Spring preview: Tech cars
This year sees the release of two notable hybrid cars, the updated 2010 Toyota Prius and the all new 2010 Honda Insight. Nissan and Kia are competing in the small box car segment with the Cube and Soul, while Audi has a small luxury SUV.
2010 Toyota Priuis
Price: TBD
Availability: Spring 2009
The outlook: The Toyota Prius set the standard for hybrid cars, and this update represents the third generation of the car for the U.S. market.
2010 Honda Insight
Availability: March 2009
The outlook: Honda launches the hybrid Insight as the less expensive alternative to the Toyota Prius. With fuel economy 5 mpg less than the Prius, the Insight undercuts the price by thousands.
2009 Nissan Cube
Availability: May 2009
The outlook: The Cube competes directly with the Scion xB, offering a cheap economy car with many practical virtues. Expect good optional cabin tech such as Bluetooth phone support and iPod integration.
2010 Kia Soul
Availability: Spring 2009
The outlook: Kia rolls out the Soul, another small box car with a sporty look. The base model will be pretty stripped down, but upscale trims will offer satellite radio, USB and iPod connections, and Bluetooth support.
2009 Audi Q5
Availability: February 2009
The outlook: Audi fills a gap in its product lineup with the Q5, a small SUV built for on-road use. A new cabin tech package features hard-drive-based navigation with traffic.