The North American International Auto Show opens its doors to the world’s media on Monday and Tuesday to showcase a stunning array of polished chromed, glistening metal and high-powered machinery. And while a handful of auto brands – Bentley, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, Maserati and Tesla – have decided to skip the show, the list of new vehicles taking centre stage in Detroit is dazzling.
Expect the following debuts:
Audi Q6 h-tron concept
All Audi would confirm is “a concept car with new drive technology” would be revealed in Detroit. However, Autocar, a Britain-based automotive website, reports that it is the h-tron – a hydrogen fuel-cell-powered version of its e-tron quattro concept. Furthermore, says Autocar, Audi applied in 2015 to trademark the phrase ‘h-tron’ and is keen on fuel-cell technology.
Fisker Force 1
Henrik Fisker, designer of the Aston Martin DB9 and Vantage, and the BMW Z8 – beautiful cars all – was set to unveil his Force 1 supercar in Detroit. But now he’s suing Aston Martin for $100-million (U.S.), claiming his former employer is trying to prevent him from showing the new luxury sports car. “They are really desperate to stomp out Henrik Fisker as any type of a competitive force,” Fisker’s lawyer, Jonathan Michaels, told the Wall Street Journal. The high-horsepower hubbub started when Aston Martin execs – after seeing a sketch of the Force 1 – sent Fisker a letter insisting that he not show the vehicle at the NAIAS or alter the design “to avoid conflict with Aston Martin’s rights.” This one is ugly. And it’s going to get uglier.
Acura Precision Concept
“The Acura Precision Concept … will signal the stronger and sharper focus of Acura styling on our core DNA we call ‘precision-crafted performance’,” says Ryan Kelly, senior manager of sales and marketing for Acura Canada, in a press release that featured a teaser photo of the vehicle. The Precision Concept, “will help set the direction for future Acura design; in particular, the next generation of performance-luxury sedans.” Translated, that means Honda’s luxury brand will focus on sedans now that it is finally moving forward with production plans for the long-delayed NSX sports car.
Kia’s Detroit Concept
On Wednesday, Kia produced a picture of a shiny green-ish large crossover SUV – and little else. Some blather about it featuring “an abundance of advanced technology” and some more blather about taking “Kia’s design language in a bold new direction.” But no name – although various online sources have dubbed it the KCD12. We’ll just have to wait until its Jan. 11 reveal for more.
Volvo S90
Attention, German auto makers, Volvo has set its sites on you. “With the launch of the S90, Volvo is clearly intent on shaking up the premium sedan segment with its distinctive executive class sedan,” the Swedish car company says in a press release. The S90 will feature semi-autonomous driving and is expected to battle the Mercedes E-Class and BMW 5-Series for sales. City Safety, a detection system designed to spot elk, horses, moose, or other large animals, makes its debut in the flagship sedan.
Other notable reveals:
- 2016 BMW M2
- 2016 BMW X4 M40i
- 2016 Buick Envision
- 2017 Chrysler Town & Country
- 2017 Honda Ridgeline
- 2017 Infiniti Q60
- 2017 Lexus LC
- 2017 Lincoln Continental
- 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
- 2017 Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class
- 2017 Porsche Turbo, Turbo S
Reminder: The Globe Drive team – Peter Cheney, Darren McGee, Jordan Chittley, Petrina Gentile, Jeremy Sinek, Neil Vorano and Steve Mertl – will be at the NAIAS for the two-day media preview starting Jan. 11. The show is open to the public from Jan. 16-26.
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