The Auto Channel
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
Official Website of the New Car Buyer

2016 Detroit Auto Show - TACH WRAP - North American International Auto Show 2016


PHOTO

SEE ALSO: 2016 Detroit Auto Show (NAIAS) Complete Press Pass Coverage +VIDEO

2016 Detroit Auto Show - It's a wrap!

By Steve Purdy and Thom Cannell
Michigan Bureau
The Auto Channel

STEVE: The 2016 North American International Auto Show in Detroit got underway on a bitter cold but clear winter morning in the Motor City. We are sitting in the Michelin Media Center beginning these notes looking south across the Detroit River with the sun slowly rising over the Windsor skyline. Did you know, by the way, that this is the only place in the continental U.S. where you can look south to see Canada? The recently rehabilitated Cobo Center takes full advantage of these scenic river views.


PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)
Photo: Marc Rozman
Buick hosted a pre-show party at Detroit’s Eastern Market to reveal both the production version of the cute Cascada convertible that will be at dealers late this spring. More importantly they took the wraps off an intriguing and un-Buick-like sport coupe with the proportions of a Camaro but with much more elegance and panache. GM VP of design Ed Welburn told me it was not slated for production but that they would not spend the money on something that was purely conceptual. So, this one is likely to grace the floors of Buick dealers in the not too distant future.

THOM: I agree that this is a production-ready vehicle, of course excepting the gorgeous interior that makes Audi, Bentley, and Rolls look shabby. I’ve heard two versions, one that says “go for it,” another that says there isn’t sufficient market in China or the US to build enough. Note that it would displace some production of other cars built on the same platform, likely at Lansing Grand River facility. Does GM want Buick to have a game changing halo car that may result in selling more Camaros?


PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)

STEVE: Traditionally the NAIAS opens with the North American Car and Truck of the Year Awards, one of the most prestigious awards programs in the world because the jury consists of over 50 fully independent journalists. The NACToY is entirely self-funded so no commercial considerations muddy the waters. Contenders for Car Of The Year were Chevrolet Malibu, Honda Civic and Mazda MX5 Miata. The winner is the Civic. Truck Of The Year contenders were Volvo XC90, Nissan Titan and Honda Pilot. The winner was the XC90.

Conspicuously absent from NAIAS this year are Jaguar, Land Rover, Mini and Tesla. Aston Martin is the only exotic carmaker on the floor but the other ultra high-end makers display at the nearby MGM Grand Hotel where they can charge huge admission for the well-heeled, deep-pockets car lovers. We did not cover that one.

THOM: The show in 2016 is different, more subdued and at the same time with a more confident aspect of every display. Black is back, black is the new orange, and everything feels, looks, and sounds better with the extra space.


PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)
Audi allroad Quattro A4

PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)
Audi's h-tron quattro fuel cell concept.
For those of us covering the show the pace was less frantic. Early, Audi showed the new allroad Quattro A4 and it is similar to the older A6-based allroads in that it's a taller with 1.3” more ground clearance though not adjustable. The hydrogen powered h-tron electric vehicle uses a hydrogen fuel cell that’s refilled in four minutes and uses front and rear motors to deliver the Quattro control we’ve come to expect. However, we're still somewhat unconvinced that hydrogen is a future fuel given all the difficulties of making it, storing it and moving it unless generated locally.


PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)
Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback

Chevrolet didn't exactly surprise us with the Bolt EV, but considering that it's “concept to production” in one year, that's an amazing achievement on anybody's metric. The car looks good, offers a flat floor and the battery pack location below the floor should deliver great driving dynamics and a lot of extra space. With a 200+ mile range, it could be a game changer in affordable electric cars.

Probably the sleeper is the Cruze hatchback. Hatchbacks are really beginning to take over the market, well a small segment of the market. But the combination of the engine size, package efficiency, fuel economy, and price should challenge products from Honda, Hyundai, Toyota, and Scion, giving Chevrolet even greater entrée into low-cost automobiles and again creating brand loyalty.

PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)
Chevrolet Bolt
STEVE: I believe that the most important green car introduced here is Chevrolet’s Bolt, a subcompact, full-electric car with appealing design both inside and out. The expected 200-mile range and potentially one-hour recharge time will go a long way to making it practical. With government subsidies it is likely to cost around 30 grand. For such a small car the interior volume appears to be impressive.


PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)

THOM: Volkswagen displayed the GTE off-road version of Tiguan and we suspect the chassis of it and the Audi allroad were engineered simultaneously. VW’s Tiguan platform will get a long wheelbase model, while the Tiguan GTE is equipped with 9" of suspension travel and a pair of electric motors plus an IC engine; Tiuan GTE starts off in full electric mode every time.

Two standouts that first day were Infiniti and Lexus. Infinity wins my award for best press conference of the show. Why? 30 seconds of loud music, the cars came on stage, Chairman Carlos Gohn stepped onto the stage and told us about the cars, said thank you and we were done. The cars were the stars!


PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)
Lexus LC 500
From another direction, Toyota Chairman Tachio Toyoda’s impassioned introduction of the new LC 500 from Lexus showed the greatest passion and charisma seen to date in an executive. His love for, and desire to create a Lexus brand that people would love and feel passionately about was remarkable. And the car was fantastic.


PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)

STEVE: Lincoln has been in a monumental struggle for some years now to position the brand for serious contention in the luxury market. Competition from a plethora of luxury brands keeps moving the bar up and up with Lincoln grasping to keep up. With the introduction here of the new Continental I think they have made modest step in that direction. We expected a bigger step based on the concept Continental we’ve seen over the last year. This pre-production version we see here at NAIAS seems a bit too homogenized to me. I was hoping for a design with more drama.

This much-anticipated Lincoln Continental made its debut to mixed initial reviews. Many colleagues had a variety of criticisms. I think some were expecting a replacement for the classic Town Car that went away some years ago.

PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)

The new Continental is not that big. On close inspection I thought it had some interesting design details and a lovely interior. While the inside space looked generous the trunk appeared surprisingly small. We expect a closer look at the Continental before long.

THOM: It took me three long visits to Lincoln to partly understand Continental’s design. Finally, in a plum red color, I could see the grace of its rear quarter panels and the bumped up trunk. Surely it is a solid step in the right direction. Ford also showed an updated Focus that’s mostly new in the front end, and an updated Raptor, now with even more power and off road prowess.


PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)
2017 Acura NSX
STEVE: As we expected Acura showed the pre-production, Ohio-built 2017 NSX, mid-engine hybrid super car expected to be out this spring. Pricing was just announced at 156 to 205 grand. Worth every penny, I say. But the more important news at Acura was the reveal of a design exercise called Acura Precision Concept meant to show the future direction of the brand’s design language.

Acura, I argue, is the brand most in need of a new design direction. With a few exceptions, like the heart-pounding new NSX, it seems Acura couldn’t quite break out of a staid and tepid image. Though the cars were very good in every other way they just did not have much panache. U.S. design leader Dave Merek and his team penned a brash and angular coupe with surprising details like floating taillights, exhaust outlets integrated into the rear fascia, deep sculpting all around and fantastic proportions. Of course, this is just a design exercise so the stance and profile of this four-door will not see production.


PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)

Perhaps the most fascinating booth many will miss is that of VL Automotive the smallest maker of automobiles we know. The “L” is for Bob Lutz, auto industry icon, known as “The Ultimate Bob” who is always full of vim and vinegar even at age 84. He and his partners are ready to deliver the first of the Fisker Karma-based sports sedans with a transplanted Corvette powertrains, a project he has been working on for a couple years. When we first talked he would not tell me what was under the silk cover in the center of their stand. It turned out to be his next project. In partnership with Ben Keating, a Texas car dealer, veteran Viper racer and purveyor of Viper racing parts, they are making a purely American super car based on a Viper donor car, his racing parts, a new Fisker-designed body and a bunch of other enhancements. You can order one now to be built in Lutz’ Michigan manufacturing plant and it will be delivered in a few months, they promise. We will flesh out this story soon.


PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)

The introduction most likely to have a major impact on the automotive scene is FCA’s full redesign of the iconic minivan. It even gets a new name – Pacifica. No more Town & Country. The new one comes with most of the functionality of the hauler that defines its genre but everything gets updated. The minivan’s evolution has it looking more crossover-like.

THOM: Minivans are not my cup of tea, that said they can be terrific vehicles suited for families and general hauling. What impressed me most about Pacifica were its updated Stow-And-Go second row seats and the upholstery. That interior looked like a dream: contrast stitching, excellent leather, and comfortable seats. Though the minivan segment has contracted it has stabilized. The next question is, what else will be built on that platform?

PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)

STEVE: We found news at Hyundai with the reveal of new Genesis models. Some months ago they announced the separation of the Genesis brand from Hyundai. That restructuring also gobbled up the ultra-luxury Equis that becomes the Genesis G90. Genesis designs are rapidly becoming more dramatic.

THOM: The Genesis G90 Concept is the next iteration of Genesis brand luxury. Even more highly styled, more curvaceous, more sculpted. What it will become is open to discussion.


PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)
Acura Precision Concept
STEVE: Best of Show honors in my view must be split between Buick’s elegant Avista concept sport coupe and the Acura Precision Concept design exercise intended to lay the foundation for future brand design language.


PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)
Lexus LC 500
Winning the EyesOn Design Best Production Car honor is my other favorite of the show – the new rear-wheel drive Lexus LC 500, a 2+2 sport coupe with uncompromised performance-car cred. The 5.0-liter V8 and 10-speed automatic transmission is good for a zero-to-60 time of 4.5 seconds, they say, and we have no reason to doubt that. The sleek coupe sports the massive Lexus spindle grille and an intensely sculpted look. I can't wait to review this one.


PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)

Other reveals at the show include a redesigned GMC Acadia three-row crossover, BMW X4 M40i high-performance small crossover and M2, an all-new line of Mercedes E-Class cars, Honda Ridgeline mid-size pickup second inning, and Kia Telluride SUV Concept.

THOM: Acadia has shrunk and become arguably more handsome, yet conservative. Making it a bit smaller leaves room for an XL version that is firmly in the large body-on-frame SUV family.

PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)





PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)

Honda’s Ridgeline, a car I loved for its engineering and loathed for its multiplicity of forms and angles, is almost disappointing in its similarity to other in-class trucks. Fortunately, with its SUV-like two door cabin it resembles an old favorite, the Explorer Sport Trac. Its more conventional style should enhance sales.

STEVE: While I came into the 2016 North American International Auto Show expecting to see less new stuff based on the more limited press conference schedule, I found more than I could digest in three days there.

My head is spinning. We’ll have plenty to write about all year.