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But with nearly 900,000 more Sonata owners on the road since the outgoing model's debut, and a chance to build a broader, more sustainable following, "We have to be more careful," Zuchowski said.

But Hyundai says the car's suspension and steering have been redesigned for better ride and handling. The interior also is new, with greater use of soft-touch materials and more countermeasures against road noise. Also, high-tech features and advanced safety equipment -- plus a starting price that Zuchowski says won't stray far from the outgoing model's sticker of just over $22,000, with shipping -- will help the Sonata retain the value image that has been a key purchase reason for the sedan, Hyundai says.

With 6.6 million Camrys on the road, Toyota understands well the delicate balance Hyundai is seeking. The Camry's large, loyal following has allowed it -- compelled it -- to stick with safe, modest designs and driving characteristics, generation after generation.

But when the current generation was launched in late 2011, mostly to yawns from auto critics, the sportier SE model became the best- selling trim package. Toyota took the hint.

Every piece of sheet metal except the roof has been changed, as have more than 2,000 part numbers. For some automakers, that constitutes a redesign.

Both products will land in a mid-sized market that has been roiled by intense competition, not only within the segment but also from fast-growing crossovers. At 2.6 million units in 2013, sales in the segment grew just 1 percent from the previous year,

No one feels this more than Toyota, which is fighting to continue the Camry's 12-year streak as America's best-selling car against a strong challenge from the Nissan Altima. Toyota has spent more on Camry incentives, yet had a lower mean transaction price, than its top four competitors -- the Altima, Honda Accord, Ford Fusion and the Sonata -- every month since November 2012, according to TrueCar.

Carter hopes the investment in the new-look Camry will allow Toyota to dial back on incentive spending. "One way to lower incentives is to increase demand, and that's what this car is about," Carter said. But if competitors should raise their incentives, Toyota won't sit still. Said Carter: "This is a competitive market. And we're going to compete."

Mid-sized luxury sedans from Mercedes, BMW and Audi still have the edge, but the 2015 Genesis takes a big whack at their advantage.

Research Association of Automotive Internal Combustion Engines. It pools the resources of Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co., Honda Motor Co., Mazda Motor Corp., Mitsubishi Motors Corp., Daihatsu Motor Co., Suzuki Motor Corp. and Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., the maker of Subaru-brand vehicles.

The objective is to share costs in an increasingly competitive, investment-heavy field to meet more stringent fuel economy guidelines, organizers

The strategy is patterned after a similar approach taken by competitors in Europe, organizers said. There, rivals cooperate with academia and the government on basic technologies, giving European carmakers a head start in cutting costs.

While Japanese automakers have developed advanced electric and hybrid drivetrains, the creation of AICE acknowledges that internal combustion engines will remain the workhorse of global fleets for a long time, especially in cost-sensitive emerging markets.

Organizers outlined a 10-year time frame for achieving world-leading advancements in combustion engine efficiency.

Engineers target thermal efficiency rates for both approaching 50 percent. That compares with today’s best rates of around 39 percent for gasoline engines and 42 percent for diesel engines. Higher thermal efficiency means more energy from internal combustion is captured for higher engine output. Organizers said such a breakthrough could boost the fuel efficiency of gasoline and diesel engines 30 percent by 2020.

Diesel engine development will focus on eliminating particulate matter and nitrogen oxide emissions, partly through better particulate filters and exhaust gas recirculation systems. Gasoline engine research will focus on achieving more complete combustion cycles and better ignition while reducing knock.

Keiji Ohtsu, managing officer of Honda R&D Co., Honda’s product development arm, will be AICE president.

The upcoming rollout, which will deploy the technologies by March 31, 2016, is part of Denso's drive to boost sales of sensors, the crucial eyes and ears of tomorrow's safety systems.

Cars without these features will be hard-pressed to achieve the top five-star rating. And European adoption of more stringent rules is expected to force other markets, such as the United States and Japan, to raise the bar as well.

But it trails European rivals such as Robert Bosch GmBH and Continental AG in advanced safety sensors. Denso's bread-and-butter products are drivetrain components and air conditioners.

But deployment is rapidly moving downmarket because of stricter European Union safety rules taking effect in 2015. The Euro New Car Assessment Program, or Euro NCAP, rates vehicle safety and increasingly will test for crash avoidance technologies.

The components include systems using camera-based optical sensors, millimeter wave radar and laser radar.

That is because the regulations set a baseline for sensor performance that must be met by all carmakers. And the clear specifications make it easier to develop standardized sensors. Standardization, in turn, allows for higher volume and lower costs, meaning a wider array of customers can use the same part.

The U.S. version is expected to be sourced from Mazda’s new plant in Salamanca, Mexico, which opened earlier this year and makes the Mazda3.

The fourth-generation Mazda2, called the Demio in Japan, will go on sale here in the fall, Mazda said in a statement. It will hit American showrooms in 2015.

U.S. sales of the outgoing Mazda2 surged 42 percent to 7,957 vehicles in the first six months of the year, from 5,594 the year before, as the carmaker cleared out inventories.

But last year, sales of the aging nameplate, which is getting its first full redesign in seven years, slumped 39 percent to 11,757.

That ranked it near the bottom of the subcompact segment, way below such rivals as the Chevrolet Sonic, the Ford Fiesta, the Honda Fit, the Kia Soul, the Nissan Versa, the Hyundai Accent and the Toyota Yaris.

The next Mazda2 will also provide the basis for a new subcompact sedan from Toyota Motor Corp. That car will be made in Salamanca, where Mazda has allocated about 50,000 vehicles for Toyota from its full annual capacity of 230,000 units. While that car will get Skyactiv underpinnings, including a Skyactiv engine, it will have a Toyota-designed body. Output for Toyota is expected to begin after April 1, 2015, but before March 31, 2016.