Currently, reality is that the car industry isn’t doing all that well. The economy in the U.S. now has a weak dollar, high food and gas prices, and a credit crisis. In addition, we are experiencing one of the worst years for vehicle sales in more than a decade.

But carmakers are starting to smarten up. They are focusing more on passenger cars. In past years, SUVs and pickups were responsible for a lot of the profits, but now people want to purchase small cars that are thrifty.

GM claims that they are relying on sedans to keep their head up this year. The company is now shifting to passenger cars, and isn’t emphasizing pickups and SUVs anymore. Even though GM hopes to maintain the truck market, they realize that the focus now has to be on cars.

Chrysler LLC says that they are going to take an “aggressively conservative” approach with their company. In other words, they are going to eliminate such models as the PT Cruiser, Durango, and Pacifica.

U.S. carmakers are trying to ensure that domestic sales don’t drop below projections. Even though the market is difficult, consumers love vehicles and will keep buying. Motorists are trying to be smart by buying small, fuel-efficient cars. This lets people put money towards other car necessities, such as an auto warranty and car maintenance.