Luxury automakers have introduced a number of innovative features in the vehicles they roll out every year in the hopes of attracting more buyers. These range from a supercharged engine to plush leather interiors. Now, automakers are trying out new lighting effects and features to lure in more potential buyers. Some of the newest lighting effects include soft night lighting that aid passengers in finding controls, dropped items without fumbling for a switch. There are also lights fixed into the side mirrors of some vehicles that automatically turn on when a key fob near the vehicle.

Most of these innovative lighting systems are more on aesthetic rather than functional. Usually, lighting systems are standard equipment in vehicles while exterior lights are typically optional. Some of the luxury models offering new lighting systems and features are the Lexus GS and the Mercedes S-Class. The Lexus GS offers 18 lamps that light up different areas of the interior one after the other. Meanwhile, the Mercedes S-Class features a fiber-optic light strip that spans the dashboard and the doors.

The lights in the interior of the new Honda Civic SI glow read while the interiors of the Civic Coupe EX is blue-lit. The Saturn Vue Red Line lets owners choose from two personalized foot-well lighting colors: warm amber and cool blue. The new Dodge Caliber has a removable rear dome light that can double as a flashlight. Other light effects are a bit whimsical, like illuminated cup holders in the Subaru B9 Tribeca and red dashboard and center console illumination in Audis.

Much has been said about the current financial crisis that America’s top automakers are experiencing. Sales continue its downward trend as demand for large and midsized SUV’s fall. May sales figures were down by 4.6% compared to last year. However, America’s automakers are producing much improved vehicle models generating a lot of buzz. There have been a number of exciting new sedans and coupes introduced such as the Saturn Sky and Ford Shelby GT500. Impressive new vehicle models have also come out from Detroit’s Big Three over the last few years.

To find out which among these new American vehicles are the best, BusinessWeek.com attempts to rank the newest domestic cars of 2006 according to reported reliability, government crash-safety ratings and total cost of ownership. Data were gathered from various sources such as Consumer Reports (Reliability), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (Safety ratings) and Edmunds.com (total cost of ownership or TCO). TCO refers to the ownership expenses incurred over a five year time span including such costs as financing, taxes, maintenance, operating and depreciation costs. For this list, only cars with 2006 as the base model year were considered. Not all cars in the market were compared, however, due to the lack of complete safety and reliability data.

America’s best for 2006:

Small Car – Ford Focus

Sedan – Chevrolet Malibu

Wagon – Ford Focus Wagon

Minivan – Dodge Caravan

Small Truck – Dodge Dakota

Large Truck – Ford F-150

Luxury Sedan - Chrysler 300

Mid-Sized SUV - Jeep Grand Cherokee

Luxury SUV - Jeep Commander

Supercar/Exotic - Saleen S7

Hybrid - Ford Escape Hybrid

Coupe - Dodge Viper SRT10

Source: MSNBC

Halo cars are designed to showcase what an automaker can offer in terms of design, engineering and technology. Usually a halo vehicle will feature all the talent and resources that the automaker has. Halo cars are special vehicles, typically sporty or a luxury model designed not really to sell but to draw in more customers who will hopefully believe in what the company can offer and purchase a vehicle, albeit a more practical one. However, putting out a halo car also has its risks. If the vehicle fails to live up to its promises and the expectations of the customers, these buyers will likely stay away from the automaker.

Halo cars have been around for quite a while in the automotive industry. For instance, the Corvette was Chevrolet’s halo car back in the ‘50s. It transformed the company’s image to sportiness. The Ford Mustang has played the role of halo car for Ford along with other models such as the Thunderbird and the GT. However, among these three models, only the Mustang has had a smashing success.

Meanwhile, the Pontiac Solstice played as a highly successful halo car for the GM marquee, named as one of the automaker’s ‘damaged brands’. Recently, another GM brand offered the Sky, featuring the brand’s future design direction and critics love it.

Here’s a list of the halo cars from both the past and present. So, what’s your favorite ‘halo’ car?

Pontiac Solstice
Saturn Sky
Ford Thunderbird
Ford GT
Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500
Dodge Viper
Mazda Miata
Lincoln Navigator
Chrysler 300
Volkswagen Phaeton
Toyota Prius
Chevrolet Corvette
Oldsmobile Aurora
Studebaker Avanti
Honda/Acura NSX

General Motors Corp. is planning to offer new compact crossover vehicles as part of its portfolio of new vehicles. These crossover models will be manufactured in plants overseas in countries like Thailand, Mexico and India. The new models will carry the GM brands Chevrolet, Saturn and Opel and possibly GMC and Hummer. GM VP Robert Lutz said that the new compact crossovers will be smaller than current models Saturn Vue, Chevrolet Equinox and the Opel Antara, which was also introduced as the Saturn Prevue Concept. GM plans to begin production by 2009.

Source: Inside Line

The 2006 New York International Auto show, the last international auto show of the season, has just ended and it is a general consensus that the Big Apple show presented a most excellent lineup, with production and concept vehicles ranging from luxury to crossovers. One of the many crossover SUVs which made a mark at the 2006 NYIAS was the Saturn PreVue concept.

The aptly named PreVue provides a preview of future Saturn design direction. GM is currently in the process of revitalizing the Saturn marquee by shaking off its conservative and laid-back image for a more sporty and youthful design. The stylish PreVue concept is a three-door, four wheel drive crossover created in collaboration with GM’s Opel (the PreVue was first introduced at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show as the Opel Antara GTC concept.

The Saturn PreVue combines the design elements of a coupe such as a gracefully sloping roof, two doors, and missing B-pillars with the characteristic styling cues of SUVs such as prominent side shoulders, wheel cutouts, short overhangs and steeply inclined windows. The front features a stunning V-shaped aluminum radiator grille and stylish LED headlamps. The body comes in brilliant Everglade Mica exterior accented by contrasting dark bumpers, silver body strips and gleaming 20 inch aluminum wheels.

Inside, the Saturn PreVue features a two-tone interior with generous use of warm tones such as dark brown on the door liners and upper instrument panel combined with light beige on the roof, seats and floors. Stainless steel and aluminum accents complete the attractive dashboard design. The PreVue also has a panoramic roof system that features two large sunroofs with dark-tinted glass that provide a bright interior yet without too much sunlight.

The PreVue crossover concept draws its power from a two-stage turbocharged 212hp twin-turbo version of the Ecotec common-rail diesel engine with a six-speed transmission and a torque of 295 lb.-ft. Design elements of the Saturn PreVue will likely be seen in future versions of the Saturn Vue, currently a highly successful compact SUV.