The Chicago Auto Show seems to fall in a tough place on the calendar, that is, after the Los Angeles and Detroit shows where combined 60-80 vehicles may have been unveiled. Each event has a typical theme: LA is usually on the leading-edge of the Green movement and high fashion; Detroit tends to combine American muscle, technology innovation, and memorable design; Chicago is often a blend of truck news and also-rans (minor updates and decidedly unsexy models).

Disappointingly, the pattern holds true this year. The show itself isn't to blame, being a hapless victim of timing and circumstance. I place the blame on the manufacturers. Hear me out...

Reflecting back on the announcements after one last tour of the show floor, there were more than a fair share of mild updates and rebadged models. These may be all important to their respective companies, but not fodder for fueling consumer (or diehard automotive) passions.

Trucks did rule here in Chicago, with several interesting announcements although little that rocked my automotive world. The Chevrolet Traverse looks great. The Ford Works computer system is quite impressive. The GMC Sierra is welcomed to the hybrid revolution. The GMC Denali XT concept is, well, different.

What I wanted to see was inventive, thrifty trucks and SUVs. Rather than just targeting full-throttle, off-road assault monsters, I was looking forward to more vehicles that could commune in nature in a reasonably environmentally responsible way.

Turns out Detroit was the show for that, with the Ford Escape Plug-in, Hummer HX, Jeep Renegade (shown above), Land Rover LRX, Saturn Vue Plug-in, and Toyota A-BAT concepts. No question the Hummer H3T rocks in its own conquer-the-Earth way, but the HX concept from Detroit alongside it rocks harder. Fit it with a clean diesel engine and consider it the brand's savior.

The show season isn't over until New York next month. Just hope we don't have to wait until the next Detroit show to be tantalized with vehicles that combine fun and "green" in the same exciting package.

Meanwhile, I need to reread the Suzuki Equator materials to learn more about how it has an "exclusive" grille.

—Jeff Bartlett

Read our complete coverage of the 2008 Chicago Auto Show.