LONDON: Detroit is set to host auto industry reporters, executives, and luminaries during the most beautiful time of year in the Motor City North American International Auto Show. Arctic temperatures and gray skies are forecast to clear for the 2015 NAIAS preview, however, and just in time for hot new cars, trucks, and SUVs to roll onto stages beneath the snow-encrusted roof of Cobo Hall.
Here’s a sneak peek of some of the most important new debuts set to be shown in Detroit.
In Detroit, fans will finally get up close and personal with Acura’s new twin-turbocharged, triple-motor, all-wheel-drive, hybrid-powered sports car. Welcome back, NSX.
Audi turns a page in terms of design, engineering, and technology. This 3-row, 7-passenger, luxury SUV sets the stage for all future Audi models, dropping hundreds of pounds, shrinking its sheet metal around what is actually a larger cabin, and featuring next-generation convenience, infotainment, and safety technologies. Audi says four different engines are planned for the US, including a plug-in hybrid using a diesel engine, all paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission and standard Quattro all-wheel drive.
This car is undeniably cool. Looking different from everything else on the road, yet instantly recognizable as a Cadillac, the new CTS-V is a performance-tuned luxury sedan, packing a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 engine cranking out 640-horsepower and 630 lb.-ft. of torque. Those numbers make this the most powerful Cadillac ever built, and the company claims it will scream to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds on its way to a top speed of 200 mph. Astounding!
For now, gas is cheap again. As history has proven time and time again, it will rise in the future, making the redesigned 2016 Chevy Volt an appealing hedge against fluctuating oil prices. An extended-range electric vehicle, the Volt delivers electric-only operation for daily driving, but has a gasoline-burning generator that allows this car to be driven cross-country at a moment’s notice. Fans will have more details from the show floor in Detroit.
Now that fans are all getting comfortable with Infiniti’s new naming conventions, the company is going to start rolling out redesigned models, and it comes as no surprise that a new Q60 Coupe is in the pipeline. The Q60 Concept is a preview of what’s to come, with styling influenced by the Q80 Inspiration Concept. Some of the details are exaggerated, and the ultra-premium interior materials are pure fantasy, but the Q60 Concept gives you a good idea of what Infiniti is planning for an upcoming production-ready coupe.
Long seeking ways to inject excitement into its products, Lexus stuffs serious muscle into the 2016 GS F midsize performance sedan. This version of the GS gets a full mechanical makeover, from the 467-horsepower, 5.0-liter V-8 engine and 8-speed Sport Direct Shift transmission to steering, suspension, and braking upgrades intended to make it terrifically fun to drive. Special styling details, performance seats, unique instrumentation, and much more all ensure the GS F won’t be mistaken for anything but the fastest GS money can buy.
Lincoln is on a road to recovery, and the redesigned 2016 MKX is expected to contribute mightily to resurgence in sales, both in America and abroad. A midsize, 5-passenger, luxury crossover SUV, the new MKX continues to share a platform with the Ford Edge but is expected to diverge from its more mainstream sibling to a greater degree than before. Already shown in concept form, the new MKX displays design cues similar to the smaller MKC, taken up a notch in terms of refinement and exclusivity.
Lincoln is on a road to recovery, and the redesigned 2016 MKX is expected to contribute mightily to resurgence in sales, both in America and abroad. A midsize, 5-passenger, luxury crossover SUV, the new MKX continues to share a platform with the Ford Edge but is expected to diverge from its more mainstream sibling to a greater degree than before. Already shown in concept form, the new MKX displays design cues similar to the smaller MKC, taken up a notch in terms of refinement and exclusivity.
Don’t be fooled by the name. This is a 5-door hatchback, all jacked up on standard 21-inch wheels and equipped with a 4Matic all-wheel-drive system. Aimed right at the BMW X6, the GLE Coupe wears the new nomenclature that Mercedes-Benz is rolling out, and will be positioned just above the GLE-Class SUV (formerly the M-Class) whenever that name change is made official. Initially, a GLE450 4Matic will be on sale, equipped with a twin-turbocharged, 362-horsepower, 3.0-liter V-6 engine and a 9-speed automatic transmission.
Twelve years is an eternity in the car business, but that’s how long it has been since the Titan full-size pickup truce debuted. It hasn’t changed much since, while key competitors have been redesigned at least once, or even twice. When the redesigned 2016 Titan arrives, it will be available with a Cummins turbo-diesel V-8 engine and will be offered in a greater variety of configurations, not to mention a vastly updated interior. Stay tuned for further details from Detroit.
General Motors has enjoyed plenty of positive press for the redesigned Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickup trucks. Toyota, however, is poised to rob those critically acclaimed models of some luster with the redesigned 2016 Tacoma. The best-selling model in what has been a shrinking segment; the Tacoma is expected to add power, performance, and capability while returning greater fuel economy. Watch this segment closely, because the midsize pickup segment looks set to come roaring back.
