At the North American International Auto show in Detroit, you will have the opportunity to see vehicles and technologies that will shape the future automotive landscape. From muscle and electric cars, to high-performance supercars and full-size trucks, NAIAS has something for everyone to enjoy.
If you feel this year’s NAIAS was smaller than usual, you are not alone. This sentiment was amplified by the fact that some car makers like Land Rover, Bentley, Jaguar, Maserati, Tesla and Rolls-Royce were not present. This had nothing to do with the quality of the show, and it didn’t make the show any boring. However, NAIAS focused on the luxury sedans and sports coupes, with big names like Lincoln, Lexus, Acura, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and the newly created Genesis division of Hyundai as the main attractions.
Below are the 10 cars I found most captivating (in no particular order though)
2017 Genesis G90
Hyundai’s big news at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show isn’t even about Hyundai at all. It’s about Genesis. The Korean automaker is gearing up for a new offensive in the luxury segment, launching its Genesis sub-brand. And to assist building out this strategy, the company just hired Manfred Fitzgerald, the former head of design and marketing for Lamborghini. Yes, you read that correctly.
The first car in the Genesis line is the G90 sedan. The G90 luxury sedan comes in two different varieties: the high end is a direct-injected 5.0-liter V8 that should be capable of putting out 420 horsepower, while the low end features a twin-turbo 3.3-liter V6. It is not the most stimulating car in the world, but any company trying to launch a luxury brand needs a big, comfortable sedan at the top of the range like the G90. Those are the rules.
Lincoln Continental
The Lincoln Continental is a big, modern luxury car that oozes style and comfort. It’s One of the biggest announcements of the show. Widely viewed as Lincoln’s latest effort to revitalize and reinvent itself as a serious luxury contender. It is hoped that the new flagship of Ford’s premium arm will help to relaunch the brand. This sedan has enough imaginative and luxurious features to go up against Audi, Lexus, BMW and others.
The new Continental was designed with a theme “Quiet Luxury” and three terms permeate the press materials: Elegance, Effortless Power and Serenity. The styling is unquestionably elegant. The character line flowing from the front fender vent, echoed just above the rocker panel, keep the big Lincoln from looking too slab-sided. The rear fender kicks up, adding some “hips” to the rear view. An available four hundred horsepower turbo V-6 defines effortlessness.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class (2017)
Another big statement for me at the event was the new E-Class. The tenth generation of the business saloon sets accents with its clear yet emotional design, its exclusive interior and a host of technical innovations enabling comfortable, safe and efficient driving of the very highest order. The E sits between the high-volume C and the flagship S as Merc’s middle-of-the-range sedan, so it’s a pretty big deal.
The new E-Class marks the next step on the road to autonomous driving with the DRIVE PILOT driver assistance system. It can autonomously follow a vehicle travelling in front at speeds of up to 210 km/h, and at up to 130 km/h even without clear lane markings. If the indicator is activated for at least two seconds, the system can also steer the car into the neighboring lane, having first identified the lane is clear. Further intelligent assistance systems are Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function, Evasive Steering Assist and Remote Parking Pilot, which, for the first time, enables remote parking using a smartphone app.
Lexus LC 500
Lexus may have cracked the code for how to make a truly beautiful car. The LC 500 is a striking coupe that turns heads with an oversized rendition of Lexus’ ubiquitous spindle grille, boomerang-shaped LED daytime running lights.
Lexus has equipped the LC 500 with a naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter V8 and a newly developed 10-speed automatic transmission, with 467 horsepower, which is the first of its kind in the luxury automobile segment, and Yes, it is fast with a 0-60 mph (approximately 0-100) in 4.5 seconds.
The LC 500 includes a carbon-fiber roof and wide, deep, gleaming version of Lexus’ signature spindle, honeycomb grill. A rear diffuser and active rear spoiler manages airflow and creates downforce during high speed driving.
BMW M2
BMW has finally introduced the highly anticipated 2016 M2. It skipped the Los Angeles Show and it didn’t make its official debut until the Detroit show opened its doors. Performance is the theme for BMW at this year’s auto show with the debut of the M2.
The M2 comes with a 365-hp turbocharged six-cylinder engine and a double-clutch automated manual transmission (DCT) which allows you to go from 0 to 60 mph (approximately 0-100) in 4 seconds and the top speed is electronically limited to 155mph (250 km/h). The M2 could be the best looking BMW on the market today. It looks positively aggressive and like it can take anything down on the race track.
Buyers will be able to choose from either a six-speed manual with automatic rev-matching, or a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The M2 will arrive in BMW showrooms this spring
Acura Precision (Concept car)
Honda President and CEO Takahiro Hachigo and Acura Global Design Director Dave Marek unveils one of the biggest shockers of this year’s Detroit Auto Show, The Acura Precision concept car.
At a show where most of the headlines were made by almost production ready cars, the Acura Precision Concept stands out for being a longer-term look at one automaker’s future directions and a handsome hint to what this company is developing.
The Precision Concept, has a long V-like pointed hood, sweeping design lines and low, muscular stance. The low, wide Precision concept sets the tone for the looks of upcoming models from Honda’s luxury brand.
The wide and low-standing concept features a new diamond pentagon grille. The Precision is 204 inches long and 84 inches wide. Its wheelbase is 122 inches and the car rides on 22-inch wheels and tires. Lighting also is advanced, with jewel constellation LED headlights in the front and floating LED taillights in the rear.
Volvo S90 (2017)
The 2017 Volvo S90, is an elegant luxury sedan packing a 407 horsepower hybrid drivetrain, it would be offered with semi-autonomous Pilot Assist software as standard feature. The semi-autonomous system would steer the car to keep it properly aligned within lane markings at up to highway speeds of around 80mph without having the need to follow another car.
The car detects and slows for cars, cyclists, pedestrians and large animals. They are the first new family of vehicles from Volvo since Geely Automotive bought the brand from Ford, and they make Volvo a brand to watch.
In the United States there will be three engine choices available: a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder; a supercharged and turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder; and a supercharged and turbocharged 2.0-liter four working with an electric drive system. This sleek premium saloon Volvo has what it takes to go toe to toe with the best of Audi 6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-class.
PORSCHE
Porsche unveiled the new 2017 911 Turbo at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show, which as part of its update received more power and an upgraded display. The engine remains a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter flat-six but output now registers at 540 horsepower. The slightly more potent Turbo S now has 580 hp. That represents a 20-hp bump in power for each compared to the previous model. From a standstill, it runs from 0 to 60 mph in a ridiculous 2.9 seconds and the top speed is limited to 200 mph.
There is a new nose lift feature that raises the car’s chin by 1.5 inches to accommodate driveway aprons and speed bumps. Standard cornering LED headlamps, an optional lane-departure warning system, and an available Wi-Fi hotspot that works with a Porsche smartphone app to forward addresses from your contacts list directly into your navigation system.
Ford F-150 Raptor SuperCrew (2017)
If there’s one thing American motorists like, it is Ford’s F-Series trucks. The high-performance F-150 Raptor SuperCrew was designed to tackle everything from rock crawling to high-speed desert running. Ford calls it the “ultimate high-performance off-road pickup”.
Like its name suggests, the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor is an apex hunter, it ditches its 6.2-litre V8 for a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6, which is expected to produce 450 horsepower and it also runs on less fuel thanks to the EcoBoost engine. The new model would deliver more power effectively, it would route power through a ten-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels, with over 11 inches of suspension travel to soak up whatever the dusty trail can throw at it.
When most automakers are busy thinking smaller, tamer and more quiet, it’s nice to see that Ford can still think big and bold.
Kia
Kia is largely recognized for its affordable and desirable economy cars, but if you were to fast forward five years, you might see a very different lineup. Glimpsing a future that is grounded in reality but not bound by the present, Kia Motors unveiled a cutting-edge vision for a full-size SUV at the 2016 Detroit show (NAIAS). Kia might not be known for making big, brash SUVs, but that’s exactly what they delivered.
Take a midsize Kia Sorento SUV, stretch it, install a couple of private-jet seats in the second row, add suicide doors and you’ve got the Kia Telluride concept. The Telluride is obviously, boxy and muscular, with an upright stance and a commanding “tiger-nose” grill highlighting the front end. It also features suicide-style doors that open 90 degrees in opposite directions.
Kia has no plans to bring the Telluride to production, but other than the suicide doors, there is nothing standing in the way of this being a production car. We believe it can happen.
