Small Car Sales

The current explosion in US small car sales is driven by higher fuel costs, and heated up by aggressive plays by South Korean car-makers Hyundai and Kia, and American mega-brand Chevrolet — which has made its mark with the widely acclaimed new Cruze, Sonic and Spark small car line-up.

Other established players are also fielding a strong small contenders. The current Ford Focus is one of the most attractive entries with Euro style good looks, a feisty 2 liter 160 horsepower inline 4 cylinder engine and rally car manners that make it fun to drive in the modest $20,000 and under price range.

This year Toyota is launching its 11 th generation Corolla base priced at $17,000. This new incarnation of the Corolla puts on it game face with sharp performance styling and premium interior upgrades. For extra fuel efficiency the LE Eco model offers a broader range variable valve timing system which boosts output to 140 horsepower and 40 mpg highway stats.

Though down a few notches from its small car pre-eminence of the past — the Honda Civic particularly in the sporty Si model — is a stylish scamp that packs a 201 horsepower punch!