Auto News 5

The visionary who slipped an Opel Corsa onto General Motors' stand at last January's North American International Auto Show in Detroit is the individual currently strutting corporate halls with the "I told you so!" look on his face. If only Saturn's general manager, Jill Lajdziak, had mustered the courage to splash an ARRIVING THIS FALL banner over the electric-blue Corsa OPC hatchback. A fun, affordable fuel-sipper would be the perfect addition to the Opel-sired Astra, Aura, and Vue models already gracing Saturn showrooms and an excellent alternative to the Korean-built Chevy Aveo and Pontiac G3 at the gimme-mileage end of GM's product range.

No one is better than Americans at blurring the lines between wants and needs, and the sudden upheaval in the car market is proof of that. In the past few months of this year, small-car sales have shot up, while sales of large SUVs and pickups have dropped sharply. American car buyers' needs haven't changed; consumers have just realized that they never actually needed those gas guzzlers in the first place. And now they're seeking ways to contain their fuel bills.