Clockwise from top left: The Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Fiesta and Hyundai Elantra.
It's the best summer in years for Detroit carmakers.
New 2011 models are flying out of dealer showrooms, including the Chevrolet Cruze, which became the best-selling car in America in June. Across town, Chrysler is back on the map with the Grand Cherokee. And Ford's gamble on a redo of the iconic Explorer as a more fuel-efficient crossover is paying off, too.
Here's a look at how key new vehicles from the U.S. and abroad lived up to their promises during the first half of the year.
General Motors
Buick Regal: The Regal was a blip in the market last year but is roaring back, thanks to this new version. It sold 22,000 units from January through June, compared with 471 for the same period last year.
Chevrolet Cruze: The Cruze went on sale last fall, showing that GM can compete in the high-volume compact segment. GM sold almost 125,000 Cruzes in the first half of the year; with nearly 25,000 sold in June, it became the top-selling car in the U.S. for the first time.
Chevrolet Volt: This is the poster child for the new GM and leads the hybrid-electric vehicle segment with its cutting-edge technology. Launched late last year, the Volt sold 2,745 units in the first six months of 2011, including 561 in June.
Ford
Explorer: The 65,823 Explorers sold in the first six months exceeds the 60,687 sold in all of 2010. Ford gambled when it redid its trademark SUV as a car-based crossover, believing consumers would forego ruggedness for better fuel economy. It appears to be paying off.
Fiesta: Ford's reintroduction of a subcompact to the U.S. market has been met with resounding success: More than 42,000 were sold in the first six months.
Focus: With the third generation of this high-volume car just hitting the market, consumers are buying the new model as fast as Ford can build them. June sales spiked more than 41 percent, with 21,385 sold.
The 2011 Kia Optima. (Kia)
Chrysler
Chrysler 200: The 200 shows the power of marketing: A successful Super Bowl ad put a spotlight on this remake of the Sebring. Chrysler has sold more than 32,400 units of its revamped 200, and it isn't even an all-new car.
Fiat 500: The 500 marks the return of the Fiat brand to North America after a 28-year absence. Most Fiat franchises are not yet open, but 5,000 have already been sold.
Jeep Grand Cherokee: This was Chrysler's first all-new product since its exit from bankruptcy and tie-up with Fiat. Its vastly improved quality has shown results: Sales were up 113 percent through the first six months and up 208 percent in June.
Toyota
Scion tC: Redoing this sporty small car is paying off. Sales doubled to almost 13,000 in the first half of 2011.
Nissan
Leaf: As the industry's first affordable pure-electric vehicle, the Leaf is a game changer. Nissan has sold 3,875 so far this year, including about 1,700 in June. Nissan says it is now getting the supply it needs to meet all of its orders.
Mazda
Mazda5: Sales are up almost 27 percent for this completely redone small minivan.
Hyundai
Elantra: The small sedan is taking the market by storm, outselling the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla in June and trailing them by not much for the first six months of the year.
Sonata: Positive reviews and good fuel economy enticed more than 115,000 buyers in the first six months, including 18,600 in June. That puts this larger sedan not far behind such stalwarts as the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.
Kia
Optima: Sales are up 134 percent for the first six months and a whopping 573 percent in June, contributing to record sales for the South Korean automaker.
Soul: Kia has gained a hip reputation with the funky Soul. Thanks in part to a quirky and award-winning ad campaign that stars hamsters, sales have grown 92 percent so far this year.
Sportage: This utility vehicle has been brought back to life. Half-year sales are up 190 percent and June sales jumped more than 200 percent.
Volkswagen
Jetta: The Jetta was redone to be more affordable, and the strategy appears to be paying off: Sales are up 77 percent.
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