Auto News 5

If only General Motors chairman Rick Wagoner had driven a Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid to Washington last November instead of flying via company jet. A two-wheel-drive version of this pickup could have completed the Detroit-to-D.C. journey on one tank of regular, thereby hinting to our elected representatives that GM gets it. In his remarks before Congress, the now former chairman might have noted that his vehicle of choice was not some distant development but instead a real, ready-for-market, cowboy Cadillac steeped in advanced technology.

When the president of Government Motors cracks the change whip, Cadillac executives need only cite the new SRX crossover to acknowledge that the message has been received. Key differences in the 2010 edition include an engine and transmission rotated 90 degrees, primary propulsion reassigned to the front wheels, and nary a V-8 or a third row in sight. Also, the SRX's manufacturing site was shifted south of the border, and the base price drops by more than $5000.

If you've lived through a few complete economic cycles, then you know that tough times tend to breed innovation. It's during difficult times when conventional thinking gets challenged.

Just like you, we always want to know what's coming next from Detroit, Tokyo, Stuttgart, Munich, Los Angeles, and all the other places where automotive engineers and designers dream and scheme on our behalf. Car companies, of course, are loath to share information on new products lest their competitors try to copy them--or you decide not to buy the cars they already have on dealer lots. Car companies, though, are simply groups of people, and some of them have a hard time keeping secrets. So, we poke, we prod, we cajole, and we uncover information that becomes the basis for our annual Sneak Preview issue. As always, some of our information is educated guesswork based on hints, insinuations, hunches. Make no mistake, though, these cars are on their way, even though details may change. Ladies and gentlemen: our list of 136 cars coming over the next few years...