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Smart For-Us concept unveiled at 2012 Detroit show

Smart made a splash with its world debut at the 2012 Detroit auto show: its For-Us concept car provides a vision of the Smart as an American icon, a pick-up. The diminutive truck - just 3547mm long - is longer than a Fortwo, and is supposed to be based on the running gear of the next-gen Smart Forfour, aka the new Renault Twingo. So if the For-Us doesn't look so much like a Smart any more, from the front at least, that's why.

Chevrolet Colorado show truck is set for debut at the Bangkok auto show

Chevrolet on Monday said a concept that previews the next-generation Chevrolet Colorado small pickup will debut at the Bangkok motor show on March 25. Chevy released a teaser photo that shows the front corner of the show truck. Chevy says it chose Bangkok for the debut because the popularity of small pickups in the market; 43 percent of vehicles sold in Bangkok last year were pickups.

Nissan upgrades the Versa engine to add mpg

The redesigned Versa sedan that reaches Nissan showrooms later this summer will post a 30 city/38 highway mpg rating, up from the current model's 28/34 rating. The Versa still has a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, but the 2012 model gets a dual-fuel injector system, the first U.S. application of the Nissan technology.