Performance car No. 1: Chevrolet Camaro
Roll-out: Now
Price: $22,245 - $33,430
Fuel economy: 18 city, 29 hwy with V6
Yes, General Motors is in bankruptcy court with lawyers picking the fat off its bones, but regardless of that, the automaker is aggressively pushing five new vehicles to market.
These will join the two new cars that GM delivered to showrooms just before its Chapter 11 filing.
When this is all over, the new leaner GM will emerge from bankruptcy with some nice new cars.
For a company that's supposed to be concentrating on fuel economy, the Camaro muscle car might seem like the wrong choice for a leading role.
But with an optional V6 that gets 29 mpg on the highway, the Camaro just hitting the streets now does offer decent fuel economy. Much more importantly though, buyers are lining up for a GM car that doesn't need rebates to sell.
Camaro buyers shouldn't be disappointed. With either the V8 or V6 engine, performance is powerful and sophisticated. Both versions come with six-speed manual or automatic transmissions.
While the Camaro's interior makes voluminous use of hard plastics, the sort of stuff GM has long been criticized for, the artful design more than makes up for that.
Performance car No. 2: Pontiac Solstice Coupe
Roll-out: Now
Price: $26,895
Fuel economy: 19 city, 29 hwy
GM announced in late April that it would kill off Pontiac by the end of next year. At least it's going to go out looking good.
The Pontiac Solstice coupe will probably be the last new Pontiac model to ever hit the market. It's a hard-top version of the convertible Solstice that hit the market in 2005.
Fortunately, GM's designers didn't just drop a top onto the Solstice's cabin. Instead, the Solstice Coupe's flowing roofline gives the car a whole new look. The Coupe does have a removable roof section just over the seats to offer a bit of that convertible feel.
GM will only make about 1,100 of these cars, so expect them to be hard to find and, if you get one, take good care of it.
Small crossover No. 1: Chevrolet Equinox
Roll-out: June
Price: $23,185
Fuel economy: 22 city, 32 hwy with 4-cyl.
"SUV" has become a naughty word, but Americans are still buying them, especially smaller, more fuel-efficient car-based crossover SUVs.
To meet that need, Chevrolet is rolling out a new, redesigned Equinox. Buyers will be able to choose either a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder or 3.0-liter 6-cylinder engine
With the 4-cylinder engine, the Equinox will get 32 mpg on the highway. That's 4 mpg better than a Toyota Rav-4 and 5 mpg better than a Honda CR-V.
Another pleasant surprise: the starting price for the new Equinox will actually be slightly lower than today's version.
Small crossover No. 2: GMC Terrain
Roll-out: August
Price: Not announced
Fuel economy: 22 city, 32 hwy with 4-cyl.
The Terrain is GMC's version of the new Chevrolet Equinox. The basic idea was to create a small crossover that appeals to people who want a look that GM calls "tailored toughness." Looking it over, we might suggest a different tailor but, hopefully, buyers will like what they see on the showroom floor.
The Terrain's attractive interior, which will be bathed in warm red light, will be much less controversial than its outside. Both the Equinox and Terrain retain the handy back-and-forth sliding rear seat, allowing owners to easily trade legroom for cargo space.
Even though Americans still want their SUV's, fuel economy is a bigger deal now, so the Terrain offers an "Eco" mode button that trades a measure of performance for better mileage.
Mid-sized car: Buick LaCrosse
Roll-out: June
Price: $27,835
Fuel economy: Not yet announced
GM knows which side of the world Buick's bread is buttered on, so this car was partly designed in China. In this country, Buick's image has been damaged by decades of wallowing road sofas. In China, though, Buick is one of the country's top-selling brands, retaining a luster few see here.
Improved quality -- Buick topped this year's J.D. Power vehicle dependability survey - and sharp looking new models like the Enclave crossover have given Buick a brighter looking future in this country, too.
The new LaCrosse, an entirely new car that replaces "just OK" current LaCrosse, should help move Buick forward some more. The outside looks much sharper and, inside, there's cool blue ambient lighting throughout and richer looking materials and design.
Buyers can chose between more efficient or more powerful V6 engines and an optional "intelligent" all wheel drive system.
Small crossover No. 3: Cadillac SRX
Roll-out: August
Price: $34,155
Fuel economy: Not yet announced
This time, Cadillac gets smaller. The new SRX is much smaller than the current version. With just two rows of seats and a lower price it's now a direct competitor to the Lexus RX 350.
The SRX will be available with either a 3.0-liter 265-horsepower V6 or a turbocharged 300-horsepower 2.8-liter V6. A new advanced all-wheel-drive system automatically shifts power front to back and side-to-side in the rear as needed.
The new SRX will have a handsome interior design similar to that of the Cadillac CTS, including the nifty pop-up touch screen for navigation. It will also have the same pause-and-play radio feature that lets you stop a radio show and restart it when you want.
Wagon: Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon
Roll-out: August
Price: Not yet announced
Fuel economy: 18 city, 26 hwy
Introducing a new station wagon in the wagon-phobic U.S. is a calculated risk for GM. Even the ultra-cool Dodge Magnum wagon from Chrysler couldn't find enough market here to hang on.
The CTS does look very slick, with a roof that tapers nicely down to that sharp Caddy back. And the new roof actually gives this CTS a little more rear headroom. Beyond that, the CTS Sport Wagon differs from the CTS sedan only in its body shape. Not that that's a bad thing. The CTS is arguably GM's best product after the Corvette.
