Auto News 5

With all the attention Toyota and Honda are getting for their hybrid programs, it's worth reminding you that Ford introduced the first hybrid SUV, the 2005 Escape Hybrid, and that the hybrid Escape won the prestigious North American Truck of the Year award in 2005. Ford used knowledge gained from the Escape Hybrid project to construct a hybrid-powertrain Fusion sedan with class-leading fuel economy and refinement.

With the small car category gaining strength, more and more automakers are looking to make their pint-size offerings stand out from the masses. Based on the entry-level Rio, Kia's brand-new 2010 Soul fits this mold well, its heavy revisions allowing it to compete with the squarish likes of the Scion xB and the Nissan Cube, not to mention the less funky progenitor of the modern box cars, the Honda Element.

The 2009 Hyundai Genesis is one of the most anticipated Four Seasons cars to arrive at the Automobile Magazine offices in recent memory. Yes, you read that right. After driving the Genesis on Hyundai's test track in Korea, and being thoroughly impressed, we decided we needed to spend a year with Hyundai's first foray into the luxury-car arena to see how it measured up against more seasoned rivals from Europe, Japan, and America.

The logical side of my brain is telling me that not only is $57,125 a good chunk of change, it's also enough to get me into the more dynamic Porsche Boxster S. And while that would normally be enough to move me toward the Porsche, I can't help but think I'd still consider the TTS.