Most notable this year is the rapidly growing crop of four-cylinder vehicles. With tighter fuel standards looming, nearly every automaker is taking steps to reduce its fleetwide fuel consumption. Ford put a four-cylinder in the Explorer, and BMW is doing the same with its Z4 and 5 Series. It's a shift that's guaranteed to continue as more and more manufacturers realize they can't get by on V8s alone.
For more on what to expect for the 2012 model year, click on any of the names below.