Ford Verve

At first it's just another unfair tease to US car buyers, who can't get any of Ford's spicy European compacts, but the Verve concept promises to be in some form of production by 2010. Ford says there will soon be a "family of small cars," but the company is unfashionably late to the small car party, still high on SUVs and crossovers.

"Ford's small cars are loved in Europe and Americans love our European small cars," says Jim Farley, vice president for marketing and communications. At least Jim gets it. Now give us the second-generation Focus, new Mondeo and this Verve and we'll forget the whole thing.