Small Cars Making Big Splashes at Auto Shows

Since gasoline hit $4 per gallon in the summer of 2008, small cars and hybrids have surged in popularity. Until recently that is and now all car sales have flattened somewhat.

Many people are holding onto their automobiles longer and fixing them in transmission shops and car repair establishments rather than buying new. But, what has some car fans all riled up recently are the small cars that are appearing at the New York Auto Show.

Models such as the Toyota Scion iQ, Volkswagen Golf VI and Fiat 500 are turning heads. Suddenly the Toyota Yaris and Ford Focus have a little competition.

The Scion iQ is particularly enigmatic at only 10 feet, 7-inches long from front to rear bumper. The 3-seater iQ is only two feet longer than the Smart Fortwo.

On the other hand, the Volkswagen Golf VI took the World Car of the Year award and is now on sale in Europe. The U. S. rollout of this car is unclear at this point in time.

The U. S. rollout of the Fiat 500 is also uncertain as the automotive financial crisis has hit the automaker hard. But, the problem with small cars is that they simply won’t work for some consumers.

Soccer moms with kids jumping around, sports equipment to haul along with Girl Scout cookies and other fundraiser items to carry need larger vehicles for their lifestyles. With the push for greener and more fuel efficient vehicles recently this will need to come from technology.

A greater number of larger vehicles will need to increase fuel mileage through more advanced engine technology or from becoming hybrids. But, that said, the emphasis on downsizing vehicles in the big picture scope of things is here to stay for a while.

Solar energy, wind turbines and smaller green cars are the trend and automakers must adapt quickly. According to the New York Auto Show, the automakers are doing just that.