Automobile Industry: Austerity brings smaller cars to Geneva auto show

After years marked by environmental concerns, then the economic downturn and now European austerity measures, car manufacturers have honed their products to cater to cost-conscious buyers.

And it's not just compacts and SUVs that are getting smaller. Even premium automakers are downsizing.
At the Geneva Motor Show, which opens to the media on Tuesday, Audi will unveil a new A3, Mercedes-Benz its rejuvenated A-Class, and Volvo its V40.

GM's European unit Opel received a boost on Monday, when its Ampera, an electric car with an extended range of 500 kilometers (300 miles), was named European Car of the Year by automotive journalists from 23 countries on the eve of the motor show.

For more: The Associated Press: Austerity brings smaller cars to Geneva auto show