10 vehicles that will redefine the auto industry in the next year

Detroit Free Press (MCT) - From hybrids to big pickups, from luxury cars to thrifty compacts, a handful of new vehicles that debut over the next 12 months may shape the future of automakers around the world.

They come in all shapes and sizes. Some break new ground for their manufacturers. Others aim to reassert companies' dominance in market segments they created.

From icons like the Ford F-150 and Toyota Prius to newcomers like the Lincoln MKT and Chevrolet Traverse, they are the most interesting and important new cars to watch as the 2009 model year kicks into high gear and model year 2010 begins.

_ 2009 Audi A4

Bigger, better and radically restyled, Audi's new sport sedan offers more room than the competition and an elegant new design. The A4's beautifully balanced chassis could threaten the BMW 3-series' handling supremacy, while a base price of $32,700 for the sedan and $34,500 for the station wagon should make competitors from Acura to Lexus nervous.

The A4 sedan is trickling into dealerships now. Look for a high-mpg diesel and convertible to join the A4 lineup.

_ 2009 Chevrolet Traverse

Chevy's new family hauler just hit the market with seating for up to eight, a $28,225 base price and a graceful design.

If the Tennessee-built Traverse gets the same rave reviews as GM's other recent midsize crossovers _ the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook _ it could outsell the other three put together.

The Traverse gets a direct-injection 3.6-liter V6 engine that produces 281 horsepower. The EPA rates the Traverse's fuel economy at 17 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway for front-wheel drive models.

_ 2010 Chevrolet Camaro

The 422-horsepower V8 may dominate headlines, but the V6 model of Chevrolet's reincarnated sport coupe will probably determine the car's success. The 300-horsepower V6 has enough grunt to make the modern and beautiful Camaro a true sports car.

Chevrolet predicts an EPA rating of 26 mpg on the highway, as good as or better than less-powerful V6 sport coupes like the Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima. The 2010 Camaro is to go on sale early next year.

_ 2009 Dodge Ram

Radically reengineered, the new Ram offers improved fuel economy and several unique features when it hits the road this fall. A switch to car-type coil springs promises to make the Ram the smoothest-riding pickup on the market. The addition of a roomy crew cab and secured, lockable storage bins in the rear fenders should win the Ram new customers.

The Ram goes on sale late this month with a $21,270 base price.

_ 2009 Ford F-150

The F-150 is expected to lose weight and gain visual appeal when it goes on sale late this year. High-strength steel reduces weight and improves cargo and towing capability, while the crew cab model will offer six inches more space for rear leg room and storage space.

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Styling changes include a new tailgate with three horizontal scalloped lines stamped into it to mirror the three-bar grille up front.

Look for the F-150 to push pickup fuel economy to a new high when a direct-injection turbocharged V6 model joins the lineup in 2010.

_ 2010 Honda Insight

The five-passenger gasoline-electric Insight is Honda's attempt to remind buyers that it's a leader in hybrid cars. Honda was the first automaker to sell a hybrid in the United States when the previous two-seat Insight went on sale in 1999, but the flashy Toyota Prius quickly eclipsed Honda's mundane Civic and Accord hybrids.

Honda aims to change that with the 2010 Insight, which has the same hatchback profile as the Prius. Honda promises a base price "significantly below" other hybrids when it goes on sale in the spring of next year.

_ 2010 Lincoln MKT

Lincoln promises its eight-seat crossover will resemble the dramatic MKT concept car that debuted at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The production MKT, which is to go on sale in mid-2009, will have a more traditional squared-off roofline than the concept to provide room for three rows of seats, but it will also be the first car to fully embody Lincoln's new design theme. It's expected to come in front- or all-wheel drive and offer a turbocharged, direct-injection V6 to combine performance and fuel economy.

_ 2009 Toyota Venza

This has been an unusual and unpleasant year for Toyota, which idled assembly lines and saw falling sales in response to high gas prices and the slow economy.

The nifty-looking Venza five-passenger crossover is an opportunity to reverse that momentum. Designed and engineered largely in the United States, the Venza is Toyota's attempt to combine the appeal of sporty crossovers like the Nissan Murano with the practicality of a midsize station wagon.

The Venza is to offer front- or all-wheel drive and either a 3.5-liter V6 or 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine when it goes on sale this fall.

_ 2010 Toyota Prius

Arguably the most eagerly anticipated car that will debut at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit next January, the Prius is an all-new replacement for the car that's become the icon for all gasoline-electric hybrids. Fuel economy should top the current model's EPA rating of 48 mpg in the city and 45 mpg on the highway when it goes on sale sometime next year. Toyota is so enthusiastic about the car's prospects that it plans to build the Prius in the United States for the first time.

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_ 2009 Mazda 6

This elegant midsize sedan aims to build on Mazda's reputation for making sporty alternatives to other automakers' mainstream models. Roomier than the car it replaces, the Flat Rock-built Mazda 6 also offers high-end features like blind-spot alert. Mazda has dropped the slow-selling station wagon and hatchback models. The new 6 is on sale now. Power comes from a 2.5-liter four-cylinder or 3.7-liter V6 engine. Prices start at $18,550.

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(Mark Phelan is the auto critic for the Detroit Free Press. He can be reached at phelan@freepress.com or 313-222-6731.)

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© 2008, Detroit Free Press.