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Kia Sorento

Sorry to say, but the 2009 LA Auto Show was rather boring. It seems car manufacturers were playing up economical in-production cars and touting their more-than-one-way-to-fuel alternative vehicle concepts.

The 2009 LA Auto Show definitely wasn’t making this female auto journalist swoon when the highlight of the show for me was the 2011 Toyota Sienna minivan. A minivan? Are you kidding me?

No, I’m not kidding. The 2011 Toyota Sienna is not only somewhat sexy on the outside, but the inside features real lounge-style seating. Yes, the rolling living room has FINALLY come to America. Thanks, Toyota!

What I highlight for you here are the best upcoming production models for Americans to drive, including the Ford Fiesta, Chevy Cruze, Kia Sorento, Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback and Mazda’s MAZDA2. Plus, we will look briefly at some alternative fuel concepts.

2011 Toyota Sienna

What made me so excited about the 2011 Toyota Sienna? SECOND ROW LOUNGE CHAIRS!! Yes, you can finally put your feet up and ride around town like you are sitting in a La-Z-Boy chair. Sienna engineers also added a wide format, split screen rear entertainment system for even more lounging pleasure. BRING ON THE ROLLING LOUNGE, TOYOTA!

Plus, Toyota got it all right on the third-generation 2011 Toyota Sienna. The exterior is not boxy at all, but looks more like a giant, yet sleek and sophisticated European CUV. And, the 2.7-liter, four-cylinder 2011 Toyota Sienna gets awesome fuel efficiency at 26 mpg highway. (A 3.5-liter V-6 is also available and gets 24 mpg highway)

Need more reasons to celebrate the 2011 Toyota Sienna? This minivan was designed, engineered and built in America. WOW!

And here are some more reasons to buy this minivan. The 2011 Toyota Sienna is outfitted with tons of advanced safety features like optional all-wheel drive and standard anti-lock brakes, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control and traction control.

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2011 Ford Fiesta

Ford’s reveal of the 2011 Ford Fiesta at the 2009 LA Auto Show was a truly interactive social media experiment. In fact, this “largest tweetup” of more than 1,000 people at the LA Convention Center made the Guinness Book of World Records.

Interestingly enough, I was not only participating in the audience, but also virtually as I sent “tweets” into the “twitterverse” as well as onto a giant screen during Ford’s colorful Fiesta reveal.

Here’s my first live “tweet” from that day:

@sheryllalexande What do I think about @Ford Fiesta? COOL car! Great for first time buyers, college students and those who love style at a good price.

Truly, the 2011 Ford Fiesta is a great buy for those who are looking for a low priced car with lots of standard safety, comfort and technology features like Ford’s SYNC connectivity. Plus, the 2011 Ford Fiesta’s 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine gets a combined 40 mpg highway.

This spring, I got to look at the 2011 Ford Fiesta up close and personal when I visited one of Ford’s Fiesta “agents.” Using social media like Twitter and You Tube, these agents drove these cute subcompacts around the country, sharing their impressions on the Ford Fiesta and their vibrant lifestyles.

Outside, the 2011 Ford Fiesta is a super cute subcompact with loads of sophisticated, yet fun styling. Inside, the Fiesta does have great design, but luxury? I’m not so sure. Yes, the Fiesta does have rather good quality, but this subcompact is truly an entry-level car with good convenience, comfort, safety and fuel efficiency for the price.

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2011 Chevrolet Cruze

A competitor to the Ford Fiesta, the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze was revealed to much acclaim by GM executives at the LA Auto Show. This was the first time I viewed the Chevy Cruze up close. What did I think?

The exterior of the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze does look like a blend between a European and Asian subcompact with sleek side lines and windows. However, I’m still not convinced about the Cruze’s bulbous front grille.

Hopefully, Americans will focus on the overall package and fuel efficiency. Yes, the 2011 Chevy Cruze’s 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine gets up to 40 mpg highway. Move over, Prius!

GM execs were also pushing the Chevy Volt, which is set to be sold to American consumers by late 2010. Who is going to buy the Volt? I’m not quite sure who would spend $40,000 on an electric vehicle (EV), but at least the Volt is now a bit more enticing since GM added an electric generator to extend the vehicle’s range to hundreds of miles rather than the 40 miles it can go on a single charge.

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2011 Mazda MAZDA2

Mazda is one of my favorite car brands because of the overall good value in Mazda’s price, performance, design and fuel efficiency. Finally, Mazda has brought its race heritage to its Mazda2 subcompact hatchback.

At the LA Auto Show, I was delighted to discover the MAZDA2’s sassy exterior design, which was actually a bit reminiscent of Ford’s youth-inspired Fiesta. I was also quite encouraged by the MAZDA2’s distinct trim levels like Active2 Surf and Snow.

Awarded 2008 Car of the Year at the New York Auto Show, the MAZDA2 has been hugely successful in Europe and Asia as an fun-to-drive small car with superior fuel efficiency, design, safety, passenger room and loads of standard features.

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Volkswagen Up! Lite

Volkswagen’s presentation at the LA Auto Show was much more lighthearted with the reveal of its Up! Lite and New Beetle. The Up! Lite combines VW’s TDI clean diesel engine with an advanced electric motor and seven-speed direct shift transmission.

This concept hatchback combines both an electric motor to improve the electric motor’s drive range and overall performance. This all-in-one approach from car makers seems to be a short-term solution to truly functional alternative fuel vehicles.

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Honda P-NUT

In a rather uneventful reveal, Honda presented its P-NUT (personal neo urban transport) concept car. This three-seater vehicle would be practically laughed at years ago except for the small success of Daimler’s Smart cars. The P-NUT, at least, has three seats and lots of leg and cargo room. Yes, urban dwellers may find the P-NUT an excellent alternative to a boring subcompact car.

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2011 Kia Sorento

Kia pulled at the heart strings with its all-American presentation of its Kia Sorento, which is being built at Kia’s first U.S. plant in West Point, Georgia. From the outside, I thought the 2010 Kia Sorento is a handsome CUV. However, can the Kia Sorento compete well with all of the great CUVs out there like Chevy Traverse? I won’t be certain until I road test the American-made Sorento myself. Stay tuned!

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Mitsubishi RVR & Lancer Sportback

In the most dry presentation of the day, Mitsubishi unveiled its all-new CUV as the RVR. And, Mitsubishi also paid homage to its Lancer Sportback. The all-new RVR looks rather exciting from the outside with its sporty lines. The RVR will be release in Japan next spring and then globally.

So, the 2009 LA Auto Show wasn’t the most exciting ever. Still, car manufacturers looked to what American consumers really want: quality cars with lots of cool standard features, great safety and super fuel efficiency.

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Sheryll Alexander is a lifestyles writer based in Costa Mesa, Calif. Follow me! @sheryllalexande

Heading into the 2010 calendar year, most automakers are still dealing with the economic downturn, but South Korea’s Kia Motors has been primed to thrive in this economy since it was introduced to North America back in 1995. While other automakers are scrambling to introduce smaller, cheaper and more fuel-efficient cars, Kia has been offering these vehicle attributes on most of its models since its arrival to the U.S., but it is now focusing on vehicle designs and interior quality on new models. For the gains made in all aspects of its new cars as well as the continued focus on reliability and value, we recognize Kia as the most improved automaker in North America for 2010.

Throughout 2009, Kia has kept itself busy with new vehicle launches by adding attractive models such as the 2010 Kia Soul, 2010 Kia Forte sedan and the Kia Forte KOUP, which showcase the design potential of the still fledgling automaker. The new design language incorporated on the recent Kia models portrays a sporty, more youthful styling, while the addition of more interior technology will help meet the demands of most tech-savvy drivers. With the addition of 3 new models just in the last year alone, Kia’s vehicle lineup has swelled 12 vehicle offerings ranging from the subcompact Kia Rio up to the rugged full-size Kia Borrego.

Further improving Kia’s position in the North American automotive market, it has just opened an all-new production facility in Georgia to build the redesigned 2011 Kia Sorento. The Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG) production plant will give Kia its first-ever U.S.-built model which should help the second-generation Sorento continue to gain market share in the highly competitive, highly lucrative midsize crossover segment. Kia has confirmed the addition of two new nameplates next year including its all-new luxury flagship, the 2011 Kia Cadenza, but it has to announce whether or not either of these will join the Sorento’s production at KMMG.

In addition to the stylish new designs, all Kia models continue to offer some of the best warranty coverage in the industry with a five-year/60,000 base warranty and a 10-year/100,000 powertrain warranty. Kia models also represent a great value when priced against similar vehicles. All three of these components have led to a strong sales year despite the downward trends in the North American auto market as sales have increased by 7.2 percent compared to 2008 and October’s 22,490 units sold represent a sales increase of 45.3 percent compared to October 2008. The third quarter of 2009 was the best four-month period ever in the history of the company including its best single month ever with 40,198 units sold back in August. Next year will also mark another milestone for Kia as it creates a motorsports program in the U.S. starting with the 2010 GRAND-AM KONI Sports Car Challenge Series.

With its continued focus on value and warranty coverage as well as the newfound focus on stylish designs, we expect that this is only the beginning for Kia as it looks to build off its many improvements made for 2010.