UPDATE: Hyundai, Ford Take Top Honors At Detroit Auto Show

By Ron Amadon

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones) -- Imagine if someone told you four or five years ago that Hyundai would take home the North American Car of the Year award. Imagine that someone also said it would be an entry level luxury sedan that did it.

No one would have believed it. But the Hyundai (HYMPY) Genesis came away Sunday with the big award, the first for a Korean brand.

The Genesis has been praised for its luxury touches, smooth ride and build quality for a price tag just north of $30,000.

And in a year when Detroit auto firms have had little to crow about, Ford captured the North American Truck of the Year honors for its redesigned F-150 pickup.

Once the applause died down, it was time for automakers to swear off big trucks and SUV's in favor of "cars of the future" that sip little or no gas.

Honda (HMC) displayed the production version of its 2010 Insight hybrid that will hit showrooms in May and April, at a starting price of $23,650, below that of the Toyota Prius. Look for 48 miles per gallon in the city and 45 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA.

For its part, Toyota (TM) is slated to display its third-generation Prius on Tuesday. The company also announced it will launch a pure electric car in the U.S. by 2012. It is said to be targeted at the commuter that travels 50 miles between home and work.

Ford (F) said it will have an electric car in showrooms within two years, and that it will drive along in silence for 100 miles before requiring a charge.

"We do believe that electrified transportation ... is part of the future of the industry and the market," said Sherif Marakby of Ford's engineering team.

Many other makers believe him. Lexus showed off a hybrid sedan, the HS250h. Lexus maintained that it will get better mileage than the Smart car, meaning better than 33 miles per gallon in the city. It should hit showrooms in the spring and start at about $30,000.

Not to be outdone, at a combination pep rally for workers and new car display for reporters, General Motors (GM) said it will build a 40-mile-per-gallon mini-car to be called the Chevy Spark. It is about the size of its chief rivals, the Honda Fit and the Toyota Yaris. Look for it in showrooms in 2011.

GM also announced Cadillac will get a version of the much-talked-about Chevrolet Volt. It will be called the Converj, and like the Volt, it will be able to go 40 miles on electric power, after which a small gas engine will help get motorists the rest of the way home.

To go with the Spark and the Volt, (Can the "Amp" be far behind?) comes the Dodge Circuit, which troubled Chrysler said will hit the production lines in 2010. It looks like a slightly redesigned Viper.

Not everything at the show was electric, as Ford unveiled a new Taurus. The 2010 model is a complete redesign of the brand, turning it into a full-size sedan. It will offer a six-speed automatic and no price increase.

"We really targeted the value equation. It was very important," said Peter Raus, the chief Taurus engineer. The current Taurus starts at about $26,000.

Volkswagen (VLKAY) showed off a sports car called the Concept BlueSport. The nifty two-seater is designed to carry a mid-ship-mounted clean diesel engine that VW said can deliver up to 50 mpg on the highway. Yet it can hit 60 miles an hour from a standing start in 6.2 seconds, with a top speed of 140 mph.

And for the well heeled, Bentley showed off the Continental GTC Speed. It is probably not for those wanting high gas mileage, in that it packs a twin-turbocharged 12-cylinder engine that boasts 600-horsepower and 563 lb-ft of torque, plus a zero-to-60 time of 4.5 seconds.

Top speed for the car is said to be 200 mph. Even at what is expected to be a breath-taking price, Bentley thinks the new GTC will account for up to two-thirds of that model's sales in the first year.

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