SocraticGadfly: Detroit auto show - celebration or funeral?

January 10, 2009

Detroit auto show - celebration or funeral?

No longhorn stampede through Not-so-Big D this year, whether the critters came from Big D or not. (That said, Big D should note that places in the sun aren't guaranteed.)

Besides what can't be afforded, this year's Detroit Auto Show also has plenty of no-shows.

Among dealers, the biggest no-show is Nissan, followed by Mitsubishi, Suzuki and several luxury and miche brands.

Among the cars, what's missing?

First, a final version of the Chevy Volt, or near to it, even as Toyota unveils the third generation of the Prius and Honda revives the Insight line with a Prius 2.0 knockoff. Read the story for a brief comparison of the two.

But, what's really missing is a diesel hybrid. After all, we now have low-cost clean diesels, courtesy of Volkswagen, and some higher-priced versions from other makers.

So, when is somebody going to marry diesels and hybrid drives, and as something more than a project car?

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