NY Auto Show: Automakers showing family sized cars that can reach 40 mpg

Chevrolet Cruze ECO - This fall, the venerable bowtie brand will be the first to market with a compact car without the added cost of hybrid components or diesel engine and achieve a 41 mpg highway rating.

The heart of the Cruze Eco is the 1.4 Ecotec turbo. Combined with a 6-speed manual, it enables hybrid levels of fuel efficiency, when in overdrive. The available 6-speed automatic will also provide segment-leading levels of fuel economy with 0-to-60 acceleration in the low 9-second range.

An engineering first in a mass produced vehicle is a shutter in the lower grille that closes at higher speeds to direct air around the vehicle, and opens at lower speeds to help cool the engine. Careful detailing to creating a smooth underside also reduces air drag. The Cruze is one of GM’s most heavily tested vehicles, with over 4 million miles of testing during vehicle development.

Hyundai Sonata Hybrid - Hyundai’s first hybrid registers 37 city and 39 highway mpg, with an all electric top speed of 62 mph. The midsize 2011 Sonata Hybrid will be available in Q4 this year.

Hyundai, like Toyota, is giving the vehicle a distinct look with its oversized “kissing fish grill,” but careful attention to the vehicle aerodynamics give it a highly effective .25 Cd (drag coefficient) rating. Hyundai is using a lightweight lithium polymer battery pack, which gives it a 20% weight advantage over NmH battery packs.

Also, Hyundai Hybrid Blue Drive uses the company’s proprietary 6-speed automatic transmission rather than a conventional hybrid’s CVT.

Lexus - The CT 200h made its US debut. It is a 5-door hatch that will use the same NmH battery hybrid drivetrain at the Toyota Prius. This likely means segment leading mileage performance for a compact hybrid that will envelope its passengers with all the creature comforts of a Lexus. The Ct 200h will be available in early 2011.

Lincoln MXZ Hybrid - Slated for introduction this fall, the midsized luxury vehicle has a 41mpg city rating.

The 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid uses Ford's second-generation hybrid technology - the 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle I-4 hybrid engine. The combined gasoline engine and electric motor provide 191 net horsepower.

The pure electric mode on the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid extends to 47 mph. Ford has four additional new hybrids which will be introduced during the next three years. While smaller than a Lincoln Town Car, fleet owners should rejoice; the current ubiquitous Black Town Car is rated at only 16 mpg.

Now the government needs to provide an incentive, like a property tax credit, for its citizens to buy a home closer to work. That would cut down on fuel consumption and stimulate the housing market at the same time.