Small, low-cost cars have abruptly become the next frontier for the global auto industry, after almost 20 years in which major car makers dismissed such vehicles as a low-profit afterthought.

• 在因利润空间狭小而被大型汽车厂商冷落近20年后，小型、廉价的汽车一时间再次成为国际汽车业的新潮流。