The Globe and Mail

Vehicle Type: High-performance compact car

Introduced: The concept was introduced at the 2011 Frankfurt auto show, while the production version was first shown in December at the Los Angeles auto show.

Cool factor: The five-door Fiesta ST concept is not just an indication of where high-performance is going with the Fiesta, but also high performance ideas at Ford in general. A specially tuned 180-horsepower 1.6-litre Ford EcoBoost engine to deliver performance, fuel efficiency and low emissions.

What it all means: The Fiesta ST extends the 35-year Fiesta history of delivering high-performance thrills to small car customers – including the European Fiesta XR2 and XR2i, Fiesta RS1800 and RS Turbo, and the more recent first-generation Fiesta ST. The latest Fiesta ST is a global performance model.

Showroom bound, yes or no: Yes.

The designer says: “With a racing silhouette inspired by global Fiesta race and rally cars currently competing on the world stage, and influenced by the unique appearance of the all-new Focus ST, the new Fiesta ST Concept is an exciting demonstration of the road-going Fiesta’s potential,” says Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development.

Vehicle Type: Mid-size premium sedan

Introduced: 2013 Detroit auto show.

Cool factor: The concept’s full-length sunroof may get a shading element in the production version to protect passengers from sitting in a greenhouse. Otherwise, the car’s arching silhouette will be similar to the production car. It won’t share any sheet metal with the next-generation Fusion, either. Oh, the next production MKZ will be offered with a V-6 engine, a turbocharged four-cylinder and a hybrid powertrain.

What it all means: Ford Motor is finally turning its full attention to fixing the Lincoln premium brand. The brand’s new design manifesto incorporates refinement, elegance and simplicity – those will be the hallmarks of the new Lincoln, say Lincoln types. Design is the key to setting Lincoln apart from its current look and from that of Ford-brand vehicles built on the same platforms.

Showroom bound, yes or no: Yes. Lincoln plans to show the production car in April at the New York auto show.

The designer says: Lincoln chief designer Max Wolff says, “Today’s MK vehicles were in some ways deliberately provocative. The split-wing or bow-wave grille motif was purposely a little oversized on some of the vehicles. With this one we wanted to bring it back a little bit. We’ll still keep the basic graphic because that has the opportunity to be very distinct but add a level of refinement and elegance.”

Vehicle Type: Hybrid city car

Introduced: 2011 Geneva auto show, with the North American debut last December at the Los Angeles auto show.

Cool factor: The design study seats four and is a little shorter and wider than the Mini Cooper. A three-cylinder engine is the intended powertrain.

What it all means: General Motors has been testing the waters, looking for feedback on the Cadillac Urban Luxury Concept. This small Caddy looks at what a premium car for the urban dweller might like – a buyer who navigates narrow side streets, wants to waste no time looking for a big parking space, and wants better fuel economy in stop-and-go traffic. It seats four, with easy access to all seats available via a pair of scissor-type doors that extend outward and rotate forward when opened.

Showroom bound, yes or no: No. But the ideas here will, along with some of the technology – such as touch-pad screens and projected readouts take the place of most traditional gauges and serve as the audio and climate system controls. This design feature helps open up the interior for greater passenger space.

The designer says: “The Cadillac Urban Luxury Concept celebrates its scale with intelligent, innovative content that makes it unique regardless of its size,” says Clay Dean, Director of GM North American Advanced Design and Cadillac Brand Champion. “It has a small exterior footprint, but is roomy inside.”

Vehicle Type: High-performance coupe.

Introduced: 2009 Chicago auto show.

Cool factor: Both a concept car and a character in a movie, the Stingray was designed for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Perhaps the menacing angles, stealth cockpit, or toothy front intakes will be incorporated into the next Corvette?

What it all means: Stingray goes to the movies.

Showroom bound, yes or no: No.

The designer says: GM design chief Ed Welburn says, “I felt we should leave the seats basically alone. After all, Bill Mitchell and a lot of other famous people have driven the Stingray or at least sat in these buckets. So, instead, of totally reupholstering them, we decided to leave the patina intact for anyone who encounters the car to appreciate.”

Vehicle Type: Heavy duty pickup.

Introduced: 2011 Detroit auto show.

Cool factor: A real 2011 Sierra HD underpins the All Terrain HD concept. But underneath is a modified, production-based 4WD chassis and the Duramax diesel/Allison 1000 six-speed powertrain. The suspension has been enhanced and there are unique body dimensions, including increased ground clearance and a wider track. GM improved approach/departure angles to deliver off-road capability without compromising HD levels of payload and trailering capacity.

What it all means: The GMC Sierra All Terrain HD concept is an example of what car companies can do with off-the-shelf components. This concept explores heavy-duty truck capability combined with greater off-road versatility. An enterprising garage mechanic could replicate everything here save the lights.

Showroom bound, yes or no: No. But GM could build a production version of this if the mood struck.

The designer says: “It's the best of the Duramax HD with more off-roading capability, built with an existing Duramax diesel and existing supplier connections,” says designer Carl Zipfel.

Vehicle Type: Entry compact premium car.

Introduced: 2012 Detroit auto show.

Cool factor: Finally, Acura will have a stylish AND affordable small car to act as the entry-point in its lineup. Looks sell and Acura needs something good like this. The ILX will feature three separate power trains, including Acura’s first-ever gasoline-electric hybrid.

What it all means: Acura has taken the latest Honda Civic platform and put a handsome body on top. The ILX will replace two cars in Acura’s Canadian lineup: the CSX, which was a barely-gussied-up Civic, and the TSX, a rebadged version of the Honda Accord sold in Europe.

Showroom bound, yes or no: Yes. Acura’s perky little sedan effectively disguises its Honda Civic roots while keeping the base price well below $30,000. Due to go on sale in April, its option list will include Acura’s first hybrid powertrain, a performance version of the Civic Hybrid’s 1.5-litre gas engine with an electric assist.

The designer says: CEO Takanobu Ito at the Tokyo Motor Show: “We are not satisfied with Acura's current positioning,” Ito told Automotive News. “We want to showcase interesting and fun technologies and show excellent environmental performance.”

Vehicle Type: High-performance sports car.

Introduced: 2013 Detroit auto show.

Cool factor: Power comes from gasoline-electric hybrid technology. The gas engine sits amidships and it’s a V-6, providing principal thrust. An assist comes from two electric motor drives and a seven-speed dual clutch transmission. This latest NSX resembles the original, which was discontinued in 2005, but this concept evolves the old cab-forward look with. Now, can we convince Acura to scrap the Acura brand’s grille treatment?

What it all means: The star of the show in Detroit, this two-seat hybrid sports car is gorgeous. In Detroit, journalists whooped and hollered when the wraps came off. Word has it that when Acura’s dealers saw it in a private showing, some were literally weeping for joy. That’s a switch for Acura dealers and their customers who for years have been crying the blues.

Showroom bound, yes or no: Yes. The return of the Japanese supercar fighter is real and this one is coming in 2015. This mid-engine V-6 hybrid concept will be built in Marysville, Ohio.

The designer says: “Good ideas are timeless if they are well executed,” says Jeff Conrad, vice president of Acura in the United States. “The original NSX successor was going to be too heavy, too powerful and not unique. We decided to stop chasing the market and move in a more refined direction that we call smart luxury.”

Vehicle type: Mid-size coupe.

Introduced: 2012 Detroit auto show.

Cool factor: The 2013 Accord coupe and sedan arrive this fall. Expect three power train choices under the new, so-called Earth Dreams power lineup: a two-motor plug-in hybrid system, a direct-injected four-cylinder and a more powerful version of the current V-6. The new V-6 will be available with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission, and the four-cylinder with the six-speed manual or a continuously variable automatic.

What it all means: Here we have a concept in name only. The Accord is a dead ringer for the production version of the coupe due in showrooms this fall, along with the new Accord sedan.

Showroom bound: Yes, in the fall of 2012.

The designer says: “Many of our competitors picked up a lap or two while we were in the pits,” said John Mendel, American Honda executive vice-president, in Detroit. “We’re here to serve notice to the competition that Honda is again firing on all cylinders.”

Vehicle Type: High-performance hybrid sports car

Introduced: 2011 Frankfurt motor show.

Cool factor: The elegant exterior makes the C-X16 look fast standing still. Jag needs this one to be a contender in the sports-car segment dominated by Porsche. This gasoline-electric hybrid uses its 1.6-kilowatt electric motor and auxiliary battery pack in an unconventional way. Basic power comes from a newly developed 3.0-litre supercharged V-6 that produces 375 horsepower. It can accelerate to 100 km/h in about four seconds, the company says. The hybrid function supplements the gas engine, with a push-to-pass feature that can give the coupe an acceleration boost.

What it all means: Jaguar chief designer Ian Callum has led a revitalization of the British brand’s sedans. Next up: sports cars. This sleek, compact, two-seat concept harkens back to the E-type of the 1960. It has a lightweight body, six-cylinder engine and a hybrid system. The latter uses a boost button to vault the car ahead.

Showroom bound, yes or no: Yes, though not entirely like this.

The designer says: “We all loved the E-Type Jaguars, but with today’s safety regulations you can’t build something that looks like an E-Type any more,” says Callum. “You couldn’t get the extremity of form that that car actually had.”

Vehicle Type: Four-door sports sedan

Introduced: 2011 Frankfurt auto show.

Cool factor: The GT concept rides on a version of the Hyundai Genesis platform. It is powered by a 395-hp, 3.3-liter turbocharged V-6 with gasoline direct injection. The GT was designed as a possible halo car for Kia, which currently has an all front-wheel-drive lineup and lacks a performance vehicle.

What it all means: Under head designer Peter Schreyer, Kia design has attempted to straddle the line between affected and adolescent. Forget all that. This concept speaks to the brand’s coming rear-drive sedan. It’s cool and contemporary, not derivative. Some on the show floor in Frankfurt said this concept is a homage to the Lamborghini Espada. Or a rip-off.

Showroom bound, yes or no: Maybe. Kia’s design chief says this four-door GT sport sedan concept might be produced, giving the brand its first rear-wheel-drive model.

The designer says: “If we do a production car, you would be able to recognize it as a production version of this concept,” said Schreyer. “The layout, the basic proportions, it is all very realistic.” While Kia has no firm plans to build the GT, “It would open a new branch in the tree of our product family,” said Schreyer. “It’s a different type of car.”

Vehicle Type: Grand touring luxury car.

Introduced: 2010 Los Angeles auto show.

Cool factor: The four-door, four-seat, sports coupe concept vehicle has distinctive front fenders – fenders which are an evolution of the prominent fenders introduced on the RX-8. The so-called three-dimensional sculpting of the front grille expresses movement that is reflected in the line continuing through the bonnet, fender, front lamp modules and bumper. The interior has a look intended to link ergonomics with basic mechanical functions.

What it all means: The low-slung Shinari concept, which looks more Aston Martin than Miata, embodies kodo, Japanese for “soul of motion,” Mazda says.

Showroom bound, yes or no: No, but the design elements represent Mazda’s future.

The designer says: “Things like proportions, the front end, surface quality and how the car sits on its wheels are so fundamental to why a car looks strong and expensive and desirable, and I think those are things that aren’t so cost-prohibitive that we can’t bring them into a more value-oriented proposition,” says Derek Jenkins, design director for Mazda North American Operations.

Vehicle Type: entry-level luxury car.

Introduced: 2011 Geneva auto show

Cool factor: Power for the Etherea concept comes from a supercharged 2.5-litre four-cylinder gas engine rated at 241 hp, augmented by an electric motor during acceleration. Infiniti says the motor can do all the work at low speeds. The front-drive Etherea has a continuously variable transmission, unlike any current Infiniti.

What’s it all mean: The Etherea concept previews a potential entry-level car aimed at young buyers. Infiniti is looking at adding a front-drive model, a small luxury hatchback based on – you guessed it – the Etherea concept. Infiniti does want to compete against the BMW 1-Series with a production version of this concept. Infiniti is also working on a front-drive luxury electric car that shares a platform with the Nissan Leaf.

Showroom bound, yes or no: Yes, sort of. A compact sedan based on the Etherea concept is expected for 2013 or 2014 model year.

The designer says: “ETHEREA was designed to project both an evolving Infiniti identity and a profile that is distinctly different from any current vehicle available on the market,” said Wendy Durward, director of Infiniti Canada, in a statement.

Vehicle Type: Small crossover wagon

Introduced: 2011 Shanghai auto show

Cool factor: Painted a garish Electro Yellowgreen, the XV sports a hexagonal grille, a panoramic glass roof and alloy wheels with black rims and silver spokes. The cabin showcases white leather seats, as well as mesh with yellow piping.

What it all means: This concept is a five-door hatchback with an “urban stylish design” and it arrived as a preview last year of the next-generation Impreza Outback Sport hatchback.

Showroom bound, yes or no: Yes.

The designer says: Not much. Subaru has been coy about this design.

Vehicle Type: Microbus

Introduced: 2011 Geneva auto show

Cool factor: The concept makes use of heritage design cues, starting with a large, round, chrome VW emblem on its nose. A docking station in the centre of the instrument panel holds an iPad, which communicates with the steering-wheel controls and gauges. There is no gear shift – a rotary knob selects park, reverse, neutral and drive.

What it all means: VW says this Microbus – known as the Bulli in Europe – has an electric drivetrain and seating for six. Range: more than 250 km on its 40-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. The battery pack is sandwiched in the floor of the van and could be recharged in less than an hour, VW says, at an “electric refuelling station” designed for EVs.

Showroom bound, yes or no: No.

The designer says: VW Group design chief Walter de' Silva says concepts like the Bulli have a strategic importance for VW as “solutions for the urban mobility of tomorrow.”

Correction: An earlier online version of this story misidentified the Acura NSX and ILX concept cars.