General Motors is focusing its attention on the four core divisions to live on past the dreaded 2009 auto crisis, and we are seeing new models race to production. For instance, the Buick Regal will appear in North American showrooms next quarter, starting at $26,995 for the CXL model, including a $750 destination charge. Other trim levels will join the line up for the 2012 model year. Initially, Regals will be imported from Germany, though North American production will begin in early 2011. No word on a Grand National edition, however a sportier GS concept was shown at the recent Detroit auto show.

Priced aggressively against the LaCrosse, the Regal will launch with a 2.4-liter direct-injection four-cylinder producing an estimated 182 horsepower. Late summer, a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 220 horsepower will become available. Both engines use a six-speed automatic transmission. The base engine promises 30 mpg on the highway.

The Regal promises a European character that emphasizes driving enjoyment, and Buick is targeting cars such as the Acura TSX and Volvo S60 as key competitors. Standard equipment is generous, with 12-way power driver seats, heated front seats, leather upholstery, Bluetooth connectivity, and iPod/USB ports, in addition to the typical power amenities. Notable upgrades include a navigation system, Harman Kardon sound system, and internal flash drive (1 GB).

The safety equipment roster is lengthy, with four-channel ABS, stability control, side-curtain airbags, pedal-release system, and available rear side airbags.

The turbocharged CXL will be priced at $29,495. A lower-level CX will join the ranks for the 2012 model year.

Read our full 2011 Buick Regal preview for more details. Research Buicks in our new car buyer's guide.

First up this morning will be the announcement of North American Car and Truck of the Year winners. Nominees in the car category are the 2010 Buick LaCrosse, 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, and 2010 Volkswagen Golf/GTI. Truck of the year nominees are the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox, 2010 Ford Transit Connect, and 2010 Subaru Outback. A jury of automotive journalists independent of the show and any particular media outlet selects the winners.

Ford’s “booth” is a reported 48 percent larger this year, which also includes their Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo brands. Most likely, the much-anticipated 2012 Focus will be the highlight, which features one of Ford’s nine new engines being introduced this year—a U.S.-Ford-first 2.0-liter with direct injection, and mated to a new six-speed Ford PowerShift automatic.

Honda will reveal a production version of their CR-Z concept, scheduled for U.S. sale by the end of this year. Combining sport-driving performance and high mileage, Honda says the two-seat 2011 CR-Z is the world’s first hybrid with a six-speed manual transmission.

Last week Cadillac announced, in advance of the show, their debut of the new 2011 CTS-V Coupe, with a 6.2-liter, 556-horsepower, supercharged V8—and extra whip.

More than 60 new vehicle premieres are promised at the show, which opens to the press today. A major plug for electric vehicles can be seen on “Electric Avenue,” a new display that will showcase the latest in alternative power. Show doors open to the public January 16-24, 2010.

Stay connected to autoMedia.com for more coverage. Follow us on Twitter and join us on Facebook for more Detroit auto show news.

—Deborah Neal, Editorial Director, autoMedia.com

A jury of 49 veteran automotive journalists has selected three cars and three trucks/utility vehicles as finalists for 2010 North American Car and Truck of the Year 

Car Finalists

2010 Buick LaCrosse

2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid

2010 Volkswagen Golf/GTI

Truck Finalists

 2010 Chevrolet Equinox

2010 Ford Transit Connect

2010 Subaru Outback

Designed to recognize the most outstanding vehicles of the year based on factors such as innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar, these awards are unique in the United States because they are given by experienced U.S. and Canadian automotive journalists representing magazines, television, radio, newspapers and web sites—instead of by a single media outlet.

This year, the jury narrowed more than 50 new or substantially changed vehicles down to 16 cars and 10 trucks with a preliminary vote in September then voted again in early December to determine these six semi-finalists. A third early January vote will elect the final finishing order. The winners will be announced January 11th at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Although the winners are disclosed at a news conference at the auto show, it does not give the awards.

Last year the North American Car of the Year was the Hyundai Genesis and the North American Truck of the Year was the Ford F-150.

This is the 17th year of the awards, which are funded exclusively by the jurors. During that time:

• Hybrids have been honored three times. The Toyota Prius was the 2004 North American Car of the Year and the Ford Escape Hybrid was the 2005 North American Truck of the Year. The Honda Civic Hybrid was included when the Civic was named the 2006 North American Car of the Year. 

• Chevrolet’s vehicles have been named the North American Truck of the Year three times. Most recently the Silverado was the 2007 North American Truck of the Year. 

• While Ford has been a finalist in the car category many times, it won only once. The Ford Focus was the 2000 North American Car of the Year. 

• Ford has dominated the truck category with five wins, followed by Chevrolet with three. Most recently, the F-150 was the 2009 North American Truck of the Year. 

• General Motors won North American Car of the Year three times. Most recently, the Chevrolet Malibu was the 2008 North American Car of the Year and the Saturn Aura was the 2007 North American Car of the Year. 

• Volkswagen’s Jetta TDI was a finalist last year. Volkswagen’s New Beetle was the 1999 North American Car of the Year.  

• Domestic automakers have won North American Car of the Year eight times. Japanese automakers have won three times. European automakers have won four times. A Korean automaker has won once.

• Domestic automakers have won North American Truck of the Year 10 times. Japanese automakers have won four times. European automakers have won twice.

It's the week ending December 04, and we've browsed our favorite automotive blogs all week long to gather the highlights from each. In this week's better-late-than-never CARnival, we've assembled a great collection of vehicles from this week's Los Angeles Auto Show, as well as other automotive news you don't want to miss.

Perhaps the biggest news of the LA Auto Show was the sudden departure of GM CEO Fritz Henderson  the afternoon before he was scheduled to give the shows opening Keynote speech. While he officially "Resigned," some might say he was "Made to walk the plank," and the reasons why are not likely ever to be made public. Regardless, Consumer Reports has a short article comparing a few corporate metrics to identify changes made while Fritz was in charge.  Certainly more news will follow as General Motors searches for a new CEO, though MotorTrend has already asked whether the next guy to assume the position could be Bob Lutz.

I confess: I've always been a huge fan of Spyker simply because they're from Holland (Schaffels is a Dutch name, and the all the Schaffels in North America are directly related to my father-in-law or his brother), but they also happen to create incredible luxury cars. Leave it to AutoBlog to discover this interesting factoid: Their interiors are covered in special leather off "free range" cows raised without barbwire so as to ensure the leather is flawless. Not only that, but, the leather in the Aileron Spyder comes from a Dutch tannery that works with free range cold weather cows. Why cold weather? No mosquito bites. Awesome.

Toyota's much-awaited plug-in Prius  was just one of the many electric vehicles to make its North American Debut at this week's LA Auto Show, though my favorite vehicle is Mitsubishi's Concept PX-MiEV -- a plug-in hybrid that combines both extended cruising range as well as with improved performance over gasoline-engine vehicles by utilizing a gasoline powerplant that can operate in series or in parallel with its electric motor to generate additional energy and horsepower. Yep, this electric trucklet has three modes--EV, series hybrid and parallel hybrid - promising a full-electric range of 30 miles from its lithium ion battery pack and even farther using its range extending 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine.

While most of us enjoy auto show season for the variety of new cars we get to view, Jalopnik provides a new take on the Los Angeles Auto Show by showing us the selection of ENGINES on display there.  Check out the gallery of eight engines they photographed on the showfloor, and see if you can determine which vehicles they power.

Automotive Traveler's Rich Truesdell took a pre-release Chevrolet Cruze on an extended test drive on the European Autobahn, and made metal-to-metal contact with a BMW at 130 mph. That's not the kind of experience many people can live to tell about, but fortunately, the drivers and their vehicles escaped nearly unscathed, with only a few scratches. Wowzer!

Porsche revealed its new lightweight Boxster Spyder at the LA Auto Show, but The Detroit Bureau had a chance to put more than 200 miles on the car a day earlier in Carmel, California. Check out their early driving impressions  of Porsche's gorgeous 2,811-pound beauty.

AutoSavant has a nice collection of auto show announcements, complete with detailed photo galleries from the show. Cruise their site if you want to learn more about the 2011 Buick Regal, 2010 Hyundai Tucson,  or Ford Fiesta.

We thank you for hanging out late enough to join us for this week's better-late-than-never autoMedia.com CARnival! Have you got something of interest you want us to include in a future carnival? Then fill out our online form  so we can be notified of your interesting entry to our weekly blog CAR-nival. Check back next week for another installment--until then, have a great weekend!

Brandy Schaffels, autoMedia.com contributing editor

Buick will reveal the 2011 Regal sport sedan to Los Angeles journalists on Thursday evening with a private performance by singer Colbie Caillat. Touting its turbocharged horsepower, driver-selectable suspension system, and a firm, European-tuned chassis, General Motors promises it will deliver a driving experience intended to rival the best import sport sedans in the segment.

"The 2011 Buick Regal is like nothing you've ever experienced from this brand," says Susan Docherty, general manager of Buick GMC. "The Regal is the next chapter in Buick's transformation and will expand the portfolio to include a sport sedan."

It will be powered by the 182-horsepower 2.4-liter Ecotec direct injected four-cylinder engine found in its sibling LaCrosse, with a 220-horse/2.0-liter twin-scroll turbocharged version available late-summer 2010. Both engine choices will be mated to a standard six-speed automatic transmission to provide an estimated 30 mpg on the highway with the 2.4-liter, or 29 mpg on the highway with the 2.0L turbo powerplant.

The driver will enjoy thick-rimmed, leather-wrapped steering wheel, standard heated leather seats, Bluetooth capability, XM Satellite Radio, available navigation system, and a Harmon Kardon sound system, USB port, 1-gig internal flash drive, and a 10-gig hard drive with for storing music. And, of course, OnStar. Inside, lovely ice-blue LED lighting will highlight the piano black and new, Kibo-wood interior.

Regal's Interactive Drive Control System  (IDCS) chassis technology (available on 2.0-liter turbocharged models) promises enhanced vehicle stability and greater driving safety, with three different operating modes - Normal, Tour, or Sport - which change the suspension settings, throttle response, shift pattern, and steering sensitivity. It's designed to change the personality of the car based on driver input, so that when a driver begins to drive more aggressively it will tighten the suspension and increase steering effort and change to a more aggressive throttle response. When the vehicle senses that the driver is doing relaxed cruising, it will adjust settings for rolling smoothness and comfort.

The new Regal arrives in the second quarter of 2010, with its sights aimed squarely on such competitors as the Acura TSX and Volvo S60.

By Brandy Schaffels, autoMedia.com contributing editor

Ending months of negotiation and speculation, General Motors has halted the sale of its European Opel division. GM has cited improving business and the importance of Opel/Vauxhall to its global operations as the reasons for the reversal. GM today posted its October sales figures, showing the first gain in 21 months.

The news came hard on Magna International, which had been working with the German government, GM, and partners on acquiring Opel. Known as a major parts supplier, Magna is a large, diverse company that has grown to become a manufacturer-for-hire for several automakers, and this purchase would have been a natural expansion for its business.

“GM will soon present its restructuring plan to Germany and other governments and hopes for its favorable consideration,” said Fritz Henderson, president and CEO. “We understand the complexity and length of this issue has been draining for all involved. However, from the outset, our goal has been to secure the best long term solution for our customers, employee, suppliers, and dealers, which is reflected in the decision reached today. This was deemed to be the most stable and least costly approach for securing Opel/Vauxhall’s long-term future.”

GM expects restructuring Opel will cost about $4.5 billion. Given the contributions Opel has made to the American-market products, the investment may be well worth it. Test drive the Buick LaCrosse to see what we mean.

As this news shows, the auto crisis is winding down, and the industry is increasingly focused on building cars, rather than focused on survival against tough economic odds. The way it is supposed to be.