General Motors is hoping to offer with the new Cadillac ATS the American answer of compact luxury motoring. It is being aimed at consumers who would normally buy the BMW 3 series. According to a report on the Detroit Free Press it will be the brands first compact car since the 1980s.

The ATS comes in smaller than its sibling the CTS sedan and has a curb weight below 3,400 pounds, which makes it lighter than an Audi A4, Mercedes C250, and Lexus IS 250. Its short overhangs and wide track gives the ATS a firmly planted stance, while its taillights are reminiscent of the rest of the Cadillac range.

There are three engines to choice from; a 200-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder, 270-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter engine or 318-hp 3.5-liter V6. Transmission comes via a six speed manual or automatic flavor, as well as a four wheel drive version. Fuel economy from the most fuel efficient model will be over 30 mpg on the open road.

GM is planning on selling the ATS in the US and later in China, but there are no immediate plans to sell it in Europe. Over at the Chicago Tribune there are some up close images of the ATS that include some of the interior. The interior is up to BMW 3 series standards with carbon fiber and stitched panels on the dash and doors.

Inside the fronts seats are a decent enough size with plenty of adjustment, but the taller driver may find the headroom slightly tight. The rear seats may be too low for some adults while the center driveshaft takes up room where your feet go. The trunk has only 10.2 cubic feet but is still deep enough for a full size suitcase, but interior space is comparable with rival cars in the sector.

The group has just seen an impressive comeback year by increasing market share and paying back government loans ahead of schedule. Now with the introduction of the new Dodge Dart revealed at the Detroit Auto show, this year promises to be good as well according to Motorauthority.

Chrysler believes the new Dart will cover a part of the market that the automaker doesn’t really represent currently. This sector accounts for around 15 percent of the US market and 25 percent in Canada.

At least one model in the Dodge Dart model range is thought to achieve 40 mpg on the highway, which with the concerns surrounding gas prices may tempt many drivers. Pricing for the entry level Dart SE will be only $15,995, and will still come sporting ten standard airbags, reconfigurable TFT gauge display, and enhanced interior materials.

There will also be a variety of model combinations that will include three different power plants, three transmissions, seven wheel options, 14 interior and 12 exterior color options, and 150 Mopar add-ons. Meanwhile according to Torque News the 2013 Dodge Dart will have the 2.0 and 2.4 Tigershark engines along with the 1.4l MultiAir unit that is also found in the American Fiat 500.

Ford have great confidence in their new Fusion and has led them to invest $555 million in retooling a plant in Flat Rock, and according to a report on the Detroit Free Press will add another shift of 1,200 workers in 2013.

The current model that was first introduced in 2006 is built in Hermosillo, Mexico. Ford thinks that plant won’t be able to cope with the demand for the new model. Ford has reached an agreement with the UAW, and will use its AutoAlliance International joint venture with Mazda to produce more Fusions with an expanded work force of 3,000.

The gasoline version of the new Fusion will be based at the Michigan plant, while the Fusion Hybrid along with the Fusion Energi hybrid will be manufactured in the Mexico plant. The Ford Mustang and Mazda 6 are produced by the AutoAlliance, but Mazda is transferring production of the Mazda 6 to Japan.

It is thought that production of the new Fusion will start in Flat Rock in June next year, and according to Michael Robinet of IHS Automotive Consulting, it takes a minimum of six months to build a new body shop.

The new Fusion is set to go on sale in North and South America later this year, and in Asia and Europe next year but sold as the Mondeo. The new model will have bolder styling and five engine choices that include three 4-cylinder gasoline engines. These come with the option of an automatic start-atop system that will switch the engine off at idle, which can reduce fuel consumption by 3.5 percent.

A new hybrid version will replace the current model that was first introduced in 2009, and will have smaller, lighter but more powerful lithium batteries. The current hybrid makes up fewer than five percent of total Fusion sales.

Ford is promising that the Fusion Energi plug-in will be the most fuel efficient model, and will offer more mileage than the Chevy Volt and Toyota Prius plug-in. Chief exterior designer Chris Hamilton, revealed that work on the new Fusion began in 2008 with 1,000 sketches from design studios in Dearborn, Australia, UK, and Germany.

These were scaled down to ten ideas that went on to become small scale models, which then left one each from the US and Europe. The best bits from both designs led to the final car seen today. Do you like the look of the new Ford Fusion?

According to an article over at Forbes General Motors is bringing iPad/Android functionality to your car, which will allow you customize your car’s interior features. The new system is based on a center column display panel, which unlike BMW’s hard to work iDrive, is quick and intuitive to use.

It allows you to sync your smartphone and slide applications around just like you may already be doing on your handset or tablet. Navigating through this using the controls that are mounted on the steering wheel will let you raise audio volume, make calls etc.

But the really clever thing is that you can do more than just customize the center panel, which is basically a fixed in tablet situated above your heater controls. Functions can also be slided onto the screen located behind the steering wheel.

People who love their analog gauges will hate it, but it provides a blank canvas for you to create a variety of display layouts. This could lead to more specific car applications that could help you improve better mileage from your fuel, or highlight places on interest based on GPS data. The possibilities are endless as we further interact with our cars, and GM cold be leading the way.