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Automakers want to sell you a new generation of haulers for groceries. amily cars are front and center at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, although there are twists this year on the wood-paneled station wagon.

Notably, the vehicles will be available as hybrids or with all-electric motors. This once-novel technology is becoming an expected part of each company's lineup.

The Ford C-Max is a compact crossover built on the Focus platform. Customers will be able to choose from among a gasoline engine, a gas-electric hybrid and an all-electric. The Toyota Prius v is a plus-size edition of the Prius, an extension of the best-selling hybrid brand.

Among the other notable debuts at this year's auto show are three fresh versions of established names: the Honda Civic, Volkswagen Passat and Chrysler 300. The vehicles will arrive during a year when the auto industry continues its climb out of the worst downturn in decades.

 
Workaday cars

Family cars such as the C-Max are roomy, aerodynamic - and maybe a little dull, according to observers.

"We'll see if Americans are ready to buy such practical, nonexciting minivans," said Tom Mutchler, senior automotive engineer for Consumer Reports.

He was talking specifically about the C-Max, but he could have said the same thing about many of the new offerings, which walk a line between a station wagon and a minivan.

"There's a lot of solid product and welcome product in some cases, but memorable? It's a lot of workaday stuff," he said.

The C-Max has been available in Europe since 2003. This new version will be one of Ford's "global" models, sold around the world with essentially the same specifications. The Detroit show was the North American debut for the vehicle, which will arrive in showrooms this year. The hybrid and all-electric versions will likely go on sale in 2012.

Ford's first all-electric vehicle will be the Focus Electric, which will go on sale near the end of this year. The company's embrace of electric vehicles will go a long way toward popularizing the technology, said Bill Visnic, a senior editor for Edmunds.com, a website for car buyers.

"There's probably still a Ford dealer on every main street, even in small-town America," he said. "For a lot of Americans, (electric-car technology) doesn't really become legitimized until Ford and GM are doing it."
Family tree

Toyota was one of the first companies to sell a hybrid, and its Prius is by far the top-selling "green" automobile. Now, facing competition coming from all sides, the automaker is turning the Prius into a family of vehicles.

Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota and the grandson of the company's founder, made an appearance at the auto show to help introduce the new products.

"Now in our 54th year in this country, we remain committed to America," he said.

The first new member of the family is the Prius v, (which stands for "versatility") arriving in the summer. The crossover vehicle has 50percent more cargo space than the regular Prius. The fuel economy is 42 miles per gallon in the city, which the company said is the best across the segment, although it is less than the 51 mpg of the regular Prius.

Toyota also showed a preliminary version of the Prius c(which stands for "city"), which is smaller than the existing Prius. It will go on sale next year.

"It makes sense to build the brand," Mutchler said.

But he has his doubts about the actual products.

"I'm not sure how many Prius owners need a slightly bigger car that gets less fuel economy," he said.
New generation

Several tried-and-true models will get fresh designs this year, with high stakes for the manufacturers.

Honda's ninth-generation Civic has sportier lines and improved fuel economy. A production version will go on sale in the spring. The engine and transmission are built in Ohio.

Critical reaction ranged from mild approval to mild disapproval, with few strong opinions.

"I think they put themselves in the running to have a good launch of this vehicle," said Jeff Schuster, director of global forecasting for J.D. Power and Associates, a market-research firm.

Visnic sees the design as a little too safe.

"That's what Honda is about, a careful evolution of styles that have worked and designs that have worked," he said. "In this case, I was looking for something more."

He was much less impressed with the Passat, a midsize car that Volkswagen hopes will be the ticket to rapid growth in the United States.

"There was all this build-up to it and then you get down there to look at it and, jeez, it's not an ugly car or anything, but there is really not a whole lot of energy," he said.

Chrysler's new 300 retains many design elements from its predecessor. This is the first major revamp for the brand since its parent company emerged from bankruptcy in 2008 and was taken over by Italian automaker Fiat.

The company didn't shy away from the idea that the vehicle represented a comeback.

"This is a story about how people react with their backs against the ropes," said Olivier Francois, president of the Chrysler brand.

Critics seemed to grade the company on a curve, calling the 300 a solid, if unremarkable, redesign.

"They're doing the best with what they have," Mutchler said. "They're updating stuff as much as they can."

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