LOS ANGELES -- This is Hollywood, so count on the usual glitzy product debut action at the Los Angeles Auto Show, which begins this week. The real surprise has to do with who will be supplying the star power.
Both Chrysler Group and Nissan North America plan important launches here this year -- after Nissan was absent from the show in 2009 and Chrysler was all but dark in L.A. for the past two years.
Here are the highlights.
ACURA
Acura will debut the midcycle update of the 2011 TSX sedan, featuring a restyled fascia and wheels as well as interior upgrades and engine improvements to boost fuel econ-omy.
BUICK
General Motors Co. plans to reintroduce mild hybrid technology next year, beginning on the 2012 Buick LaCrosse sedan. The technology, called e-Assist, is expected to boost the four-cylinder LaCrosse to 37 mpg highway, a 7 mpg increase over the 2011 model. City driving is estimated at 25 mpg, a 6 mpg increase.
CADILLAC
Cadillac will show a front-wheel-drive crossover concept that is smaller than the SRX. Although some media outlets have speculated that Los Angeles could be the debut venue for the ATS near-luxury sedan concept, that car is not slated to begin production until 2012, so a showing might be a bit premature.
CHEVROLET
Camaro lovers will rejoice as Chevrolet adds a convertible. No other major mechanical changes are planned for the ragtop, which goes on sale in the spring.
CHRYSLER
Three crucial vehicles will be unveiled by Chrysler, which has seen its share of the California market plummet for the past two decades.
The Sebring sedan, which arrived in 2007, was due for a midcycle face-lift this year. But its dismal performance prompted a rethinking when Fiat assumed control of Chrysler. The Sebring was re-engineered and restyled to such a degree that it is being rebranded as the 200.
The 200 gets a restyled grille, front and rear fascias, hood and rear deck and a revised interior with a new instrument panel. The powertrain lineup is updated. Chrysler's new 3.6-liter Pentastar engine is mated to a six-speed transmission, and its 2.4-liter I-4 World Gas engine is mated to either a four- or six-speed automatic. A convertible version of the 200 also will be shown here.
DODGE
The 2011 Durango crossover shares a platform with the Jeep Grand Cherokee and is built in the same factory. But the similarities end there. The Durango has seven seats and will be the first vehicle with Dodge's new split-crosshair grille.
Unlike the old Durango, which was a body-on-frame SUV, the new version has unibody construction. It will have two engine options: a Hemi V-8 and the Pentastar V-6, available in rear or all-wheel drive.
The re-engineered 2011 Charger will carry the flag for the Dodge brand. Dodge calls the Charger a driver's car and is positioning it as a worthy competitor against top sport sedans. Like the Durango, the Charger was shown at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show in Las Vegas this month, in splashy aftermarket trim.
The Charger will wear the Dodge split-crosshair grille and has a more aerodynamic, athletic shape than its predecessor.
FORD
The U.S. production version of the redesigned 2012 Focus, which goes on sale early next year, will be revealed in Los Angeles. For the United States, the Focus will come in either a four-door sedan or five-door hatchback trim. The ST performance version of the small car is expected to top 240 hp. Ford also will show specialized variants of the Focus.
Although Ford revealed the Explorer crossover in July, the Los Angeles show will be its first public unveiling. New engines for the F-150 pickup and a Boss version of the Mustang also will debut.
HONDA
A Honda electric-vehicle concept will make its world debut. Honda says it will not be a reprise of the retro-cute EV-N vehicle from the 2009 Tokyo show but declined to offer further details.
Honda also will reveal a next-generation plug-in hybrid platform. Honda declined to say whether it is the new version of Integrated Motor Assist for small cars or the long-awaited hybrid system for larger vehicles, due for production in 2012.
INFINITI
Infiniti will feature the M Hybrid, which was shown to limited audiences this summer at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California. The M Hybrid represents the first global application of a hybrid powertrain developed in-house.
KIA
A hybrid version of its 2011 Optima mid-sized sedan will debut here. The Optima's twin, the Hyundai Sonata, has vast styling differences between its standard and hybrid editions. But the Optima Hybrid gets only slightly altered front and rear fascias, accents over the fog lights and a subtly changed grille. It goes on sale early next year.
MAZDA
The Japanese automaker unveiled the Shinari four-door design concept to a few journalists in Italy in August, but the concept skipped the subsequent Paris auto show. Officials said it was being held until the Geneva show in March, yet here it is in Los Angeles.
MERCEDES-BENZ
A high-performance CLS63 AMG coupe will appear. Mercedes declined to give further details, but Automotive News sister publication AutoWeek reports that the CLS63 will feature a 555-hp, twin-turbocharged, 5.5-liter V-8 mated to a seven-speed multiclutch transmission.
MITSUBISHI
Center stage for Mitsubishi will be an Americanized version of its i-MiEV electric car. Although the i-MiEV is already on sale in Japan, the L.A. show will see a version that has been lowered and widened for the U.S. market. The i-MiEV can travel about 60 miles on a single charge.
NISSAN
Nissan Division will have three world debuts: the Quest minivan, a convertible Murano crossover and a concept sedan called the Ellure.
The Ellure is a mid-sized sedan that Nissan says hints at the brand's styling direction for upcoming cars. Nissan's key sedans -- the Altima, Versa and Sentra -- are up for redesigns after next year. Nissan has said only that the Ellure concept is a "dramatic new-value sedan exploration."
The Quest shows a more angular shape than the outgoing model. The new minivan and the Murano CrossCabriolet go on sale next spring as 2011s.
The company says the CrossCabriolet will feature a premium interior and seat four adults and their luggage -- "even with the top down."
PORSCHE
Porsche will unveil a lighter and sportier version of the Cayman coupe, which may be called the Clubsport. The car is expected to go on sale next year as a 2012 model.
RANGE ROVER
The five-door version of the Range Rover Evoque will debut. The compact SUV, based on the LR2 platform, is scheduled to go on sale next fall. Pricing for the five-door will start at about $45,000. At 171 inches long, the five-door Evoque is 17 inches shorter than the Range Rover Sport. The three-door Evoque debuted in Paris in September.
SAAB
Pictures have been circulating on the Internet, but the official public unveiling of the Saab 9-4X production model takes place here. Although Saab is no longer part of GM, the parts-sharing relationship between the two companies will exist for some time. The 9-4X uses the Cadillac SRX underpinnings, engine and transmission.
SUBARU
Subaru will show a concept car that reflects its new brand philosophy, "Confidence in Motion." A silhouette photo shows something akin to the next-generation Impreza sedan.
TOYOTA
Toyota is staying low-key in Los Angeles, revealing only a pre-production version of the RAV4 EV, which it will build with Tesla Motors in 2012.
