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NEW DELHI, India – The all-new Ford EcoSport was previewed today, providing the world with its first glimpse of the compact SUV and taking centre stage on Ford Motor Company's high-tech and fun interactive stand at the 11th Auto Expo 2012.

The modern and innovative EcoSport will be part of a showcase of vehicles on display to capture the attention of customers to one of the most important auto shows in the region.

The EcoSport is the latest One Ford global product, helping to expand Ford's footprint in the world's fastest-growing auto markets such as India. The new EcoSport – which will eventually be sold in nearly 100 markets worldwide – will be produced at ultra-modern, flexible assembly plants in India and Brazil, and other markets to be announced at a later time.

“The all-new Ford EcoSport reflects our commitment to serve our customers with the cars and trucks they truly want and value,” said Alan Mulally, president and CEO, Ford Motor Company. “Our engineering team used their years of EcoSport experience to make every aspect of the next-generation model even stronger.”

India is an increasingly important auto market, and the all-new EcoSport will play a significant role in Ford's aggressive global plan to achieve a 50 percent increase in worldwide sales by mid-decade to 8 million vehicles a year. Asia Pacific and Africa is expected to deliver 60 percent to 70 percent of that target.

The EcoSport is the second of eight products Ford plans to bring to India by mid-decade.

Ford is also bringing its global EcoBoost powertrain technology to India for the first time in the form of its newest and smallest-ever EcoBoost engine. With only three cylinders and 1.0 litre of displacement, the latest EcoBoost engine will provide fuel-efficient power for the EcoSport.

Despite its small capacity and proportions, the engine delivers power and performance that will rival a traditional 1.6-litre petrol engine while emitting less than 140g/km CO2.

Downsized EcoBoost engines feature turbocharging, direct injection and other technologies and replace larger engines with no loss of performance and with lower fuel consumption. Ultimately, this all-new engine will be made available in Ford models in China, Europe, North America and other regions.

"Indian customers have really embraced Ford, particularly since we launched the hugely successful Ford Figo, and the all-new EcoSport will only further enhance our showroom offerings in India," said Michael Boneham, president and managing director, Ford India. "The Indian market is extremely competitive, and we are confident that this new compact SUV will be one of the strongest performing vehicles in this new segment."

MUMBAI -- Fuel-efficient cars and new SUV models will be unveiled at India's Auto Expo later this week as global carmakers continue to rev up their activity in one of the world's few growth engines despite a recent slowdown in sales.

Jaguar Land Rover, owned by India's Tata Motors, will skip the overlapping North American International Auto Show in Detroit to focus on the India event, while Ford Motor Co. said it will make a world-first announcement in New Delhi.

Around 50 new models will be presented to hundreds of delegates and half a million visitors as carmakers look to move on from a year of sluggish sales due to high interest rates and rising costs and fuel prices in Asia's third-largest economy.

The debut of South Korea's Ssangyong, owned by India's Mahindra & Mahindra, and product launches from Toyota Motor Corp. and Renault will underline the country's importance to the world's biggest carmakers.

"The overwhelming feeling is that this current sales slowdown is a temporary phenomenon and global carmakers are certainly betting on India to bounce back. There's no slackening of interest here," R.C. Bhargava, chairman of Maruti Suzuki, India's biggest carmaker, told Reuters.

"Everybody is working on hybrid, fuel-efficient and green technology vehicles. There's an exciting race to find a small, cheap hybrid car for India, which will certainly be a winner."

Car sales in India grew 30 percent in the fiscal year to end-March 2011, cheering global carmakers as economic turmoil hit sales in developed markets. Since then, interest rate hikes by India's central bank and rising input costs that pushed up prices have dented demand as economic growth cools.

India's small-car segment, made famous by Tata's ultra-cheap Nano and targeted by firms such as General Motors Co. and Fiat SpA's Chrysler, has suffered most as first-time buyers balk at the increased cost of credit or stick with a motorcycle, considered a family vehicle in India.

Still, the Indian economy is likely to grow at around 7 percent this fiscal year and rising salaries and a rapidly-growing middle class mean it remains one of the world's most exciting markets for automakers.

Green vs. gas-guzzlers

Led by the launch of Mahindra's first-ever electric cars following its 2010 acquisition of Reva and the first glimpse of a hybrid model of Maruti's popular Swift hatchback, the expo will see a slew of fuel-efficient and green technology launches.

After crowds swamped the show two years ago, police have asked organizers to cap daily attendance at this year's six-day event at 100,000, local media reported.

Carmakers are also set to muscle in on India's popular SUV segment, which fared better than smaller cars last year, with an offering from Maruti, a widely-anticipated four-wheel debut from motorcycle experts Bajaj Auto, and a multi-utility model launch from South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co.

Luxury carmakers, riding 40 percent annual sales growth in India, will use the expo to increase their product lines, with Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen AG's Audi rolling out new SUV and sports car models.

BMW AG, market leader in the luxury segment, will unveil its Mini brands in India for the first time.

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers will also announce its new growth outlook for the industry at the expo, a month after it said sales would likely show no growth in the 12 months to end-March.

Maruti, 54.2 percent owned by Japan's Suzuki Motor Corp, produced every other car sold in India last January. But labor strikes that cost $500 million in lost production and a pronounced slowdown in sales of small cars and gasoline models -- its forte -- have hit the company hard.

Tata, Mahindra and Hyundai sales have jumped as Maruti's factories slowly ground back into action, while diesel sales have soared in recent quarters thanks to government subsidies that make the fuel about $0.40 per liter cheaper than gasoline.

Here are some of the most buzz-worthy new models and concept cars getting their world debuts at the Los Angeles Auto Show, which opens to the public Nov. 18. Media previews began Wednesday at the show, which is an important venue for carmakers because California is by far the largest car market in the U.S.:

— CADILLAC XTS: General Motors Co.'s luxury brand unveils the replacement for its old land yachts, the DTS and STS. The company promises space and elegance with technology for a new generation of buyers. It looks like a larger, rounded version of the CTS, and is powered by a 300 horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6 engine. The all-wheel-drive sedan will hit showrooms in the spring. Pricing hasn't been released.

— CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1 CONVERTIBLE: The convertible version of the fastest Camaro ever. It's due out this summer as a 2013 model. The ZL1 sports car has a 550-horsepower, 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 and recently hit 170 miles per hour on a German test track. Pricing hasn't been announced.

— CHEVROLET SPARK: General Motors enters the tiny car market, aiming at young city dwellers with the Spark. It's smaller than Chevrolet's newly released Sonic but still seats four. The Spark will be powered by a 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine with 85 horsepower and will come standard with a five-speed manual transmission. A four-speed automatic also is available. Chevy promises "vibrant" paint colors. It goes on sale in mid-2012. The price wasn't announced.

— FIAT 500 ABARTH: Italian automaker Fiat SpA rolls out a high performance version of the round and cute 500 mini car. The car, which seats four, is more aggressive looking and its turbocharged 1.4-liter engine cranks out 160 horsepower, 59 more than the base version of the car. It has aluminum racing wheels, a heavy-duty five-speed manual transmission, a spoiler and a racing stripe at the bottom of the door. The Abarth gets to dealers in the first half of 2012. The price was not released.

—HONDA CR-V: Honda unveils a new version of its five-seat crossover, which is one of the most popular vehicles in a fast-growing segment. This is the CR-V's first update in four years. Expect modest updates to styling and power that should help keep the vehicle competitive.

—HONDA FIT ELECTRIC: The electric version of the Fit subcompact, which was shown as a concept car at last year's Los Angeles show, is expected to go around 100 miles in a charge. It goes on sale in the U.S. next year. Pricing hasn't been announced.

—HYUNDAI AZERA: The Korean automaker rolls out a new version of its larger midsize car with a sleek body design and side creases. It comes standard with a 3.3-liter six-cylinder engine with gasoline injected directly into the cylinders for higher efficiency. Hyundai claims it will have best in class combined city-highway fuel economy of 23 mpg. Pricing hasn't been announced.

—INFINITI JX: Infiniti launches an all-new seven-passenger crossover with an exclusive new feature: A system that automatically engages the brakes if the driver is about to back into something crossing behind the vehicle. Nissan Motor Co. plans to reveal the price and other details at the show.

— SUBARU BRZ: The automaker famous for rugged all-wheel-drive cars and small SUVs enters the sports car market with the rear-wheel-drive BRZ sports car. Subaru is showing off a concept that will look a lot like a BRZ slated for production in the spring of 2012. It's sleek and low with an aerodynamic front spoiler and a rear wing. The BRZ will have a new direct-injected 2-liter Subaru Boxer engine. Pricing wasn't announced.

LAS VEGAS, NV - The vehicles have been tallied and the exhibitors have spoken. The second annual SEMA Award was presented to the Chevrolet Camaro for the Hottest Car, the Fiat 500 for the Hottest Sport Compact Car, the Ford F-Series for the Hottest Truck and the Jeep Wrangler for the Hottest 4x4-SUV. The winners were announced this morning at the 2011 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

"As the visionaries and innovators of the industry, our SEMA Show exhibitors determine the winners of the SEMA Award based on the vehicles they showcase in their booths," said Chris Kersting, SEMA president and CEO. "With each booth vehicle representing one vote, the most prominent models in each category are the winners. The SEMA Award celebrates these outstanding vehicles that emerge each year at the show."

The SEMA Award honors those vehicles that specialty-equipment manufacturers believe are the best platforms for accessorization and that showcase this year's coolest products. The award recognizes four outstanding vehicle models in four categories – "Hottest Car," "Hottest Sport Compact Car," "Hottest Truck," and "Hottest 4x4-SUV."  It also underscores the cooperative relationship between the automakers and SEMA-member companies.

"There is no shortage of options for new car and truck buyers. The ability to accessorize a vehicle often impacts the decision on which vehicle to purchase. The SEMA Award helps guide consumers to the most accessory friendly vehicles on the market by demonstrating the unlimited potential for customization," added Kersting.

The 2011 SEMA Show features more than 2,000 exhibiting companies. SEMA Show exhibitors manufacture thousands of products that improve performance, safety and convenience, as well as those that enhance appearance and comfort. While products are available for every make and model vehicle, exhibitors are investing more into the Chevrolet Camaro, the Fiat 500, Ford F-Series, and Jeep Wrangler than any other vehicle. Consumers, therefore, can expect to find more options for accessorizing these vehicles.