????汽車工程師們一直都很清楚，設計小排量、重量輕的汽車是滿足不斷提高的燃油經濟性標準最理想的途徑。汽車體積越小，每加侖汽油可供行駛的里程數就越多。問題在于，青睞大排量、動力強勁的汽車是美國司機的一個傳統。

????但是，汽車制造企業近來終于打破了對重型汽車的依賴，開始著力打造舒適、豪華，同時對消費者具有吸引力的小排量汽車。隨著新車型——特別是福特（Ford）、通用（General Motors）和現代（Hyundai）新車——上市，小排量汽車如今越來越流行，也越來越具有競爭優勢。鑒于相關法規越來越嚴格，這一趨勢有望得到延續。

????今年七月，美國小排量汽車的市場份額上升到了17.4%，全美本土汽車總產量中有140萬輛是小排量汽車。中、大排量和豪華型汽車的市場也有所增長，但是漲幅略為遜色。換言之，小排量汽車銷量占所有汽車總銷量的三分之一，是唯一一個實現銷售增長的類別。

????上周，美國總統奧巴馬宣布，2025年度的企業燃料經濟性標準（Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency）要達到54.5英里/加侖。此外，他還提出了針對小排量貨車的免稅計劃，以及鼓勵電動汽車等先進技術的優惠政策。目前，車輛燃料經濟性的標準是平均27英里/加侖，到2016年，這一標準將提高到34英里/加侖。

????目前，豐田汽車公司（Toyota）的卡羅拉（Corolla）領跑小排量汽車市場，而通用汽車的雪佛蘭克魯茲（Ehevrolet Cruze）、本田思域（Honda Civic）、現代伊蘭特（Hyundai Elantra）和福特的新福克斯（new Focus）則緊隨其后。所有這些汽車都配備先進的娛樂系統、舒適的座椅并配以優質的內飾。此外，先進的汽車引擎和變速裝置提供了可觀的動力，同時保證了燃料經濟性。

????克魯茲、新福克斯和伊蘭特是汽車史上最具代表性的突破。雪佛蘭克魯茲取代了科寶（Cobalt）和它的前身騎士（Cavalier），這兩款車的平庸表現毫無爭議地為通用汽車贏得了漠視小排量汽車市場的“美譽”。新版福克斯性能大幅改善，與老款和更早的福特護衛者（Ford Escort）相比已經有了很大不同。

????汽車資訊網站Edmunds.com分析師杰西卡?卡德威說：“通用、福特和現代新款汽車的面世都伴隨著盛大的營銷活動，無疑激發了人們的興趣。和以前相比，這次的激勵措施力度略有減小，主要表現為低息車貸或實惠的汽車租賃方案。”

????此外，其他國家生產的一些被稱為微型車的超小排量汽車也屬于小排量汽車之列，它們也吸引了原本鐘情于大排量汽車的消費者。流行的車型包括尼桑汽車（Nissan）的新騏達（new Versa），該車今年七月全美的銷量達到了5.1萬輛；以及福特汽車的嘉年華（Fiesta），今年七月的銷量達到了4.8萬輛。

????在韓國制造的通用雪佛蘭樂騁（Chevrolet Aveo）表現不溫不火，2011年前七個月的銷量僅為2.5萬輛。但是這一情況將很快將改觀，因為這款實用但呆板的汽車即將被新款索尼克（Sonic）所取代。現在，索尼克已在底特律南部投產。在設計和乘坐舒適度等方面，新款索尼克都填補了樂騁的空白。

????消費者有權自主選擇他們中意的車型，但是為了與聯邦政府制定的燃料經濟性標準保持一致，汽車制造企業必須推出優惠措施，才能銷售足夠數量的小排量汽車，提高燃料經濟性的平均數據。大排量汽車卻剛好相反，只會拉低燃料經濟性平均數據。因此，汽車生產商正設法抑制大排量汽車的市場需求，促使消費者購買排量更小的汽車。有鑒于此，前者的售價將進一步上漲。

????大多數小排量汽車都采用四缸發動機，以滿足燃料經濟性標準。2011年新年周，汽油價格突破3美元/加侖大關，五月達到峰值，為3.90美元/加侖。近來的汽油均價呈現出上揚之勢。毫無疑問，這也促使一些司機考慮更換小排量的汽車。

????對小排量車的未來而言，汽油價格會有多大的影響現在還難以預測。保守的觀點認為，汽車價格只會繼續上漲。不過，一旦汽油價格出現下降，消費者可能會再次選擇動力強勁的大排量汽車，而小排量汽車勢必將砸在汽車廠商手里。

????譯者：喬樹靜/汪皓

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????Engineers have long known that designing smaller, lighter vehicles is an ideal way to meet tighter fuel-economy standards. Less bulk, higher MPG. Problem is, American motorists have a long-standing love affair with large, powerful vehicles.

????Automakers are finally breaking their dependence on heavier models and managing to create comfortable, luxurious small cars consumers actually find appealing. As new models roll out -– especially from Ford (F), General Motors (GM) and Hyundai -- the category is gaining in popularity and competitiveness. That trend is likely to continue as regulations grow tighter.

????Through July, the small-car segment rose to 17.4 percent of all car sales, accounting for nearly 1.4 million cars built in the U.S. Midsize, large and luxury cars gained as well, though less so proportionately. In other words, small cars, accounting for a third of all car sales, were the only category to gain share.

????Last week, President Obama announced Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) standards of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, with special exemptions for pickup trucks and incentives to encourage advanced technology like electric vehicles. Currently fleets must average about 27 miles per gallon and are required to improve to 34 miles per gallon by 2016.

????Toyota's (TM) Corolla leads the segment, trailed not far behind by the Chevrolet Cruze from GM, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, and Ford's new Focus. All of these vehicles offer advanced entertainment systems, comfortable seating, premium-feeling interior fabrics and materials. Advanced engines and transmissions provide decent power as well as fuel efficiency.

????The Cruze, Focus and Elantra represent the most remarkable break with history. Chevy's Cruze replaces the Cobalt and its predecessor, the Cavalier, whose mediocrity earned GM a well-deserved reputation for indifference in the small car segment. Ford's new Focus is a vast improvement over the previous model by the same name, and an earlier unlamented Ford Escort.

????"The new models from GM, Ford and Hyundai have been accompanied by a big marketing campaigns, which no doubt has sparked interest," says Jessica Caldwell, an analyst for Edmunds.com, an automotive website. "And while the incentives aren't as big as they once were, you can find them in the form of low-interest rates or attractive leases."

????A number of new subcompacts known as microcars overseas is also adding to the small-car category and drawing shoppers from larger vehicles. Notable for their popularity are Nissan's new Versa, which sold about 51,000 units in the U.S. through July, and Ford's Fiesta at about 48,000 during the same period.

????GM's Chevrolet Aveo, built in South Korea, has been a laggard with sales of about 25,000 in the first seven months of 2011. But that could change soon as that dull utilitarian machine is replaced by the new Sonic, which is starting in production in suburban Detroit. Not surprisingly, the new Sonic offers many of the design and comfort features that the Aveo lacked.

????Consumers will buy what they wish, but to comply with federal standards the automakers must create incentives so they can sell enough small models to keep the fuel economy average high. Large cars, which hurt the average, could become more pricey as automakers try to limit demand and prod buyers toward smaller models.

????Small cars in most cases come powered with four-cylinder engines that are tuned for fuel efficiency. The recent run-up in the average price of gasoline, which passed the $3 a gallon mark the week of New Year and peaked at $3.90 in May, no doubt is motivating some motorists to downsize.

????The price of gasoline remains a wild card for the future of small cars. Conventional wisdom says gas will only grow more expensive. Should the opposite happen, consumers may once again seek big and powerful transportation, leaving automakers with lots of little flivvers on hand.