Gas mileage tops drivers’ lists as the “most important consideration” for their next car, according to a new survey from Consumer Reports. Two-thirds of consumers expect their next car to get better mileage than their current one — which they should, given rising EPA figures — and more than a third said they drive less than they did a year ago. Nine out of 10 drivers who wanted a more fuel-efficient vehicle said high gas prices were the top reason, but nearly two-thirds named environmental friendliness as another reason; 56% voiced concern over U.S. dependence on foreign oil. In a possible sign of future demand, consumers plan to buy more small cars and small or midsize SUVs, but fewer minivans and large sedans.

In other news:

• On the heels of GM announcing it won’t advertise in next year’s Super Bowl, Hyundai announced it would be back, Automotive News reports.
• Market research firm Millward Brown’s annual ranking of most-valuable global brands has BMW topping Toyota, Mercedes-Benz and Honda among the top 10 automotive brands.
• Tesla announced its first Model S deliveries will take place on June 22. It’s a month ahead of the original schedule, thanks to quicker federal approval than anticipated.
• Even as highway deaths decline, motorcycle deaths will likely remain at 2010 levels once all 2011 figures come in, the Governors Highway Safety Association said. Only 19 states require helmets, and nearly a third of motorcyclist deaths involved higher-than-legal levels of alcohol — “the highest of all motorists,” GHSA said.
• GM began a $380 million expansion Monday at its Wentzville, Mo., plant, which is just west of St. Louis, to build its next-generation midsize pickups, The Detroit News reports.

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Chrysler is recalling 67,872 model-year 2010 Jeep Wrangler SUVs equipped with an automatic transmission, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In the affected vehicles, debris could collect in the transmission skid plate, which is near the catalytic converter. The debris could catch fire, increasing the risk of injury.

Jeep will notify owners later this month, and dealers will replace the skid plate with a skid bar at no charge. Owners can call Chrysler at 800-853-1403 or NHTSA’s vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

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The 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan has a turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes driving the kids to and from piano lessons and baseball practice anything but a chore, according to Cars.com Family contributor Sara Lacey. This five-seat SUV has a roomy backseat that slides up to 6 inches, but Sara found that its cargo area was a little too small to handle her family’s ski gear.

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Chevrolet is planning to introduce a new compact SUV to 140 countries, but the U.S. isn’t one of them.

The name of Chevy’s newest and smallest SUV may sound familiar — we first saw the Trax micocar in concept form at the 2007 New York auto show. It was powered by a 1.0-liter gasoline engine, but there’s no word on its production powertrain.

The Chevrolet Trax will seat five passengers, but “because of the strong position of the Equinox, there are no plans to introduce the Trax in the U.S. market,” GM said in a statement.

The Trax will meet the public at the Paris Motor Show in September. Its first market will be Mexico, and it will go on sale there at the end of this year.

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