2008 Detroit Auto Show Update: U.S. Ford Verve, Kia SUV, More

Newsletters don’t normally float our boat here at the Cars.com offices, but the latest from the North American International Auto Show, aka the Detroit auto show, has our interest piqued two and a half months before the annual event. A number of the cars that will debut there are mentioned, including:

• Ford will indeed debut a small car concept based on the Verve that was shown recently in Frankfurt. The big news is that this backs up the notion that there will be a version aimed at the American market.
• Kia will debut a three-row SUV codenamed HM. There’s no word on whether it will be a crossover, like the Hyundai Veracruz, or a traditional truck-based SUV. Like the Veracruz, it will be made in Korea.
• Speaking of Hyundai, the company will unveil its new flagship Genesis sedan. We saw the concept version at the New York auto show last spring, but this will be the 2008 production model that’s expected to start under $30,000.

• Mazda will show yet another concept car, this one based on the Nagare concept we saw last year. The company’s concepts are cool and all, but we like cars grounded in more reality.
• We saw Mitsubishi’s interesting sedan concept prepped for this week’s Tokyo Motor Show, but the company will bring a production car and a new concept to Detroit. The company needs a new sedan and large SUV to add to its revitalized lineup.
• Another concept car will come from Suzuki, but it will most likely be the same one they’ll be showing in Tokyo this week.
• Mum is the word for Subaru. It will have a global debut in Detroit, but there are no details — not even if it will be a concept or a production car.
• The last automaker to let news slip is Mercedes-Benz. The company will hold a world debut of a new production model. There isn’t more word on that, but in the past the company has considered its specially tuned AMG models “world debuts” as well.