SUVs, trucks and sports cars take center stage at Detroit auto show

SUVs, trucks and sports cars were set to take center stage Monday as a subdued Detroit auto show kicked off with fewer carmakers and more uncertainty.

With compact cars and sedans an ever-shrinking portion of the North American market, auto makers have all but abandoned them, as evidenced by what they chose to emphasize in Detroit.

Trucks, SUVs and high-performance vehicles dominated the new debuts scheduled for the US's premier auto show. The exception was Volkswagen, which was to unveil a new Passat sedan.

"Car companies are acknowledging that the crossover, sport utility vehicle boom is continuing," said analyst Michelle Krebs of Autotrader.

For those looking for an alternative, carmakers were emphasizing sporty cars with nostalgic pasts.

Ford's redesigned Explorer SUV, debuted in Detroit on Friday, is on public display for the first time, with a high-powered version of the Mustang sports car called the Shelby GT500 also to be unveiled.

Toyota was also scheduled to show off a new ..