Nutson's Weekly Auto News Digest - January 11-17, 2016; NAIAS; Awards; Lutz New Car; $4 B Gov To Remove Drivers; Renault Cheating? RIP Julie Candler

By Larry Nutson
Senior Editor and Bureau Chief
Chicago Bureau
The Auto Channel

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* Press Preview Days at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) led off this week in Detroit. While fewer manufacturer press conferences were scheduled to reveal new concept or production cars there was still plenty of surprises and eye candy. Many journalists agreed that the hit of the show was Buick’s elegant concept coupe called Avista. Based on the GM Alpha rear-wheel drive platform of the Camaro and ATS, the Avista is not slated for production but appears very production-like.

* Honda Civic and Volvo XC90 were named the 2016 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year. And yes, the Volvo is a luxury SUV not even built on a truck platform. I think it's time for a name change for that award or, should trucks and utilities be separated.

*The NAIAS didn't disappoint. We saw the all-new 2017 Chrysler minivan now named Pacifica (RIP Town & Country). The 2017 Lincoln Continental is ready to move the brand forward here and in China. Honda's Ridgeline pickup is not to be ignored. Acura wowed us with the Precision Concept showing the future face of the brand.

* And, Buick also showed its China-built 2017 Envision mid-size crossover SUV coming to the U.S. soon. There is the new 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-class, a Chevy Cruze hatchback (Yes!) and, the new GMC Acadia has been "rightsized" and is 700 pounds lighter and 7 inches shorter.

* One big surprise at the Detroit Auto Show was a new project for 84-year-old auto industry icon Bob Lutz. He and his partner, Texas auto dealer Ben Keating who sells more Vipers than any other dealer in the country are building a new classically American super car based on a Viper donor car. Keating is also a veteran racer and purveyor of racing parts. Henrik Fisker designed a bold and sexy body that looks nothing like a Viper and they massage engine, chassis and interior to make a unique car called VLF Force 1.

* It seems each year we see fewer pure concept cars at the North American International Auto Show that have no production potential as automakers continue to economise. One exception this year is the Acura Precision Concept, a pillarless four-door coupe with high-style details meant to show the future direction of Acura design language. Dave Merek, Acura global creative director, described that direction when he accepted the prestigious EyesOn Design award for Best Concept Car at the show.

* California is getting a little frustrated with VW. Regulators in California formally rejected Volkswagen’s plan to fix its polluting 2.0-L diesel engines. The California Air Resources Board, which is investigating VW’s use of a defeat device to cheat on diesel emissions tests, said that a recall plan presented in November and December was “incomplete, substantially deficient and falls far short of meeting the legal requirements” to be approved. The state agency added that VW was taking too long to devise a fix. Similar problems remain with the 3.0-liter diesels in Audi, VW and Porsche vehicles.

* PETERSEN’S 4-WHEEL & OFF-ROAD has selected the new Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road as the winner of its 34th annual 4x4 of the Year Award. PETERSEN’S 4-WHEEL & OFF-ROAD magazine’s 4x4 of the Year award competition is open to all-new or significantly revised 4x4s, trucks, and SUVs for the upcoming model year. For 2016, the field of vehicles included eight entries from various automaker.

* Cars.com announced its annual Best of Awards winners at its annual awards show in Detroit during the North American International Auto Show. Winners are: Best of 2016: 2016 Volvo XC90, Best Pickup Truck of 2016: 2016 Nissan Titan XD, Eco-Friendly Car of the Year: 2016 Toyota Prius c, Family Car of the Year: 2016 Nissan Rogue, Luxury Car of the Year: 2016 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class, and Play Car of the Year: 2016 BMW M235i.

* The Obama administration proposed a 10-year, $4-billion push to spark the development of self-driving and connected cars, hoping to one day eliminate roadway deaths. The proposal has the support of Google, Delphi, General Motors, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford, Tesla and Volvo. The Feds want consistent national regulations on self-driving cars. They see autonomous cars and connected vehicles as having the potential to ease traffic congestion, reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and reduce traffic fatalities.

* The French government said that tests on exhaust emissions of nearly two dozen cars made by Renault and other automakers had found that “several” of the cars violated the country’s air-quality standards. But the government said tests still underway had so far found no evidence of technology meant to cheat on emissions tests, except on two Volkswagen models the government had tested

* Hey vegans. Luxury doesn't only come in leather. Synthetic leather from Tesla, in a shade called Ultra White, is available as an option for the new Model X sport utility vehicle. BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus and Ferrari have begun offering models with faux leather seating, and Volvo and Ford have increasingly emphasized the use of more natural components like soy foam in their seats. Leather in seats and the steering wheel requires slaughtering animals, and the cloth substitute doesn’t quite measure up for a vehicle that can cost more than $100,000.

* Stephane Peterhansel easily won the 12th Dakar Rally this week for Peugeot, the automaker’s first win since 1990. Peterhansel had a huge one-hour lead going into the last days of the rally.

* The automotive journalism community lost another icon this week with the passing of Julie Candler, a pioneer among women in the auto writing business. Ms. Candler was the first women to pen a regular automotive column in a national magazine - Women’s Day - which she did for 18 years. She was a leading advocate for child safety in automobiles and she wrote for more than a dozen national publications. She was inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame in 1999 and held many other awards. She died just a few days after her 96th birthday and continued to write to within a few months of her passing.