In sharp contrast with the gloom settling over Detroit, Japan's car makers exuded quiet confidence this week at the motor show here that their focus on fuel-efficient, innovative and high-quality vehicles was paying off.
Entering the biannual show on a wave of sales and profits, Japan's largest automakers unveiled a raft of new models that signal their designs on the future. Reflecting the upbeat sentiment, Honda Motor Co. displayed a trio of concept cars under the slogan "Fine Times."
"It's definitely a different mood here in terms of innovation and confidence, and we have to get some of that back in the domestic car industry," said Joe Eberhardt, executive vice president for sales at DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group.
"We have a lot to be proud of," he added, citing improvements in the quality and styling by Detroit's automakers.
But those achievements haven't been sufficient to enable General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. to fend off the Japanese brands and reverse a slide in their U.S. market share. Saddled with enormous health care and pension costs, GM has lost more than $4 billion this year in North America, and Ford reported a $284 million quarterly loss Thursday.
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