Auto Review: More electric motors, better mileage in 2012

By Ron Amadon, MarketWatch

DAMASCUS, MD. (MarketWatch) — Increased gas mileage, more use of electric motors and rechargeable batteries will be the trends in 2012.

This not exactly earth-shattering news, but it is the path virtually all auto makers will have follow, especially if an event or series of events shakes up world oil markets.

Even Bob Lutz sees lot of electric motors, one on each wheel, and electric motors helping power his future personal car. And as you might expect, this will be a sports car that will be anything but slow. He is now with Lotus

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, which is doing a lot of work along this line and is well-known for producing fast two-seat sports cars.

Barring “the big breakthrough” that makes them as practical as current gas powered cars, do not look for any great advances toward the all-electric car. The Nissan Leaf

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and the Chevy Volt

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give you a good idea of where the technology is right now.

A natural-gas-powered model will continue to be offered in the Honda Civic

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lineup.

So as the move toward 50 mpg continues, look for some major efforts to cut weight in cars.

Look for more aluminum, composite materials, small diesel engines along with additional electric motors, lighter brakes and audio systems, more aerodynamic designs, all of which must meet future crash tests.

Can government-mandated 50 mpg and more be done? Sure it can. But it may require more time beyond current federal government deadlines, if the economy tanks again.

Inside cars are trends you can see and enjoy now. And adequate room for adult rear passengers is a welcome change from the days of huge coupes out of Detroit that had virtually no rear-seat passenger room due to poor designs.

But that is changing with Hyundai

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models leading the way. The new Buick Regal and the Volkswagen Passat

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also have posted some high scores for rear-seat room.

Less complicated ventilation controls are finally coming to market. Instead of menus on top of submenus, some auto makers have gone back to plain old-fashioned knobs to control airflow and temperature that work independently of navigation screens. If this keeps up. we may be able to see an end to the 600-plus page, Tom Clancy-inspired, owner’s manuals on sound and ventilation systems.

Chevrolet’s Volt

In fact, I’m seeing much improved interiors right across the board for new Detroit products. They are using bright materials, giving up the all-black interior, and where there is hard plastic for cost reasons, using stuff that at least doesn’t look cheap. Even among pickups! I recently spent the good part of an afternoon in a low-end Ford-150, and the interior looked and was fitted as if it were in a much more expensive vehicle. It was a Club Cab with lots of room for my 6-foot frame to the rear; the term limo-like could be used here.

So look for cars to get lighter, use more battery and electric power, and have jazzier interiors in the years ahead.

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