AP Television
Los Angeles, 4 December 2009
1. Wide of L.A Auto Show cars
2. Medium of car split in two (Ford Taurus)
3. Wide of show
4. Medium of people looking at car
5. Medium of Honda P-NUT concept car
6. Medium of the Subaru concept car
7. Medium of the Audi concept car
8. Set up Brendan Flynn
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Brendan Flynn L.A Auto Show:
"Now it seems to be more of a clear path towards the electrification of the car in some aspect, but everyone is realising it's not going to be for two or three years, so in the interim there are lots of solutions for today that are both economic and affordable and fuel efficient."
10. Medium luxury car Hyundai Genesis
11. Zoom out of the plug in hybrid Toyota Prius
12. Tilt up EchoBoost display
13. Medium environmental sign
14. Zoom out Volkswagon Jetta clean diesel vehicle
15. Medium 2010 Audi A3 TDI 17
16. Close up sign on car "2010 green car of the year"
17. Medium of Audi A3 TDI 17
18. Medium of Honda compact car
19. Sign Ford Fiesta
20. Pullout of a white Ford Fiesta
21. Wide of green Mazda 2
22. Medium of a purple Ford Fiesta
23. Wide of car booth
24. Zoom out from luxury Chrysler 300
25. Wide of Mercedes Benz booth
26. SOUNDBITE (English) Brendan Flynn, L.A Auto Show:
"There has been an initial wave of early adopters, of hybrids and alternative fuel vehicles. There's a new wave of consumers that of course want good fuel economy, but they still want the same choices they've had in the past. So for example how you can still get the beloved Mustang, but it comes in a six cylinder twin-turbo that gets 30 miles per gallon, so you get a six cylinder that acts like an eight. So you can have your cake and eat it too. Nobody wants to be spending a lot of money at the gas pump, but they want the choices they've always been able to make."
27. Wide of auto show
28. Medium of visitors looking at engine on display
29. Wide of Mustang V-6
30. Wide of people looking at engine of Mustang
31. Close up of Mustang engine
32. Medium two people sitting in car
33. Medium of navigation system
34. Set up Octavio Navarro
35. SOUNDBITE (English) Octavio Navarro, Ford Motors:
"The other big trend you're going to see is in technology. People want to be able in integrate their phone, their music player, everything into the car. We have a system called SYNC which lets you control all that through blue tooth to contact to your things so you have no more extra wires hanging out everywhere but more importantly you can control everything by voice."
36. Zoom out Mini Cooper interior
37. Wide of Mini Cooper
38. SOUNDBITE (English) Octavio Navarro, Ford Motors:
"Everybody has vibrant colours, you know. Typically it would be black or grey, but you're really starting to see bright yellows and bright blues. Ford in particular, one of the things that we are introducing this year is the 2011 Fiesta, and one of my favourite colours for it is called Lime Squeeze, and the reason for that is it's a very vibrant, almost metallic yellowish green colour. It really pops really well on the street."
39. Zoom out of the Lime Squeeze Fiesta
40. Medium of yellow/gold Fiesta
41. Zoom out of the bright blue Fiesta
42. Set up of Dave Wrobell
43. SOUNDBITE (English) Dave Wrobell, Voxpop:
"I'm looking for colour. I'm looking for an interior that's exciting. I'm tired of grey, black. I want colour. I want something that is fun."
44. Set up of Jonathan Watson
45. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Watson, Voxpop:
"Nowadays, I think most companies can make a car that's fast but still gets good fuel economy, that's what's really important, looks, speed, horsepower and gas mileage."
46. Medium interior Volkswagon concept car UP Lite concept car
47. Medium pan of Volkswagon UP Lite concept car
LEAD IN:
At the Los Angeles Auto Show, the trend for 2010 is for cars that are small, fuel efficient, practical, and with a price tag under $30,000 US Dollars, in recession-fighting bright colours.
But this year's show is subdued as exhibitors' cost-cutting efficiency mindset is setting the mood.
The LA auto show closes this year's car show season, but gone are the elaborate parties, major press conferences and abundant sexy models showing the wares.
Today's unofficial theme is "less is more".
Only a few luxury carmakers have made it to the show. The high-end Bentley, Ferrari, and Lamborghini brands are not in attendance.
This year, concept cars are everywhere, including headliners like the Honda P-Nut, Subaru Hybrid Tourer and the Audi A3 TDI clean diesel.
A move towards electric cars car be felt, but we're not just there yet, as Brendan Flynn, car expert and spokesman for the L.A Auto Show, explains.
"Now it seems to be more of a clear path towards the electrification of the car in some aspect, but everyone is realising it's not going to be for two or three years, so in the interim there are lots of solutions for today that are both economic and affordable and fuel efficient."
Due to these tough economic times and the price of oil in North America, automakers have been forced to listen to consumers' needs - which currently means fuel efficiency and environmentally friendly cars top the agenda.
Toyota had its North American debut of its long-awaited Prius plug-in hybrid concept car.
It was first presented in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
The annual Green Car of the Year award, sponsored by Green Car Journals, awarded the Audi A3 TDI clean diesel with first prize.
The North American debuts of the compact Chrysler Cruze, Ford Fiesta and the Mazda 2, are all bulls eye for the fuel-minded client.
The price of each is under $15,000 US Dollars.
As American carmakers try to get back on track, one has a larger booth than in the past.
Ford has the biggest floor space this year, expanding its area by 30%, as American carmakers try to compete with their Asian competitors.
In 2010, the big in-demand cars will be hybrids, such as the small luxury compact car Audi A3 TDI, that gets about 42 miles to the gallon and sells for under $30,000 US Dollars, as well as clean diesels that have been popular in Europe.
A big debut this year is the compact 4-cylinder Ford Fiesta which gets up to 30 miles per gallon.
The Mazda 2, which has been on sale since 2007, and has received 48 awards, is so similar to the Fiesta that observers are curious to see which demographic each attracts.
Luxury cars are at the show, but are not a common sight.
Flynn says people are so focused on fuel economy, but they're still fussy and demanding.
"There's a new wave of consumers that of course want good fuel economy, but they still want the same choices they've had in the past. So for example how you can still get the beloved Mustang, but it comes in a six cylinder twin-turbo that gets 30 miles per gallon, so you get a six cylinder that acts like an eight. So you can have your cake and eat it too. Nobody wants to be spending a lot of money at the gas pump, but they want the choices they've always been able to make."
The show also highlights the Mustang, America's favourite muscle car for 45 years in a row, redesigned with a new interior and exterior and a V-8 with more horsepower.
Also on trend watch, state-of-the-art sound in the inexpensive cars.
Octavio Navarro, Ford Motors spokesman, says that their cars' interior design will be dominated by connectivity technology.
"The other big trend you're going to see is in technology. People want to be able in integrate their phone, their music player, everything into the car. We have a system SYNC which lets you control all that through bluetooth to contact to your things so you have no more extra wires hanging out everywhere but more importantly you can control everything by voice."
Another big trend this year: brightly coloured cars.
Navarro says colour is a way for automakers to try to bring consumers out of their recession-dulled mood.
"Everybody has vibrant colours, you know. Typically it would be black or grey, but you're really starting to see bright yellows and bright blues. Ford in particular, one of the things that we are introducing this year is the 2011 Fiesta, and one of my favourite colours for it is called Lime Squeeze, and the reason for that is it's a very vibrant, almost metallic yellowish green colour. It really pops really well on the street."
But what do the show's visitors think?
Dave Wrobbel, a teacher from Pasadena, came wanting to get away from dull colours.
"I'm looking for colour. I'm looking for an interior that's exciting. I'm tired of grey, black. I want colour. I want something that is fun."
Jonathan Watson, a student from Rancho Cucamonga, says he still wants it all.
"What's really important, looks, speed, horsepower and gas mileage."
Besides the plug-in Prius, other hybrid and electric vehicle concepts on hand include the Volkswagen L1, with a two-cylinder, turbo-diesel hybrid motor and the world premiere of the groundbreaking Up! Lite hybrid concept car.
With up to 70 mpg on the highway and room for four adults, it's a combination of a Volkswagen TDI Clean Diesel engine, an advanced electric motor, and a seven-speed Direct Shift Gearbox.
The LA Auto Show runs through until the 13th December.
