Ford
Hybrids dominate EPA ratings for 2010
Nine of the top 10 vehicles in the government's fuel economy rankings for the 2010 model year are hybrids, coming from six different automakers and carrying nine different nameplates. The Prius hybrid was once again the leader, with fuel economy of 51 mpg in city driving and 48 mpg on the highway, according to the Environmental Protection Agency's testing methodology. The only nonhybrid at the top of the list was the tiny Smart For Two from Daimler, which clocked in at 33 mpg city/41 highway. The rest of the top 10 includes the Ford Fusion hybrid and its Mercury Milan twin, the Civic and Insight hybrids from Honda, the Lexus HS250h and RX450h hybrids, the Nissan Altima hybrid, the Ford Escape hybrid, the Mazda Tribute hybrid, the Mercury Mariner hybrid and the Toyota Camry hybrid. For all of the rankings, go to fueleconomy.gov.
--Associated Press
Fiat
Fiat considering sportier 500 for U.S.
Fiat executives say they are "seriously thinking" of bringing the higher-performance 500 Abarth version (right) to U.S. markets in addition to the base model. Fiat already has said it would bring its subcompact 500, or Cinquecento in Italian, to the U.S. market as part of its new partnership with Chrysler but hasn't said when. Fiat models from the company's Abarth sub-brand are higher performance with sportier suspensions and steering.
--Associated Press
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