ALL ROADS LEAD TO DETROIT
The Motor City Gears Up for the 2016 North American International Auto Show

Words by Christopher Merlo Photos by Mark Dapoz “All Roads Lead to Detroit” is the theme of the upcoming 2016 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). And, with the start of the Press Preview days on January 11th, an estimated 5,000 media professionals from over 60 countries will have traveled to Detroit, making it the center of attention in the automotive world. 2016 marks the show’s 28th year as an international event and what is considered the most important auto show in North America. While most OEMs remain tight lipped on their plans, organizers are expecting approximately forty plus car and light truck world premiers. If past years are any indication, the majority of those debuts will be production models with an expected smattering of concept vehicles.

Another couple of debuts include the continuing improvements to Cobo Center, the show’s venue, the result of a nearly $300 million, multiyear transformation. With the additional space, plus the withdrawal of Bentley, Tesla, Mini and Jaguar Land Rover from the show, returning automotive manufactures have expanded their exhibit spaces. All told, approximately 70 percent of the displays are newly designed. NAIAS officially kicks off on January 11 with the announcement of the winners of the 2016 North American Car and Truck of the Year. Finalists on the car side include Chevrolet Malibu, Honda Civic and Mazda MX-5 Miata. The contenders for the truck title include Honda Pilot, Nissan Titan XD and Volvo XC90.

For more information about the Detroit show, go to naias.com.