Welcome to the we’re-almost-out-of-the-global-economic-crisis reality of the automobile industry.

Two years ago, government bailouts and bankruptcy challenged the industry’s ability to produce excellence across the globe. With General Motors and Chrysler emerging as changed entities, others had fielded setbacks of their own. Toyota’s handling of unintended acceleration claims and niggling quality issues began to topple the giant from Japan. Even Honda was caught in the recall mix, but lost ground to Nissan in a twist of interesting fate.

The game has now shifted to Ford, Hyundai and Kia. Ford’s refusal to take government loans made it stronger. The product mix in North America alone helped build some confidence in a company most analysts predicted would lose footing before GM and Chrysler stateside. Hyundai and Kia began to create automobiles consumers love – and build them on a level once enjoyed by Toyota, Nissan and Honda. Now, demand for Hyundai’s popular models created some scenarios between manufacturing sites in the USA and the Republic of Korea.

Today, the Chicago Auto Show set the stage for this new reality. As the industry returns to growth, there are still storylines being played out on the floor of McCormick Place. Here’s what went down…

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