Hot Stuff

It has been a wild and crazy year in the automotive industry and not all of it for the good.

Spiking gas prices in particular, driven by the fear that there’s no end in sight, have some buyers panicking to get out of gas-thirsty vehicles before they go broke driving them and end up with no resale value.

The upside is that there’s plenty of growth in the auto biz outside of the traditional sport utility and truck markets. That means more wagons and more cars that hint at a leaner, greener and much brighter future.

There are more than 30 brand new vehicles for the upcoming 2009 model year. The following eight are among those seen as being key, either for the market or the company that sells them.

Hyundai Genesis

The Korean automaker is known for its value-packed small cars, so what’s this? The Genesis, as the name implies, represents the beginning of something radically different for Hyundai. It’s a serious luxury sedan built around a rear-wheel-drive platform with an available 4.6-liter V8 engine with up to 375 horsepower. The resulting premium-grade sedan, which is just hitting the streets now, is intended to divert dollars away from some of the best brands Europe, Japan and North America have to offer.

Chevrolet Camaro

Although officially a 2010 model, the new Camaro will arrive early next year with retro good looks and a base V6 with about 300 horsepower. There will be room for four people, total, who will be able to see at night thanks to advanced new LED pipe lighting that lines the perimeter of the door panels and dash. There isn’t anything else like it. A Corvette-based 422-horsepower V8 will be the top engine while Chevrolet is even contemplating a turbocharged four-cylinder as a base base engine.

Nissan GT-R

Initially thought to be pumped up with overzealous claims of performance, not by Nissan, but by fans of the GT-R, this machine has turned out to be the real deal. Visually, it appears to be a collection of odd angles and mix-and-match body parts, but, hey, if it rivals a double-the-price Porsche 911 Turbo in terms of performance (or even beats it), who cares? GT-R-mament includes a twin turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 that makes 480 horsepower. For $70,000 or so, there’s all-wheel-drive and the knowledge that it’s the quickest four-seater available for sale, anywhere, at any price.

Volkswagen Passat CC

If you don’t mind spending money on a vehicle, but absolutely despise pouring money into the gas tank, the Volkswagen Passat CC is one car in a new class we call Smart Luxury. You get all the creature comforts without the big thirsty engine. Vehicles in this class shed the notion that the real goodies are somehow only available when you order the top (most powerful) engine option. The four-door-coupe-look CC uses a base 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that still makes 260 pound-feet of torque. A V6 is available, which is required if you prefer all-wheel-drive to front-wheel-drive.

Ford Flex

No matter what flat side you look at, the slick Ford Flex is a big rig. In fact, it’s sport-utility-vehicle big, but since “SUV” seems to be a four-letter word these days as it’s equated with high cost of operation (gas), we’ll call the Flex a “tall wagon” that offers all-wheel-drive. And with sales of most sport utes — which Ford has in abundance and has relied upon for business — have taken a fall largely due to high gas prices, the Flex’s arrival gives the company something new to sell, provided you like the looks. Style? This seven-passenger rig is out there, but that’s part of the charm. Power comes from a 3.5-liter V6.

Mazda6

With the current shift away from pickups and sport utility vehicles, the mid-size segment stands to gain ground this year, making this the absolute perfect time for Mazda to launch its latest best effort at sedan stardom. It’s larger and more stylish yet it still offers a base four-cylinder engine that makes 156 horsepower. Optional is 273-horsepower 3.7-liter V6 that’s pulled from the CX-9 wagon. Although the base models arrive with air conditioning and plenty of power features, the 6’s strong suit is option diversity: you can load this baby to the hilt, making it a good place to park your seat if you’re used to driving a maxed-out sport utility vehicle.

Toyota Venza

Although Toyota’s lineup is littered with sport utility vehicles and wagons, the Venza is the first to match competitors such as the Nissan Murano and Mazda CX-7 and CX-9. The five-passenger vehicle has a 268-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 although a base four-cylinder should follow shortly. The entire project was conceived at Toyota’s California and Michigan studios specifically for the North American market and will be assembled at a plant in Kentucky. Front-wheel-drive will be the Venza’s standard method of propulsion with all-wheel drive offered as an extra-cost accessory.

Dodge Journey

Like General Motors and Ford, Chrysler has plenty of trucks and sport utility vehicles in its inventory, but since those aren’t selling all that well at the moment it’s up to new vehicles such as the Dodge Journey wagon to carry the load. In fact, aside from the small Caliber, it’s the only such tall wagon in Chrysler’s entire inventory in a market that’s downsizing into precisely this type of vehicle. It’s a wagon world out there. The Journey is a five- or seven-passenger machine with a base 173-horsepower four-cylinder engine or an optional 235-horsepower 3.5-liter V6. All-wheel-drive is an option.