigger annual confabs in Detroit and Los Angeles. Still, this year's show brought with it several interesting unveilings, a fair number of hot cars, and yet more evidence that the hybridization and gradual electrification of the automotive scene continues apace. Here are a few highlights. 

Mazda 2

A compact competitor to the upcoming Ford Fiesta, the 2011 Mazda 2 arrives in the US this summer, powered by a 1.5-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine.

Chevrolet Volt

The extended-range electric Volt probably hasn't missed an auto show since its unveiling in January 2007, but now the car is close to completion. We took a prototype on a quick spin the evening before the show began and found it surprisingly dialed in; even the XM satellite radio, accessed via a touch nav screen, worked perfectly. (We honestly didn't expect the prototype to have working satellite radio.) The battery was already depleted from numerous previous test drives, so the car only operated in range extender mode, in which a four-cylinder gas engine kicks in to power the electric motor. That was fine, though, because we've already driven the Volt powertrain in all-electric mode. It was smooth and seamless, but the gas engine is definitely audible. We weren't allowed to do anything other than tool around a few parking-garage ramps, but in the limited test the Volt felt peppy, nimble, and solid. We look forward to getting in the finished product, which goes into production this November. 

 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T and Hybrid 

Hyundai managed to dazzle the crowd by unveiling two new versions of its existing midsize sedan. Weird, right? Well, the dazzle is all about performance for price. The Sonata 2.0T, for instance, combines a direct injection with high-performance twin-scroll turbochargers to squeeze 274 horsepower out of a four-cylinder engine. And? When it arrives later this year it‚ll cost less than $25,000 (exact pricing yet to be announced). The other variant is the Sonata Hybrid, which uses lithium-ion batteries and,according to Hyundai gets, up to 39 mpg on the highway and 37 mpg in the city. If they live up to the promises Hyundai has made for them, these will be extraordinarily competitive cars.

 Fiat 500

For the future of Chrysler, look to Fiat, the company's new corporate overlords. Chrysler is set to bring the Fiat 500 across the Atlantic later this year; it‚ll run on a 1.2 liter, 70hp engine. (Tiny car, tiny engine.) Last month the company said that it would be making an electric car based on the 500 platform in 2012.

Infiniti Concept

Sadly, Infiniti will probably never make a car that looks exactly like the dazzling Essence concept, but eventually we'll be able to trace the lineage of certain lines and curves in future Infiniti models back to this silver beast.

Nissan Leaf

On the eve of the New York International Auto Show, Nissan announced pricing for the Leaf, its upcoming electric car, and the numbers are impressive good: $32,280 MSRP, minus a $7,500 federal tax credit that brings the price down to an effective $25,280. That's not counting state-level tax credits. In California and Georgia, for example, knock another $5,000 off the price, which makes the Leaf a $20,280 proposition. Importantly, though, even at that price the Leaf will be nicely equipped, with a navigation system, Bluetooth, Internet- and smartphone-connectivity, stability control, traction cont

rol, Sirius/XM radio, and six airbags all standard. You can also lease the Leaf for $349 a month. Nissan starts taking reservations on April 20; you‚ll have to pay a refundable $99 fee to get in line. The car starts rolling out in December, and Nissan currently has the capacity to build 50,000 cars in 2011.

 Lexus CT 200h

Unveiled earlier this year in Geneva, the Lexus CT 200h is a small hatchback hybrid that‚s powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor. It goes on sale here early next year.

 Mercedes R-Class Wagon

It's not a minivan, Mercedes protests. No, the redesign of the much-derided R-class is now officially filed under the umbrella that covers everything smaller than a Hummer and higher-set than a sedan: Crossover. Alas, even after the redesign the adjective being tossed around most frequently for the R-Class appears to be hearselike.

 Infiniti QX

"Do we see a little Nissan Cube styling in this?" we asked the Nissan rep.
"Um, no, probably not."
Never mind the official publicist denial: To us this big box of unabashed luxury SUV looks like the Nissan Cube after getting a real job, buying a house, having a couple kids and putting on some weight.

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