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Due to the downsizing trend observed in the United States, Hyundai is seriously considering selling the tiny I10 there. The strong sales of the Mini and the Smart have shown Hyundai that Americans are willing to buy small, clean and fuel-efficient cars. The problem for Hyundai is that the I10 plays in a different league; it's not a premium vehicle like the Mini and isn't quite as stylish as the Smart ForTwo. Still, the l10 is sold worldwide, and a U. S. version could spot different bumpers and changes to the suspension and the 1.2-liter 78hp Kappa engine. One thing we don't want Hyundai to change too much is the consumption figures of around the 5l/100 km (about 47 mpg U. S.).


[Source: Automotive News via Le Blog Auto]

The Honda Fit is selling like candy in the U.S. Sales of the subcompact car from January to May have increased by 64 percent, compared to the same period last year. Honda originally planned to sell between 30,000 and 40,000 Fits a year, but then increased production to 60,000. The marque is planning almost 80,000 units of the new model, which is going on sale on October 1st.

Global capacity for the Fit is more than 500,000 units. All U.S. units are imported from Japan, where the new generation is already in production (Americans still get the first generation models). The reality is that Honda USA will have to compete with other markets to get more units stateside.

[Source: Automotive news (sub's req'd)]

We had already seen the back of the Dodge Breeze, but now we've got a view of the rest. The Breeze is the result of badge engineering a Chery A1 for the South American market. As you can see, this is a small vehicle, especially when compared to the Ford Edge right behind it in the picture. What we don't know is why a Ford Edge is right there, because, according to our source article, the picture was taken at Chrysler's Technical Center. It's not likely that this car will be sold stateside anytime soon, or at all.

[Source: GM Inside News via Le Blog Auto]

2007 Opel Corsa

Saturn started off selling only compact cars when the original S-Series was introduced in 1990. Now that the Ion is no longer in production, the GM division's smallest vehicle is the Aura until the new Astra's start arriving from Europe this fall. Product development director Lisa Hutchinson feels that Saturn definitely has room for a smaller car in the lineup and with their close ties with Opel, the next generation Corsa would be a natural choice.

The new Corsa is scheduled to be built from the same global platform that sat under the Chevy triplets that appeared at the New York Auto Show so if the Corsa appears in Saturn showrooms, it's a good bet that one or more body styles inspired by the triplets will appear in Chevy dealerships as well.

[Source: Detroit News, thanks to Mulad for the tip]

The days of the 8-month waiting list to buy a hybrid or dealers selling them for more than sticker could be drawing to a close.

A report in a Massachusetts newspaper says the waiting list is down to three months at a local Toyota dealer, and there is no waiting list at the Honda dealer. Crossover vehicles such as the RAV4 are selling like crazy, however. Also, the 4-cylinder Corolla and new Scion models are more popular than ever. Even the AAA spokesman believes hybrid sales have "spiked and leveled off." Experts say shoppers are weighing the fuel-mileage benefits against the higher initial cost. That's an indication shoppers are doing more research and possibly why subcompact sales has grown so fast this year.

[Source: The Sun Chronicle]

Ouch. The month of August continues to be a bad one for Ford Motor Co. The troubled automaker, which Toyota Motor Corp. surpassed in U.S. sales for the first time in history, also announced a recall of over 1 million trucks, SUVs, and vans to repair wiring issues in the cruise control system. The system can catch on fire in rare instances.

Ford now is issuing a recall of over a 100,000 of its Brazilian-built Fiesta compacts and EcoSport mini-SUVs (pictured). The vehicles, which are all flex-fuel or able to use either gasoline or ethanol, use a small auxiliary gas tank to power up during cold weather. According to Ford, some of the tanks may crack and break.

None of the recalled vehicles are sold outside of Brazil. We at AutoblogGreen are gladdened that Ford's dealing with the issue promptly. Brazil is the largest user of biofuels in the world and the Fiesta is extremely popular in the country. Recalls, especially how they're handled, can make or mar a company.

[Source: Reuters]