Attendance by autojournalists may have been down at this year's New York International Auto Show, what with travel cutbacks and layoffs, but the mood of the automakers here was decidedly more hopeful than it was in Detroit.
Despite an industry-wide average sales drop-off of 15 per cent, some automakers posted record sales last year.
Subaru Canada was one of those lucky few. The automaker recorded its best sales ever in 2008, with a total of 19,892 units sold, and it set a new record this March. Total vehicle sales were up 14.6 per cent over the 1,639 vehicles sold during March of last year.
Subaru unveiled its all-new 2010 Legacy sedan here. The automaker also took the wraps off its new 2010 Outback, which is available with two engines, several trims -- PZEV, 2.5i Sport and 3.6R -- and a variety of packages.
The PZEV and 2.5i models are powered by a revised 2.5-litre, four-cylinder Subaru boxer engine and are mated to a new six-speed manual transmission or the optional new Lineartronic CVT. The CVT is also equipped with a six-speed manual mode and steering wheel paddle shifters.
The 2.5L engine delivers 170 horsepower at 5,600 r.p.m. and 170 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,000 r.p.m.
The new 3.6L boxer six-cylinder engine produces 256 h.p. and 247 lb.-ft. of peak torque, and it uses regular rather than premium fuel.
The 2010 Outback provides quicker acceleration and lower fuel consumption than its predecessor, despite being larger and roomier, says Subaru. It has a wider track, ground clearance has been increased to 220 millimetres and interior volume is up by almost eight per cent, even though the vehicle is shorter than its predecessor.
Mercedes-Benz Canada also had a record sales year in 2008, with sales surpassing the 20,000-unit mark in Canada for the first time in the automaker's history.
A record-breaking total of 2,393 Mercedes-Benz and Smart vehicles were sold in March, which represents the best ever combined March sales for Mercedes-Benz and Smart and a 16.4-per-cent improvement over March of 2008.
Mercedes unveiled its sexy new E-Class Coupe, its new E63 AMG performance sedan and its new ML450 Hybrid.
The E350 Coupe comes with a 3.5L V6 with 268 h.p. and the E550 features Mercedes' 382-h.p. V8.
The E63 AMG gets 518 h.p. and 456 lb.-ft. of torque from its 6.3L V8.
The ML450 Hybrid features a two-mode hybrid system that Mercedes says offers fuel savings of up to 60 per cent. It has a 288-volt battery and an Atkinson-cycle V6 gasoline engine with 275 h.p.
Mercedes says the ML450 can travel on purely electric, purely gasoline or a combination of both powertrains. The ML450 Hybrid has a fuel economy of 11.2 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and 9.8 L/100 km on the highway.
Chrysler may not have had such a great year, but president and vice-chairman Jim Press seemed in good spirits as he arrived on stage in a Fiat 500.
"We're a new, lean restructured company ... and we're making progress," said Press. "We're bubbling over with excitement."
Although Press insisted that he was "not announcing anything," he said Chrysler was pleased U.S. President Barack Obama had endorsed its proposed alliance with Fiat.
Chrysler unveiled its all-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, which Press promised would be the "most sought-after luxury SUV" on the market.
General Motors unveiled its 2010 GMC Terrain, a crossover SUV that replaces the Pontiac Torrent and GMC Envoy. It will be available with two engines, a new 2.4L direct-injected four-cylinder and a 3.0L DOHC direct-injected V6.
Each engine is teamed with a six-speed automatic transmission. The new Terrain will go on sale this summer.
The cutest vehicle here is Scion's iQ micro-subcompact concept. While comparisons of the less-than-10-foot-long iQ can be made with the tiny Smart for two, the iQ is meaner-looking and has a little more attitude.
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