ChicagoNow blogger Jill Ciminillo recaps some of the most environmentally friendly cars on display at this year's Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place. More at chicagotribune.com/green

By Rick Popely Special to the Chicago Tribune

February 12, 2013

It won't take eye-popping horsepower to get noticed at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show. This year's big McCormick Place breakout comes with a different set of specs.

Fuel-economy estimates should at least raise eyebrows when nearly 1,000 cars and trucks go on display Feb. 9 through 18.

At the Ford display, not far from the 662-horsepower Mustang Shelby GT500, show visitors will find the new C-Max Hybrid, with an EPA estimate of 47 mpg, and the C-Max Energi, a plug-in hybrid rated at 58 mpg.

Hybrids are auto-show standbys. They recharge their batteries while the vehicle is driven and operate on electric power for short spurts. But now there are plug-in hybrids, with additional batteries that operate for longer distances on electric power -- up to 21 miles in the C-Max Energi -- and are recharged by plugging into an electrical outlet.

Though early hybrids such as the Toyota Prius were all about fuel economy, recent additions have teamed economy with performance. Infiniti, the luxury division of Nissan, is showing off a hybrid version of its sporty new Q50 sedan, which will replace the G37.

To be sure, fuel efficiency hasn’t replaced engine muscle and sexy styling. The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray debuted at the Detroit auto show in January to more media attention than the Cadillac ELR plug-in hybrid. But at the Chicago show Chevrolet is highlighting the Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel and Spark EV plug-in.

Automakers are hoping (perhaps praying) that fuel efficiency will trump performance with more car shoppers. That would help the industry meet increasingly tough federal fuel-economy standards.

Auto show must-sees

Here are new hybrid and EV models on display during the 2013 Chicago Auto Show:

  • Acura ILX Hybrid: Introduced as a 2013 model, this compact sedan uses the same gas-electric powertrain as the Honda Civic.
  • Audi Q5 Hybrid: The Q5 is an all-wheel-drive SUV previously offered with a turbocharged gas four-cylinder or supercharged V-6, but now it also comes as a gas-electric hybrid.
  • BMW Active Hybrid 3: Based on the 3 Series sedan, it joins hybrid versions of the 5 Series and 7 Series sedans and X6 SUV and adds an electric motor to a six-cylinder gas engine.
  • Cadillac ELR: A luxury coupe based on the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid, the ELR will go on sale later this year. The electric range will be about 35 miles before the gas engine takes over.
  • Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel: The 42-mpg compact sedan debuted Thursday and will go on sale in the second quarter.
  • Ford C-Max Hybrid and C-Max Energi: The C-Max is a new hatchback available in hybrid form at 47 mpg (combined city/highway driving) and as the Energi plug-in hybrid (58 mpg), which can operate in electric-only mode for up to 21 miles.
  • Ford Focus EV: All-electric Focus hatchback debuted last year as part of a redesigned Focus lineup. Its batteries provide a driving range up to 76 miles.
  • Ford Fusion Hybrid and Fusion Energi: Fusion has been redesigned for 2013. Hybrid was offered in previous generation, but Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid is new.
  • Infiniti Q50: The Q50 will replace the G37 as Infiniti's entry-level line, and a new hybrid model will team an electric motor with a 3.5-liter V-6 for a combined 354 horsepower. Fuel economy has yet to be rated.
  • Jeep Grand Cherokee Diesel: Jeep stopped offering a diesel engine in the Grand Cherokee after the 2009 model year, but a 3.0-liter V-6 will be back on the options list later this year.
  • Lexus ES 300h: Lexus is Toyota's luxury brand, so hybrids have been part of the lineup for years. The 300h, however, is the first hybrid version of the ES sedan. It combines an electric motor with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine, the same powertrain used in the Toyota Camry Hybrid.
  • Mercedes-Benz E250 Diesel: A diesel has been available for years in the E-Class sedan, but for 2014 it switches to a turbocharged 2.1-liter four-cylinder from a 3.0-liter six-cylinder.
  • Porsche Cayenne Diesel: Even German sports car maker Porsche is fuel conscious these days, adding a 3.0-liter diesel engine to the roster for 2013. The Cayenne SUV already was available as a hybrid.
  • Toyota Avalon Hybrid: Toyota keeps adding to its hybrid stable, and the redesigned 2013 Avalon sedan is the latest. The Avalon Hybrid uses the same 2.5-liter four-cylinder/electric motor powertrain as the Camry Hybrid.
  • Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid: Volkswagen's first U.S. hybrid model pairs a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder with an electric motor for a combined city/highway mileage estimate of 45 mpg.