By Bernie Woodall

DETROIT, US (Reuters) - Automakers said on Wednesday they welcomed stricter fuel economy and emissions standards proposed by the Obama administration that extend to 2016, and hope that rules beyond that date are signaled soon.

In a public hearing in the Detroit area, automakers said the combined standard streamlines the process, making it easier for automakers to plan their lineups.

Ford Motor Co environment and public policy executive Susan Cischke said automakers want clear guidance from federal regulators, and the sooner they know what the post-2016 standards will be, the better.

Under a plan presented last month by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), automakers must increase fleetwide average fuel economy to 35.5 miles per gallon (6.6litres/100km) by 2016.

The standard for passenger cars would rise to 38 miles per gallon by 2016, from 33.6 miles per gallon in 2012. The light trucks standard would rise to 28.3 miles per gallon in 2016, from 25 miles per gallon in 2012.

Toyota Motor Corp , Ford Motor Co , General Motors Co , Chrysler Group LLC, Hyundai Motor Co Ltd , Nissan Motor Co Ltd and Volkswagen AG offered comments to a joint EPA and NHTSA panel in support of the proposal.

The Detroit-area public hearing was the first of three.

Others are scheduled for New York and Los Angeles.

IS BIGGER SAFER?

A brewing battle may surface on Friday in New York, Adam Lee, president of Lee Auto Malls, told Reuters after testifying to the panel. Lee has 12 dealerships in Maine that sell both domestic and foreign branded vehicles.

Lee, who supports raising the standards, said the National Automobile Dealers Association will ask regulators not to make rules that will lead to smaller vehicles, which they say are less safe for consumers.

An NADA spokesman declined to say on Wednesday whether the dealer group will make such a case on Friday.

However, the NADA made a case for that position in a report six months ago titled "Car Size and Weight are Crucial" in a report that remains posted on its www.nada.org web site.

The NADA report said crash tests indicated that bigger cars were safer and also called on states to lower speed limits as a way to reduce deaths from motor vehicle crashes.

"Consumers absolutely want to buy fuel-efficient cars, and cleaner cars," Lee said. "The argument that NADA will present in New York that smaller cars are unsafe is a ridiculous one."

Advances in construction and technology make smaller cars safer than larger cars of just a few years ago, he said.