Volkswagen’s star attraction at Detroit is the CrossBlue all-wheel drive concept, which is heading for production at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant in North American next year.
The seven-seat CrossBlue is the biggest vehicle by far to come from Volkswagen’s sparkling new MQB architecture. It will be 5m long and 2m wide – pretty big considering it shares the Golf’s underpinnings.
It will be powered by three different engine ranges, including a plug-in diesel-electric hybrid with 700Nm of torque and capable of pushing the six- or seven-seater to 100km/h in seven seconds.
While Volkswagen insists it’s a concept, insiders say it’s serious about taking on all-comers in the US and the Tiguan is just too small for American buyers while the Touareg is based off a very expensive platform (also shared with the Porsche Cayenne and the Audi Q7).
No date for the CrossBlue’s arrival has been set, but VW insiders say it may be 2015.
The heart of the powertrain is a diesel-electric plug-in hybrid that will find widespread use in the VW range by 2014-2015.
The annual North American International Auto Show exhibits an industry – in the US at least – that is off life support after a few touch-and-go years when various automakers pulled out and some threatened to go elsewhere.
More than 50 concept cars and production models were revealed, including new pick-up truck designs from Ford and General Motors, a revamped Mercedes-Benz E-Class and a next-generation Chevrolet Corvette.
US sales ended 2012 on a strong note. So automakers are unveiling their latest models with high expectations.
AUDI:Having rolled out new versions of its big volume models over the past couple of years, Audi is in Detroit to promote performance tweaks for the existing line-up. In addition to a mild face-lift of the R8 supercar, a convertible version of the powerful RS5 coupe was shown, an S-Line performance version of the Q5 crossover and an RS version of the large A7.
BMW:As has been regularly reported over the last year in Motors, the popular 3 Series coupes are being revised and spun off into a new 4 Series line. The new car is longer, lower, wider and curvier. The carmaker is also showing a 560-horsepower M version of the 6 Series Gran Coupe.
CHRYSLER:With little actual news in terms of metal, the company's marketers turned to conjuring up special packages for existing models like the 300 saloon.
The latest is a Motown-theme version with a sound system enhanced for rhythm and blues and preloaded songs by Motown stars.
FORD:The long-running game of crosstown one-upmanship continues as Ford rushes to greet General Motor's new pickups with a sneak preview of its still-percolating 2015 F-150.
The big non-metal news is that Ford, which posted record North American profits in 2012’s third quarter, continued to generate strong earnings and cash flow in the fourth quarter, said the company’s chief financial officer.
“We’ve had a wonderful nine months, in terms of profitability, margin and generating very positive operating cashflow,” Bob Shanks told reporters in Detroit.
But the story is very different in Europe, where it expects to lose $3 billion (€2.25 billion) in in 2012 and 2013. However, investors reacted positively to restructuring plans to restore profits there by mid-decade.
HYUNDAI:Having made no secret of its desire to move upmarket, the Korean automaker unveiled a luxury saloon concept that will be aimed predominately at US buyers and is expected in production by 2014.
LEXUS:The LF-CC concept shown in September in Paris has changed, slightly, into the production version of the IS saloon. The new IS300h petrol-hybrid shares a platform with the larger GS saloon but is still the Lexus rival to the likes of the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4. Its hybrid powertrain has an output of 220 bhp with emissions below 100 g/km and claims an official fuel consumption figure of 4.3 l/100 km (65.7 mpg). It is due on sale in Ireland this summer.
New features include 60:40 split/folding rear seats. A new cabin also features on the IS while the centre console includes Lexus’s first electrostatic switches to control the air conditioning temperature with the touch of a finger.
MASERATI:Although this Fiat-owned brand has aspirations to sell a lot more cars than it does now, that's a tall order for a company with essentially two models.
But the redesigned Quattroporte saloon should provide a jump start.
MERCEDES-BENZ:One might think that Mercedes would have reserved its showing of the mid-cycle revamping of the E-Class saloon and wagon for one of the European shows later this year. But the car is an icon in America.
The biggest Mercedes news, however, did not happen in the show hall but at an off-site gala where the CLA (see inside story) will get a sneak preview. It will make its official motor show debut at the Geneva show in March.
TOYOTA:Toyota showcased its Furia concept car, which offers a teaser to some design traits that will feature in mid-sized US saloons.
Design chief Tokuo Fukuichi has been given a directive from president Akio Toyoda: make Toyota cars simple and cool.
– New York Times
