Small Cars, Name Games Highlight Passenger Car Debuts

Many of the new and redesigned cars for 2008 are of the smaller variety, and they're coming at the right time, as drivers continue to fret over fluctuating fuel prices. Saturn's new Astra hatchback is available in two- and four-door versions, both of which get a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine. Ford's compact Focus gets new styling inside and out, and a coupe joins the model lineup.

Toyota's youth-oriented Scion brand gets a new xB that's almost as boxy as the first one, but gets significantly more power — 158 horsepower — from its larger 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. Scion also has a new xD hatchback, a successor to the brand's xA. Mitsubishi has redesigned its Lancer, and if you're looking for something smaller, Smart will begin sales of the ForTwo minicar in early calendar 2008.

Among midsize cars, Chevrolet's redesigned Malibu adds style inside and out, with a sleek new shape and available two-tone dashboard trim. Power is up, too, thanks to a larger four-cylinder and V-6 engine. Dodge gains a new family car with the return of the Avenger nameplate. The Avenger sedan shares a number of styling cues with the Charger. The Pontiac G8, a rear-wheel-drive performance sedan with available V-8 power, is also new.

Ford breathes new life into two of its most recognizable names — Taurus and Sable — by slapping them on its full-size sedans, formerly known as the Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego. The sedans get new styling and a larger V-6 engine with the name change, and all-wheel drive remains available. Subaru, perhaps the most well-known maker of all-wheel-drive cars, has new versions of its Impreza.