Want to see the latest and greatest that the automakers have to offer? Head down to the 2009 Cleveland Auto Show where you can check out all the latest models and ask questions from the industry professionals without the headaches of getting pressured of going to the dealership.

One car that you may want to see first is the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid which has earned rave reviews. The USA Today recently commented that the car that is priced at $28,000 is the best hybrid out there even outdoing the Lexus Hybrid that is priced at well over $100,000.

Tickets start at $12 and this coming Monday is "Family Night" where children 15 and under are admitted in free. If you have a valid College ID that is good for a $3 dollar off coupon. Here are the hours for the 2009 show which runs Saturday until March 8th:

Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sundays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Monday through Thursday, noon to 10 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The winners are in for the coveted prize of North American Car and Truck of the Year. In the truck category, the 2009 Ford F-150 won the award. The Hyundai Genesis, the largest and most powerful car that the Korean market has unleashed to the American market, won the award for the top car. The victory for Hyundai is the first time that a Korean market has won the award for the car of the year.

The F-150 dominated in the voting for best truck besting rivals the Dodge Ram and third place ML320 BlueTEC. The voting was 259-167-74 in the truck category. Ford almost pulled off a double honor as its model Flex lost in a close race to the Genesis 189-180 with the Jetti TDI placing third 131 votes. All voting is done by journalists in the automotive field. The victory in the truck category for Ford is the fifth time that the company has been honored with Truck of the Year and the third time that the F-150 has taken home the prize. All models that are under consideration must be a new model or redesigned for that model year.

Toyota had a smash hit with hybrid Prius, and now they're about to try their luck with a hybrid for the entry-level luxury car market. Unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show, Lexus is adding its fourth hybrid to their nameplate, the HS 250h.

Lexus already has three hybrids - the GS 450h, the LS 600h L, and the RX 450h. The HS 250h is based on the Prius platform, but gets rid of the Prius' hatchback design in favor of a traditional four-door sedan style.

The HS 250h does not borrow the Prius' engine, rather it uses the same 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine from the Toyota Corolla and Camry. Combined, the gas engine and the Lexus Hybrid Drive system provide 187 HP.

Lexus hasn't yet revealed EPA mileage numbers for the new hybrid, but did state the it will be "more than 30 percent better than the most fuel-efficient model currently in the Lexus lineup."

Ford Motor Company launched the 2010 Ford Mustang today at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The iconic sports car will be amiable in both V-6 and v-8 editions with the latter boasting an impressive 315 horsepower with better fuel efficiency that previous models. The new Mustang will continue to built in right here in the USA at a plant in Michigan.

Ford released this statement today trumpeting 45th edition of the Mustang:

"More than 9 million customers have made Mustang one of the world's most beloved automotive and cultural icons," said Mark Fields, Ford's president of The Americas. "Making sure this modern legend lives up to their expectations has been a driving force for the team, which went to great lengths – gathering customer input everywhere from race tracks to Main Streets in cities throughout the U.S. – working to create the best Mustang ever."

Here is a short video from the happenings at the LA show earlier today:

Unveiled this week at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, Pininfarina showed off their new B0 electric car. Not only is the B0 stylish and modern looking, but it also offers top speeds of 80mph. It's also much closer to a "normal" sized vehicle than many other electric cars currently on the market.

The car is actually a collaboration between Pininfarina and Bolloré, a consortium of companies with expertise in batteries and capacitors. The B0 uses a lithium metal polymer battery pack to power the car, which is stored in the car's under carriage, and an electric motor drives the front wheels. A super capacitor provides short-term storage for electricity recovered during regenerative braking, and solar cells installed in the roof and front of the car also trickle energy into the battery.

At its current configuration, the car has a 150 mile range and a top speed of 80mph. It's a bit slow in revving up, and can go from 0 to 37 in 6.3 seconds. They have not released a 0 to 60 time, but estimates are that it is around 15 seconds. Short, quick bursts of speeds are not the electric car's forté.

The 2008 Mazda2, a fuel efficient vehicle sold overseas, has been awarded with the prestigious 2008 World Car of the Year award at the New York Auto Show. The award was voted on by international automotive journalists. The Ford Mondeo and Mercedes-Benz C-Class finished closely behind the Mazda2.

Mazda executives were pleased with the announcement stating:

"We are delighted that the 2008 World Car of the Year jury has chosen the all-new Mazda2 as their World Car of the Year," said Dan Morris, Mazda's senior managing executive officer in charge of Marketing, Sales and Customer Service. "This is wonderful recognition which Mazda2 car owners and Mazda employees alike can celebrate worldwide.