Annual int'l auto show kicks off in U.S. Motor City

The annual international auto show kicked off here Monday with worldwide automakers gathering to showcase their latest models and innovation. With rising gas prices and environmental concerns, customers are increasingly interested in hybrid and electric cars, automakers said. The Hyundai Elantra, edging out the Ford Focus and Volkswagen, won the prestigious industry award of the 2012 North American Car of the Year award, while the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque won the North American Truck of the Year. The awards announced at the beginning of the 2012 North American International Auto Show in the Motor City, which hosts special media previews this week and opens to the public on Saturday. A panel of 50 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada cast their ballots to the vehicles from a group of finalists. The Detroit-based world leading automaker Ford unveiled the new Fusion at the two-week long event. The 2013 Fusion was equipped with the lane-keeping system, which uses cameras to monitor whether a driver is staying in his lane and alerts him if he swerves off course. The first auto show was held in 1907 in Detroit, the largest city in the state of Michigan and the headquarters of the Big Three American automakers: Chrysler, Ford and General Motors.