The 2007 Dodge Caliber, top, and the 2007 Honda CR-V, bottom, are among the new cars aimed at city dwellers. Click photo for larger image.

The back-to-the-city movement isn't drawing interest from just young professionals and older empty nesters. Car companies are taking notice, too. With downtown lofts, condominiums and apartments luring people into cities with more money to buy cars and trucks, automakers are rolling out models aimed at an audience whose needs differ from suburban and rural drivers.

For example, the new city dwellers want cars and trucks that offer more flexibility in how interior space is used, such as more versatile seating and more room for storage. Since off time prompts them to hit the road to nearby recreation spots and weekend vacations, a premium is placed on highway performance as well as economy -- on top of better handling, better suspensions and smaller, more maneuverable sizes capable of fitting into tight parking spaces and getting around narrow streets, heavy traffic and the sometimes dicey quality of city roads.

And despite what some may think, many city newcomers still have children, forcing designers to keep that in mind as well. That's where products such as the Honda Fit and the redone CR-V, the Audi A3, Mini Cooper and Saturn's upcoming all-new Vue come in. These are relatively small vehicles with sporty handling, flexible interiors, ample storage and plenty of power.

	David Zalubowski, Associated Press The Mini Cooper is one of several relatively small vehicles that feature sporty handling, flexible interiors and ample storage and power. Click photo for larger image.

"The overall designs are simply bolder, stand out more, and there's much less blending in," said Kelley Blue Book's Jack Nerad. A square-shouldered profile, severe angles, big blisters over the wheels and an overall look that seems influenced by the world of urban architecture are some of the traits of these new "city" vehicles.

Crossovers -- a combination of sport utility vehicles, minivans and four-door sedans -- also reflect this new "urban cool" look, he added. Infiniti's FX crossovers, nicknamed "bionic tigers" or "bionic cats," have menacing looking grilles, blisters over huge tires and a muscled energy to them that looks ready to be unleashed on the urban jungle.

And when Acura introduced its Acura RDX crossover, it had its typical buyer in mind -- young singles or affluent younger families who live in downtown loft condominiums or apartments, work in law, advertising or public relations, and enjoy clubbing and nightlife as well as mountain biking, skiing or snowboarding with friends.

"Style is going to be more important, and how a vehicle fits into a person's lifestyle is really going to be crucial ... as the auto industry moves forward," Mr. Nerad said.

Where else can you see this new urban look on today's wheels? Try the brutish-looking Dodge Caliber and Dodge Nitro, both of which look as if they are spoiling for a fight. Hummer H2 and H3 also both have "urban warrior" written all over them.

"Somebody said to me, 'All these cars are getting so much more boxy and bold looking,' " said Sam Locricchio, communications manager for Chrysler Group Design. "What you're seeing is that these cars do suit a city type of driving."

The new design trend results from the growing influence of the car-conscious urban young, particularly African-American and Latino youths, Mr. Locricchio and others say. Big tires and rims, aggressive designs for grilles and other body parts, menacing profiles and unusual headlights that act as "jewelry" for cars are examples.

But there are more sophisticated designs, as well Ford's Mercury and Lincoln brands, for example, have interiors and exteriors that emphasize aluminum trim, understated use of chrome and a muted, expensive looking palette of colors generally found in fashionable loft apartments.

These designs appeared aimed at some of the more affluent professionals who are starting to call downtown home. In 2004, city dwellers' income in 22 cities represented 89 percent of the average for all residents in their metro regions, up from 86 percent just four years before, according to William Lucy and David Phillips, University of Virginia co-authors of the book, "Tomorrow's Cities, Tomorrow's Suburbs."

Two of the biggest examples of urban areas where change is under way, they said, are a pair of cities synonymous with population loss and urban decay: Pittsburgh and St. Louis. They note Downtown and its surroundings are seeing an explosion in loft apartments, condos and town homes, while in St. Louis, the overall city population is actually growing again after 50 years, as new lofts lure suburbanites.

"Here in Detroit, that's the Holy Grail -- a downtown loft," said Chrysler's Locricchio. "That's exactly what's happening. The city's drawing in younger professionals who like loft living and studios, and it's happening now in pockets of the city and even in Ferndale, where I live, only five minutes from the Detroit border."

"I think car companies have finally realized that an awful lot of us live in cities," said Kelley Blue Book's Mr. Nerad.