Some noteworthy appearances at the show: Mercedes' diesel-driven SUVs and the new version of Nissan's trusty Maxima. There were also a few drop-dead gorgeous offerings out of Germany, like the BMW CS sedan, which is for now a concept car, and the race-car-inspired Audi R8.
But it was fuel-efficiency that really stole the show with subcompact and hybrid offerings galore. Hybrid SUVs and pickups promised the best of both worlds: Large capacity vehicles that curb their gas-guzzling ways. The lineup included hybrid versions of such behemoths as Chevy's Tahoe, GMC's Sierra pickup and Cadillac's Escalade.
From the much-anticipated rebirth of Chevy's "king" (a.k.a. the Corvette) to earth-friendly subcompacts, view our slideshow to see what auto makers have been up to:
Diesel is no longer the smoky, noisy pariah of the auto world that it used to be — and Mercedes plans on proving it. Its new M-Class is one of three diesel-driven SUV lines — the R-Class and GL-Class are the others. And it's the first line of diesel cars to meet all 50 states' emissions criteria. With a V6 turbodiesel engine and 210 horsepower, the BlueTEC is not only powerful, but also gets about 24 mpg on the highway and an estimated 18 mpg in the city. Expect this Big Blue to hit showrooms this fall, priced somewhere in the mid-$40,000 range.
Nissan hopes the "liquid motion" design theme of its latest Maxima will take this four-door sedan in an even sportier direction than previous versions. On sale this summer, the new Maxima will come in two models — the S and SV — and will be priced similar to the outgoing model — around $28,000. As for fuel economy, preliminary estimates are 26 mpg for highway and 19 mpg for the city.