DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co.'s product plan for the next three years has few surprises. And that's a good thing.
Ford is sticking to its product vision, developing higher fuel economy, more small vehicles and a full range of cars, crossovers and trucks. The consistency-of-purpose mantra preached by CEO Alan Mulally has taken hold.
General Motors and Chrysler, on the other hand, were plagued by uncertainties, delays and changes in product plans as their cash dwindled and they restructured in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
Ford's discipline --

Korean automakers now account for more than 7 percent of vehicles sold in the United States.
And the importance of Asian automakers outside Japan is bound to grow. India's Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. is scheduled to enter the United States late this year. Tata Motors, which owns Jaguar and Land Rover, wants to bring its tiny Nano here.
While the initial excitement about Chinese automakers has faded, one Chinese company struck a deal to buy Hummer.
This week Automotive News begins its annual future product series, starting with

Japanese carmakers are revamping their product plans to include the more fuel-efficient vehicles required by changing regulations for corporate average fuel economy.
By 2015, Nissan expects 10 percent of its U.S. sales to be electric vehicles. Nissan is not talking about just microcars; it envisions mid-sized electric cars, too.
Hybrid models will multiply, especially at Honda, Nissan and Toyota. There will be more small, light cars, even at luxury brands. Lexus will unveil a concept next month at the Frankfurt auto show that could

DETROIT -- Chrysler LLC and Fiat S.p.A. design executives will begin meeting this week to determine the North American portfolio created by their new alliance.
“This week and the months following we will meet with the design studios at Fiat and figure out” what vehicles from the Fiat stable will be adapted to the U.S. market, said Ralph Gilles, Chrysler design vice president. He spoke at the Automotive News World Congress last night, a day after the two companies said Fiat would take a 35 percent stake in Chrysler.
Gilles said Fiat is

After years of dragging their feet, European brands have embraced electric and hybrid vehicles with surprising zeal.
Europe's product planners had long doubted that U.S. consumers really wanted to buy hybrids and electrics. Now they are developing the vehicles in droves. Why the change of heart?
Strict U.S. fuel economy regulations are on the horizon. Also, California standards will make it harder for large carmakers without a zero-emissions vehicle to do business in the biggest car market in the United States.
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