Detroit 2010: Chrysler Lancia

You are looking at... well, no one at the Chrysler booth seemed to know exactly what this is. They didn't even have a proper name for it. But that tiny little fact will not be stopping us. You are looking at what they call a Chrysler Lancia, or more correctly, a Chrysler-badged Lanica. Specifically, a Lancia Delta with Pentastar badges. All of which begs the question: what makes a Lancia Delta?

Ah, well, we are happy you asked. On the surface it's a small crossover/tall wagon-type people mover/MPV with some fancy electronic driving aids. But that sells the Delta short, as Lancia's website is loaded with the sort of florid PR language that will warm the cockles of the most jaded car-hack's heart.

Here's a sample, "Luxury that is never flaunted: an originality that avoids useless overstatements, that always preserves elegance." Sounds keen, huh? But wait, there's more, "A concentrate of evolution, a hyperbolic expression of technology." Ooh! Good stuff. Is this car for real? Will there actually be a Chrysler-badged Lancia? Probably, but we just don't know. However, we are certain that Chrysler could really use, "A concentrate of evolution."

Detroit 2010: Mercedes-Benz sculpture is the future of the CLS, Terminator 2 style

The first concept to be officially unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show is this, a sculpture by Mercedes-Benz that foretells the future of its vehicles – and specifically the CLS.

From the SLS AMG-inspired fascia to the overly blistered fenders clearly inspired by the recent E-Class coupe, the T2-style sculpture features two signature lines that are set to infect the rest of the Mercedes line-up in the near future.

According to officials, this stylistic exercise represents M-B's transition from its traditional wedge shape to a new, edgy art-deco design inspired by the '30s. Aesthetic fripperies aside, this is the future of the CLS, which we expect to see in full concept form later this year.

Top 20 Best-Selling Vehicles of 2009

Mouse over the clock in the lower right-hand corner of your PC. Alternatively, if you're a Mac user, look at the little iCal widget down at the bottom of your screen. Whoa, look at that! It's 2010. January 6th, to be exact. And that means the final sales tallies of all automakers for the year-that-was are in. As you may have noticed yesterday, none but Subaru, Kia and Hyundai are likely to be entirely pleased with their YTD performances, falling as they did compared to sales in 2008.

Wouldn't you know, though, that not one of those three upwardly trending automakers earned a single spot on the Top 10 Best Selling Vehicles chart? To see a Korean automobile on the list, you need to expand the search to the Top 17. This fact reminds us yet again that by and large the American population tends to be a rather predictable bunch.

Think you can guess what the best-selling vehicle of 2009 was? We won't lie... you probably can. In fact, it's been the same vehicle for the past 28 years straight

[Source: Examiner.com]

Top 20 Best-Selling Vehicles of 2009

First, let's get numbers 20–11 out of the way. There are a couple of interesting highlights, such as the Chevrolet Impala, which drops four spots from 2008 down to number 12 as its Bowtie sedan stablemate, the Malibu, jumps in at number 13. We also see the Toyota Prius at number 16, falling just shy of 150,000 units sold in 2009. Finally, note the GMC Sierra at number 18. Interestingly, when the Sierra's 111,842 sales are added to its Silverado sibling from Chevrolet, that platform outsells the Ford F-150 rather handily. As you'll soon see, though, Ford does indeed have the last laugh once all full-size truck sales are counted.

• Chevrolet Cobalt: 104,724
• Toyota Tacoma: 111,824
• GMC Sierra: 111,842
• Hyundai Sonata: 120,028
• Toyota Prius: 139,682
• Toyota RAV4: 149,088
• Ford Focus: 160,433
• Chevrolet Malibu: 161,568
• Chevrolet Impala: 165,565
• Ford Escape: 173,044

Number 10 – Dodge Ram: 177,268


Number 9 – Ford Fusion: 180,671


Number 8 – Honda CR-V: 191,214


Number 7 – Nissan Altima: 203,568


Number 6 – Honda Civic: 259,722


Number 5 – Honda Accord: 290,056


Number 4 – Toyota Corolla: 296,874


Number 3 – Chevrolet Silverado: 316,544


Number 2 – Toyota Camry: 356,824


Number 1 – Ford F-Series: 413,625