The North American International Auto Show opened to the media Monday morning.
Five thousand journalists from around the world witnessed the latest in greatest in four-wheeled technology.
The American Three are looking to convince buyers that their quality is just as good or better than the international competition.
Each one has an interesting strategy to hook customers into driving off the lots with their vehicles.
Ford kicked off the unveilings with its new line of Fusions at its constructed mini-arena 16 inches above the ice of Joe Louis Arena.
Customers have a choice of the EcoBoost gasoline engine, hybrid, or electric.
Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally says, "We're making all those variations on the same assembly line. So there are no dedicated facilities. So we can offer each one of them the most affordably and then set the production to the real demand for which vehicles they want."
The American powerhouse wants to continue to crack the highly competitive mid-size vehicle market.
"We're not in the least bit arrogant because we've been through some very tough times. We worked hard to get back where we'd like to be, and we don't take anything for granted." Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford, Jr. says.
Chevrolet wants to capture a younger crowd, specifically a percentage of the 80-million 11 to 30 year olds in America that will soon make up nearly 40% of potential car buyers. Rather than being a big mouthpiece, Chevy wants to be a listening ear to the group that represents $1-trillion of buying power.
Chevy's Global Strategy Manager John McFarland says, "We're engaging them along the way. We're asking them to show us the way and at Chevrolet we're opening up our doors and co-collaborating and bringing them into our processes. We're doing that because we do believe this is a very important car-buying market not just in the future, but also today."
Dodge is going back to the future with an old favorite from forty years ago. Chrysler says it's blasting past traditional wisdom, saying you can have good fuel economy and good horse power in the new Dodge Dart. It features an expected 40 miles-per-gallon with 160 to 184 horsepower.
"As a customer, when you step on the throttle, you'll always have that power. The response is a lot better. So we have got horsepower, torque, and fuel economy," says Dodge Dart Vehicle Line Executive Matt Liddane.
Chevy's concept vehicle MiRay turned a lot of heads the first day of the media preview.
The North American International Auto Show opens to the public Saturday.
