The U.S. version of the Chevrolet Cruz isn’t due in the U.S. for more than six months, but General Motors Co. will unveil the model this week at the Los Angeles auto show. The vehicle is on sale now in Europe and China.

The Cruze, which GM describes as its most important vehicle launch in 2010, was designed and engineered in South Korea by GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co. with input from development centers in Europe and North America. The car rides on GM’s Delta 2 global compact vehicle platform.

With a 106-inch wheelbase, 71-inch width and 178.5-inch overall length, the Cruze is bigger than most of its competition: the Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Nissan Sentra and Toyota Corolla. It’s still not clear if the new Chevy will replace the brand’s smaller Cobalt or, as GM suggests, slot between the Cobalt and larger Malibu.

The five-passenger Cruze sports a steeply raked windshield, sloping rear pillars and a short rear deck designed to give the car an aggressive, coupe-like appearance. Other styling cues are shared with the midsize Malibu.

The Cruze will be offered with a choice between two Ecotec four-cylinder engines: a turbocharged 1.4-liter unit and a naturally aspirated 1.8-liter mill. The smaller engine makes 138 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque. GM says highway fuel efficiency will be 40 mpg. GM has not yet released specs for the larger engine. Transmission choices include a six-speed automatic and six-speed manual.

A MacPherson strut suspension is used up front. The rear Watts Z-link design helps center the rear axle during cornering and better follow the front suspension, which GM says balances handling responses the same for left- and right-hand turns.

Electric power steering is standard. The system replaces the conventional power steering pump, thus improving fuel efficiency.

A premium also was placed on improving NVH. GM says the Cruze has 18 distinctive acoustical treatments. The headliner cover, for example, is made of a knit material that serves as one of five thermal fiber acoustical layers.

The doors have triple seals and feature fiberglass “blankets” that serve as water, airflow and noise barriers. Nylon baffles are used in various portions of the body structure and are filled with sound-absorbing foam that expands when the body enters the paint oven.

Patches of sound-damping material are applied throughout the body structure and “melt” into place when the body passes through the paint oven. Sound insulation material between rear-body structural components is made from recycled material from denim jeans. Other sound-isolating elements include hydraulic ride bushings, an isolated engine cradle and a steel front-of-dash panel sandwiched between two damping mats.

Ford Motor Co. unveils its updated 2011 Mustang this week at the Los Angeles auto show. The vehicle will hit the streets next spring.

The updated pony car is fitted with a 3.7-liter DOHC V-6 in place of the venerable 4.0-liter SOHC V-6, whose origins date back to the 1960s. Despite being smaller, the new powerplant puts out 45% more horsepower (305 hp) and 17% more torque (280 lb-ft) than its predecessor. The increase makes the Mustang slightly more powerful than General Motors Co.’s Chevrolet Camaro equipped with a 3.6-liter V-6.

The all-aluminum Duratec V-6, which also is available in several front- and all-wheel-drive Lincoln cars, features twin independent variable camshaft timing that quickly adjusts the valvetrain. The Mustang is the engine’s first rear-drive application.

The intake areas of the engine’s heads are ported and otherwise enhanced to increase air/fuel volume, and the valve tappets are polished to reduce friction. An advanced fuel injection system cuts fuel delivery during deceleration, and a new intake manifold improves engine breathing.

The 3.7-liter mill is built at Ford’s engine plant in Cleveland, Ohio. The current V-6 is built in Cologne, Germany, then shipped to Flat Rock, Mich., for installation.

The new engine will be mated to an automatic or manual six-speed transmission. Ford says cars with the automatic will get 19 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway, up from 16 mpg city/24 highway on the 2010 Mustang with an automatic. The 2011 model with a manual and short-throw shifter has an estimated rating of 18/29 mpg vs. 18/26 for the current car.

To harness the increased power, Ford increased the diameter of the disc brakes to 11.5 inches in front and 11.8 inches in the rear. A new electric power assist steering system eliminates drag generated from the older engine’s hydraulic power steering pump. A new dual-exhaust system replaces the current single pipe unit.

Ride and handling benefit from a revised spring and damper rates, stiffer stabilizer bushings and a new rear lower control arm, which Ford says provides better cornering response. A standard limited-slip differential directs torque to the rear wheel with the most traction in adverse weather conditions.

A performance package will be available in August. It teams a firmer suspension (borrowed from the current Mustang GT) with 19-inch wheels and summer performance tires, a quicker 3.31 rear axle ratio, recalibrated stability control with sport mode and a strut tower brace to stiffen the chassis.

Aerodynamic modifications include a new front fascia, tire spats on the rear wheels, modified underbody shields, a taller air dam and an added rear decklid seal.

Volkswagen AG’s Polo compact car was voted the European Car of the Year by a panel of 59 journalists. Described by several panelists as a downsized Golf, the Polo was praised for its fuel efficiency, light weight, comfort and high relative power.

The Polo received 347 points, narrowly edging out the second-place finisher, the Toyota iQ (337 points). Other finalists included the Opel/Vauxhall Astra (221 points), Skoda Yeti (158), Mercedes-Benz E-Class (155), Peugeot 3008 (144) and Citroen C3 Picasso (113). The journalists evaluated 33 all-new or updated models for this year’s award.

Volkswagen AG’s Audi unit plans to launch its new A1 supermini and A7 flagship sedan by the end of next year in Europe.

The small car will compete against BMW’s Mini range. Based on the new VW Polo, which was named European car of the year yesterday, the A1 will offer highly customized options to emulate the Mini but at a lower price.

The top-end A7 will share mechanicals with the A6 and will be priced at a slight premium over that model. The Mercedes CLS will be one of its main competitors.

India’s Tata Motor Ltd. is planning to produce hybrid-electric versions of its Nano minicar, Chairman Ratan Tata tells South Korea’s Maeil Business Newspaper. He did not elaborate. The gasoline model, which is base priced at less than $2,500, was launched in India earlier this year. Diesel engines also are expected to be offered.