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It seems Mazda's designers aren't the only ones studying fluid dynamics. When it came time to craft the Hyundai Nuvis concept, debuting at this week's New York auto show, designers studied the way water flows around the sides of a boat.

In addition to its all-new, 2010 Legacy sedan, Subaru unveiled the Legacy's butched-up sibling, the Outback wagon, at the 2009 New York auto show. Like the Legacy, the new Outback goes on sale in late summer.

Taking center stage at Mitsubishi's display at the 2009 New York auto show is the Outlander GT Prototype, a sportier version of the company's crossover.

No longer can we call the BMW X6 unique. Acura's ZDX concept, shown at the 2009 New York auto show, also mixes sports coupe DNA with that of a sports-utility.

My first thought as I sat behind the wheel of the Toyota Venza and looked around was something along the lines of, "Where did all this cheap plastic come from?" There's a surprising amount of hard plastic within reach of the driver, and yet the top of the dashboard is soft. Perhaps this is an example of Toyota's to maintain profit margins.

Considering North America's bittersweet relationship with diesel-powered vehicles, it's a bit unusual to develop a diesel sedan exclusively for the New World. Still, that's exactly what Mercedes-Benz did with its E250 Bluetec concept.

Mercedes has a strong showing at this year's New York auto show, and half the debuts are aimed at reducing the automaker's emissions and increasing fuel economy. The 2010 Mercedes-Benz ML450 Hybrid will be the second hybrid in Mercedes' lineup once it goes on sale in December (the S400 BlueHybrid will beat the ML450 Hybrid to market by three months).

In what just seems to be a move to bolster its hybrid portfolio, GM is unveiling the 2009 GMC Yukon Denali Hybrid at the 2009 New York auto show.

Although Pontiac is due to lose the Torrent as it becomes a "niche brand," GMC will gain a small crossover in the form of the 2010 Terrain. Based off the Theta platform that underpins the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox and 2010 Cadillac SRX, the Terrain serves as the smallest offering within GMC's portfolio.

Toyota already sells the iQ, a tiny urban runabout, in Europe and Japan, but this is the first time the company has acknowledged a desire to sell the car here in America. The Scion iQ concept that debuted at the 2009 New York Auto Show wears high-zoot bodywork from Five Axis, a car customizer from Huntington Beach, California, but if an iQ comes to your Scion dealership, it likely won't look quite as crazy as this.

Ironically, it's only years after the big divorce that the Jeep brand finally benefits from the DaimlerChrysler marriage. An all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee debuts for 2011, and it now shares its underpinnings with the Mercedes-Benz M-class SUV. Better late than never, we suppose.

The Range Rover Sport, which was introduced in 2005, gets its first significant refresh for the 2010 model year. A new front-end design features a lower grille, new headlamps with LED lights arranged in a Gatling-gun style, a new front bumper, and new front fenders with restyled side vents (the styling clich of the moment).

If you enjoyed everything about the 2009 Nissan 370Z except for its fixed roof, the 2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster may tickle your fancy.

The current-generation Range Rover has already had one minor refresh, and for 2010 it gets another one. This update is pretty minor on the outside--with LEDs in the headlamps and the taillamps and a slightly restyled bumper--but it's more substantial under the skin. The same two new engines in the 2010 Range Rover Sport appear here, along with adaptive dampers and a new Dynamic mode for the Terrain Response System, both of which are in the new Range Rover Sport Supercharged as well.

For 2010, the Land Rover LR3 becomes the LR4 (by Land Rover's count it's the fourth generation of the Discovery, as the vehicle is known in other markets). The difference between the LR3 and the LR4 might not be immediately apparent to the casual onlooker. There's a new grille, a new front bumper, and new LED headlamps.

Nissan's new 370Z may be quite nimble, but those hankering for a track-ready package should consider stepping up to the new 2010 Nismo 370Z, which debuts at the 2009 New York auto show.