LA AUTO SHOW 2010
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Published on Tue, Dec 1, 2009
By: The LACar Editorial Staff
The North American production versions of the Fiesta revealed (Nakano)
LA'S STILL THE PLACE
Cadillac's production CTS Coupe was unveiled Dec 1st (Grafman)
On the bright side, both GM and Chrysler came out of bankruptcy in record time,
thanks in no small part to loans from the federal government. The Feds also
launched its wildly popular Cars Allowance Rebate System program, otherwise
known as "cash for clunkers." Existing United Auto Worker benefits and auto
company agreements were up-ended, but the domestic-based auto companies managed
to bring the costs per car more in line with the non-UAW car company
competition. By year's end, Ford is turning in record profits, GM announces it
will be able to return its loan to the government sooner than expected, and Fiat
seems to offer the best possible hope for an otherwise new product-strapped
Chrysler.
With that backdrop, what better way to usher in the new model year than a major,
international auto show in sunny Southern California? Recessionary clouds
notwithstanding, L.A. is still car culture ground zero. For the 2010 Los Angeles
Auto Show, held December 4-13, 2009, eight world debuts and 34 North American auto show debuts
have already unfolded.
Small is the new black at the show. Chevrolet, Ford and Mazda are using
the show venue to introduce production models of their new-generation small
cars, the Cruze, Fiesta, and Mazda2. - Roy Nakano
Audi's Johan de Nysschenhe and
the Green Car of the Year (Nakano)
KEYNOTE
Fritz Henderson, the President of General Motors, unexpectedly resigned on the
eve of his keynote address at the LA Auto Show. Instead of getting the inside
story, the capacity media crowd heard from venerable Bob Lutz who promptly
explained that he would display enormous skill in non-answering any questions
with respect to Fritz. Mr. Lutz assured the crowd that the GM is in good shape,
and fully focused on developing alternative fuel vehicles, more specifically the
Chevrolet Volt. The GM is partnering with the manufacturers worldwide in a
global all-out effort to develop better batteries, charging stations, and more
efficient fuels. While the objective is to provide a more exciting and desirable
vehicle lineup, the Volt is a full year away from entering the market and the
initial production will be limited less than ten thousand units. The hybrids,
however, account to three percent of the US market share, and the GMAC - the
company's financial arm - is a "work in progress" according to Mr. Lutz. With
the sudden vacancy at the helm, heavy debt load, and the sales of the Saturn and
SAAB in limbo, GM may have to weather some rough seas before reaching any sort
of a safe harbor. - Zoran Segina
Here's what else the show had in store:
AUDI
Audi e-Tron concept (Nakano)
Audi R8 5.3 FSI Spyder (Nakano)
BMW's Vision concept (Nakano)
BMW's ActiveHybrid X6 and ActiveHybrid 7 (Nakano)
Buick Regal (Grafman)
Buick's Regal has been a familiar nameplate for decades. For 2011, however, GM
is taking a more aggressive tack with its mid-size sedan. "A Buick Bred for the
Autobahn" is how the company is pitching the car, and for good reason. Based on
the Opel Insignia and available later in 2010, the car comes with a six-speed
transmission and available driver-selectable suspension tuning. But it's the
styling that will attract a new generation of drivers to consider the Regal. Its
coupe-like proportions are packaged with a series of cut lines that the company
says suggest motion from all angles. A better description might be that the car
suggests upscale quality and attention to design. Gone are the lazy curves and
puffy fenders of Buicks of old. - Brian Kennedy
CADILLAC
The production version of
Cadillac's CTS Coupe (Grafman)
The 2+2 Cadillac CTS Coupe shares the instrument panel, console, headlamps,
front fenders and grille with its stablemate, that's it. The 3.6-liter engine
provides 304 horsepower and 27 mpg on the highway. It also runs on regular
unleaded gasoline. Bringing the power to the pavement is a performance-oriented
suspension system coupled to rear-wheel or all-wheel drive. Design features
include touch-pad operation for the doors, a windshield laid at a faster angle
(62.3 degrees), a long, nearly horizontal backglass, and a sculpted lower front
fascia with unique brake-cooling vents. Technology includes a rear-view camera
system, plus a 40-gig hard drive able to store music and pause-and-replay live
radio. - Roy Nakano
CHEVROLET
Chevrolet's 2011 Cruze will be debuted at the show (Grafman)
Chevy has a new global car that's both refined and made in America. With a
welcomed, attractive design this showcases GM's progress in small car quality
and quietness, plus there's more interior and cargo room than Honda Civic and
Toyota Corolla. The new small displacement engines, including Ecotec 1.4L I-4
turbo will see competitive fuel economy of up to 40 mpg. Safety engineering
includes ten standard air bags. Also a Five-year/100,000-mile powertain warranty
is included. Cruze goes on sale in third quarter of 2010. - John Grafman
The production Chevy Volt is on
display (Grafman)
FORD
Ford showed a 2011 Mustang with
a 305 hp, 30 mpg V6 (Nakano)
The production version of
the North American Ford Fiesta (Dapoz)
The Ford Fiesta - the best-selling small car in Europe - is finally coming to
America, where it will compete with the likes of the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris.
First introduced in Europe last year, Fiesta has quickly racked up more than
500,000 sales throughout the world. The U.S. version is powered by a
119-horsepower, 1.6-liter engine and rides on a choice of 15-, 16- or 17-inch wheels. It
will be available as a four-door sedan and five-door hatchback. Options include
Ford's SYNC system, which offers voice operation of an MP3 player and other
devices. Introduction is slated for spring, as a 2011 model. - Chuck Dapoz
GCJ's Ron Coogan and
Audi of America's Johan de Nysschen (Nakano)
GREEN CAR OF THE YEAR
Hats off to the Green Car of the Year judges for having the cojones to pick a
TDI diesel for the second year in a row. Conventional wisdom had the
third-generation Prius or the Fusion Hybrid sister, the Milan Hybrid, pegged for
the award. Instead, the judges were swayed by the 42 mpg (highway) and high fun
factor of the Audi A3 TDI. The 2010 Green Car of the Year candidates included the Audi A3 TDI, Honda Insight
(generation two), Lexus RX 450h, Mercury Milan Hybrid, Toyota Prius (generation
three), and Volkswagen Golf TDI. Having driven all of the candidates, the
A3 TDI is
indeed the
one I'd most want to take home. - Roy Nakano
HONDA
The Personal-Neo Urgan
Transport from Honda (Dapoz)
From Honda comes the world debut of the Personal-Neo Urban Transport.
HYUNDAI
Hyundai also introduced a new
Sonata for North America (Nakano)
For 2010, the Hyundai Tucson has a fresh new look both inside and out. Built on
the same platform as the Kia Sportage, the new Tucson has greater interior space
resulting from an extended wheelbase. The cabin seats five adults comfortably,
and the interior is stylish and functional. Audio speakers mounted higher than
usual in the doors produce incredible sound reproduction. Curvy lines give the
exterior a sporty, aerodynamic look. This is Tucson's first major facelift in
its five-year history. A long list of standard features includes stability
control, a back-up camera, and a panoramic sunroof. - Reed Berry
KIA
It seems like many vehicles are getting 'extreme makeovers' for the new model
year, and the Kia Sorento is no exception. The exterior has a bold, sporty look
and the interior is stylish and comfortable. Power comes from either a 2.4-liter
4-cylinder or an available 3.5-liter V6 paired with a six-speed automatic
transmission, newly designed for fuel efficiency and enhanced performance.
High-tech gadgets on Sorento include voice-activated navigation and Bluetooth
connectivity, as well as a push button ignition. The 2011 Sorento is the first
Kia vehicle to be produced at their new U.S. manufacturing plant in Georgia, and
the first one off the assembly line (on display here at the show) was
autographed by each person that assisted in its production. - Reed Berry
MAZDA
The Mazda2 was last year's World Car of the Year (beating out the Mercedes
C-Class) and has been named car of the year in more than 20 countries. It's a
subcompact, five-door hatch, built on the same platform as the Ford Fiesta. Like
the Fiesta, it's powered by a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine with variable
camshaft timing and promises to deliver 40 miles per gallon on the highway. In
spite of its modest power, we expect spirited performance since the base model
weighs in at a svelte 2,100 pounds. Launch is scheduled for the end of next
year. - Chuck Dapoz
MERCEDES-BENZ
Mercedes Benz SLS AMG (Nakano)
It's the North American debut of two new MINIs, the MINI Coupe and the MINI
Roadster.
MITSUBISHI
Good news for the environment; bad news for OPEC. Mitsubishi's PX MiEV Plug-In
Hybrid is a crossover vehicle that runs primarily on electric power. Quite
futuristic in design, the MiEV operates in three modes: EV (electric
power-saving mode), Series Hybrid (gas engine will switch on to recharge the
batteries), and Parallel Hybrid (gas engine powers the front axel). This vehicle
even has a home power supply mode that allows you to use the vehicle as a source
of electricity during power failures. Mitsubishi claims fuel economy for this
vehicle to be around 118 mpg. - Reed Berry
PORSCHE
The Porsche Boxster Spyder is return to the basics - a light, race-ready sports
car. The Spyder is powered by direct-injected, 3.4-liter flat-six engine with
320 hp. The extra 10 horses (from the S model) are handled by a standard
limited-slip differential, and a 0.8 inch lower suspension. With the PDK
transmission and Sports Chrono package the car should reach 60 mph in 4.6
seconds, and a top-down top speed of 166 mph, Porsche claims. The 2811 lbs total
weight was achieved by using lightweight alloy wheels, aluminum door skins and
pullstrap-outfitted interior door panels from the 911 GT3 RS, the soft top,
shortened side windows, lightweight racing seats and a hoodless instrument
cluster. - Zoran Segina
ROLLS ROYCE
Rolls Royce Ghost (Nakano
The Ghost is a modern interpretation of timeless Rolls-Royce elegance, breaking
new ground while staying true to the marque. Pricing is expected to be easier on
the bank account than a Phantom, but pricy nonetheless. A new 6.6-litre V12,
unique to the marque, delivering a monster 563 bhp with equally outstanding
performance figures. Ride and dynamics are controlled via the intelligent air
suspension system. Very few changes were made in the transition from the 200EX
concept to production. The new Rolls-Royce Ghost was launched to the world on
September 2009 at the Frankfurt Auto Show. - John Grafman
SMS
You may be aware of the - ahem! - argument that has gone on of late between Steve
Saleen and the company that bears his name, but with which he is no longer
affiliated. The upshot - the tuner extraordinaire has struck out to form SMS
Supercars, and the shocker is not that they're offering apparel (they are) but
that they are tuning more than Mustangs. In fact, call them the one-stop
supertuner for today's muscle cars, namely Camaro, Mustang, and Challenger, any
of which can (or will - the Camaro is still under wraps) be had in supercharged,
mega-horsepower form. Thursday, they showed off some of their goodies, with the
man himself, Steve Mark Saleen, in attendance. No doubt about it, there's a
legacy being established here. Is Saleen the new Shelby? Drive one of his cars,
and you might be convinced that he's even more. - Brian Kennedy
SUBARU
Subaru Hybrid Tourer and WRX
STI Special Edition (Nakano)
It's the North American debuts of the new Subaru Impreza WRX STI Special Edition and the Subaru Hybrid Tourer.
TOYOTA
The third-generation Toyota
Sienna (Nakano)
The next-generation Toyota Sienna minivan has its world debut at the LA show.
VOLKSWAGEN
Volkswagen's 70 mpg Up! Lite concept (Nakano)
A 30-mpg Mustang, and Buick with a 2.4-liter engine? (Yes, both are at the LA
Auto Show.) Any wonder that Volkswagen has chosen LA to show the world a 70-mpg,
4-seater hybrid, that'll just break 100 mph, powered by an 800cc, 2-cylinder,
TDI (turbocharged diesel) engine? Volkswagen's wonderfully road-ready little
UP! Lite concept is really as pure a flight of fancy of any of the hyper-sexy
concept cars of auto shows gone by, only this one is all about fuel mileage
instead of glitz, hoss-pawer, and tailfins.
Just prior to pulling the silk off the UP! Lite concept, the assembled Wolfsburg
brass showed the media twin New Beetles (hard and soft tops) and signed them off
as the Final Edition model(s). And so the car that had its design beginnings in
Los Angeles (I still remember gasping ...what 10 years ago now? ...at that first
bright yellow machine that fired off so many memory synapses from my
teen-ownership of a '54 Volksie). Last chance ranch on the car that Abraham
Lincoln could drive WITH his hat on. And, hey, that blacked-out roof on the
hardtop was just perfect! Rock on! - Doug Stokes
VW showed a new TDI Cup Edition Jetta (Nakano)
For more scenes from the LA Auto Show, click here.
THE AUTO SHOW 411
When:
December 4-13, 2009
No one does interiors like
Spyker (Nakano)
Where:
Los Angeles Convention Center
1201 S. Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Chrysler corporation alive and
kicking at the LAAS (Nakano)
Suzuki beside itself over the
new Kizashi (Nakano)
Why:
It's the Southland's biggest automotive party of the year.
The basement, a.k.a. Kentia Hall (Nakano) To see more scenes from the LA Auto Show, click here.