B Driven

You can see it, can't you? The slow-motion black and white shots of sweaty sinewy muscles inter-cut with close-ups of a certain athletic footwear and a simple closing graphic. Of course you could "IF" this really were the next iconic brand message from Nike. But this "B Driven" headline references the tsunami of new compact cars that will soon engulf America.

And though the Bs lead the list, this week on Autoline Detroit we look at several new cars, trucks and crossovers either out now or poised to hit the marketplace soon. Joining John McElroy for this new vehicle smorgasbord are two of his fellow voters on the North American Car and Truck of the Year jury, Tony Swan from Car and Driver and Michelle Krebs of Edmunds.com.

Throughout the show they'll be discussing many of the potential award-winners that could come from virtually any segment including luxury entrants like the CTS Coupe from Cadillac or the latest XJ from Jaguar. Of course performance cars are always in the spotlight especially with new products such as BMW's 5 Series and Ford's iconic Mustang with not one but two all-new powertrains: a V-6 and, finally, an honest-to-goodness 5-Liter. And of course there are crossovers as well like the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sorento and Infiniti QX56 to talk about. But without a doubt, the largest group of important cars coming out this year are indeed the Bs: Ford Fiesta, MAZDA2 and Chevrolet Cruze -- to name three of the bigger volume models -- will be getting the most attention from critics and consumers alike. So join John and his NACTOY panel for a look at the latest and greatest coming to dealer lots this week on Autoline Detroit.