Today is the opening day for the Specialty Equipment Market Association's (SEMA) main event, which takes place annually in the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The event is popular among major automakers and the numerous small firms that cater to the multi-billion dollar aftermarket industry.

While the highlight of the show is typically the high-horsepower muscle cars and trucks, smaller cars are starting to gain popularity at SEMA, particularly those from brands like Chevrolet, Fiat and Ford.

Here’s a quick rundown of some of the small cars that are making it big at SEMA this year.

From Chevrolet, there are a handful of modified Sonics and Cruze models debuting at SEMA today, including the upcoming Sonic Dusk, which actually debuted as a concept at last year’s SEMA show and was put into production after proving popular with the crowds.

Some of the modifications on these cars include sporty body kits, mild engine upgrades, and flashy exteriors with custom graphics.

From Ford, small car fans at SEMA can look forward to modified Fiesta and Focus hatchbacks. Once again the theme is sporty body kits and flashy exteriors, though some of these have had minor celebs such as Tanner Foust, a Top Gear USA host, work on them.

Another small car manufacturer SEMA visitors should take note of is Fiat, which will be presenting a number of modified 500 hatchbacks and convertibles. One of the highlights will be a 500 Abarth tuned by Italy’s Magneti Marelli.

Of course, our favorite car debuting at the SEMA show this year is the Fisker Karma, which will be donning some pretty wild colors. Fisker decided to partner with suppliers to demonstrate personalization options for its Karma sedan.

For full coverage of the 2012 SEMA show, be sure to check out the dedicated show page at our sister site Motor Authority.

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