Ford Motor Co. announced its most aggressive model rollout, General Motors Co. said it was now fielding only winners, and Germany's Volkswagen AG is seeking a bigger slice of the U.S. auto market.
But in an auto market that's recovering slowly and still far from its historic highs, the ambitious plans unveiled Monday by the world's leading automakers will turn up the already fierce competition.
GM displayed a lineup of attractive small cars, including a sporty new Chevrolet Sonic subcompact, at the North American International Auto Show, while Ford unveiled a family of compact vehicles, including hybrid and electric models.
"We are delivering our most aggressive product plan ever," said Ford Chief Executive Alan Mulally.
Chrysler Group LLC, fresh from the success of its redesigned Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV, showed off a striking Chrysler 300 sedan and a Town & Country minivan.
CEO Sergio Marchionne said he expects a 25 percent boost in Chrysler's U.S. sales this year, to 2 million cars and trucks. After a long dry spell, the smallest of Detroit's automakers is rolling out new vehicles under Marchionne, who is also chief executive of partner Fiat SpA. The Italian automaker announced Monday that it had raised its Chrysler stake to 25 percent.
Toyota Motor Corp., building on the popularity of its Prius hybrid car, displayed new members of a growing Prius family, including a Prius v wagon, which the company expects will become the leading car nameplate in the U.S. market, surpassing the Toyota Camry.
From The Detroit News
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