2016 Detroit Auto Show – full coverage
Don’t miss a thing with our full coverage from the 2016 Detroit Auto Show
Lincoln Continental
Here is the production version of the car heralded as the saviour of the Lincoln brand and aimed at putting it back up there alongside Cadillac as a premium luxury American brand.
With a 400bhp 3.0 V6, All-wheel drive, dynamic torque vectoring, drive modes, safety tech, cameras kits and a beautifully appointed interior, it should stand a chance at finally getting your attention.
Except, why am I little underwhelmed on seeing this production version, compared to the concept that I saw at the Dubai Motor Show, which really looked the business. It is just me or is there something about the proportions and overhangs that appear to have toned down the bullishness of the concept? At the name remains cool!
Acura Precision Concept
Something interesting did come out of Honda at the Detroit Auto Show after all, this Acura Precision Concept.
This one is all about design ‘with an emphasis on high-contrast details and the intersection of modern, sheer surfaces and muscular, organic sculpting. It’s low and wide with 22-inch wheels.
Naturally Honda won’t put something as dramatic and exciting as this in to actual production. It’s just a concept. Sigh.
2017 GMC Acadia
Here’s the all-new Acadia, lighter (over 300kg lighter), more compact, but still a full three-row SUV with up to seven-seats. It’s a bit more butch-looking this time too. I quite like it!
There’s loads of clever tech and safety kit including forward automatic braking (like in Cadillacs) and All-Terrain mode.
Under the bonnet is a 3.6 V6 producing 310bhp. Available in front or all-wheel drive with Active Twin Clutch.
Lego Mustang & Raptor
Some slightly smaller cars from the Detroit Auto Show – Lego Speed Champions has introduced a new line of Lego sets including the new Ford Mustang and the F-150 Raptor.
The Mustang is a 185-piece kit, whilst the 664-piece Raptor kit includes a garage, trailer, drag racing lights, a hot rod and mechanics! Cool.
Audi A4 AllRoad Quattro
We’re not a big estate or wagon market, but fortunately Audi is one of the few manufacturers that does bring them. We hope it’ll bring this new A4 AllRoad Quattro.
34mm extra ground clearance and off-road mode, flared wheel arches, contrasting cladding, suspension with damper control, and it goes on sale this summer – European price, 44,750 Euros.
Kia Telluride Concept
Concept luxury large SUV presented by Kia, marries limo lavishness with SUV practicality. Should be perfect for our region!
Okay this is just a concept, but it’s a three-row seven-seat luxury SUV that indicates Kia’s intention to offer a Patrol-sized rival sitting above the Sorento.
This one has suicide-style rear doors, middle row seats can fully recline with footrests, with each seat monitoring the passengers health through sensors and displays them on monitors – very Star Trek.
Genesis G90 (by Hyundai)
The luxury brand from Hyundai launches its first saloon at the Detroit Auto Show – the G90. It replaces the range topping Equus – what we new as the Centennial and which was actually just a straight Lexus LS copy.
Expect it to be packed full of kit, oozing luxury and by the time it gets here it will have the familiar 5.0 V8 – elsewhere it will get the 3.3 twin-turbo V6.
2017 Honda Ridgeline Pickup Truck
Wow – way to go Honda. Nissan debuts that kick-ass looking Titan Warrior Concept, and Honda launches this tepid truck as its new car.
Well anyway, here it is. All-wheel-drive with the familiar 3.5 V6 with a 6-speed transmission. But don’t worry. It’s okay. We definitely will not be getting this here. But the bike’s nice, and you probably can get this.
2017 Lexus LC 500
This is the 2012 Lexus LF-LC concept car made into a real sports car, and the most enticing prospect from Lexus since the LFA! This is the production car and sits on a brand new rear-wheel drive luxury platform, and will feature on luxury vehicles going forward for both front- and rear-wheel drive cars.
It gets the 5.0 V8 from the RC F and GS F with 467bhp putting power down through a 10-speed (yes 10!!) transmission. 0-100kph will be under 4.5 seconds.
Infiniti Q60
Infiniti reveals the Q60 coupe – which looks like its answer to the Lexus RC.
Sporty and rather muscular in that Infinity way, it will feature a 3.0 V6 twin turbo with a choice of 300bhp or 400bhp.
It’s rear-drive of course, so we’re keen to give this a go. Hope to see it here later this year.
BMW M2
BMW M2 makes its world debut at the Detroit Auto Show. It features a TwinPower Turbo 3.0 V6 putting out 365bhp giving it 0-100kph acceleration in 4.2 seconds (same as the current Mercedes A45 AMG). Goes on sale in the Spring.
Nissan Titan XD Warrior Concept
Off-road modified design study Titan Warrior Concept shown at the Detroit Auto Show – and you know what? It out-Raptor’s the Raptor!
Look at it! They really need to build it and bring it like this to the region! Maybe change the engine though – it has a Cummins 5.0 V8 Diesel.
Massive tyres mean that this is 6 inches wider and the design has ‘modern armour’ (I think that just means the bodykit).
Nissan IDS Concept
Blimey! I wish the next Nissan Sunny would look like this. It’s like a something out of a sci-fi TV show from my childhood!
It was shown at the Tokyo Show in October, but it’s making its international debut at Detroit. The only thing I don’t like about this is that it’s all about autonomous drive technology… sigh.
Funny thing with this car though is that even when the driver selects Piloted Drive and turns over driving to the vehicle, the car imitates the driver’s own driving style. Though not sure that would be a good thing when you’re trying to eat Spaghetti Bolognese in the back!
2017 Chrysler Pacifica
MPVs just got good again. Chrysler has relaunched its hugely popular minivan as the Pacifica.
The manufacturer claims 40 new minivan firsts for this all-new people carrier with 100 standard and optional safety and security features, including all-round camers, park assist and active cruise control. It’s stuffed with cool kit too with an integrated vacuum cleaner in addition to all the usual goodies.
It’ll come with the V6 Penstastar and the nine-speed auto, or a hybrid. Goes on sale in the US in the Spring, and we really hope to see it here too very soon.
Volvo XC90 is NA TOTY
Volvo XC90 wins North American Truck of the Year. Now this award we can get behind. We loved it, this is well deserved. Read our review now
Honda Civic is NA COTY?!
Seriously? Who decides these? The 2016 Honda Civic has won the North American Car of the Year Award. If you ask us, the 8th gen (2005-11) was the last great Civic and it’s all gone a bit downhill from there!
Volvo S90 launched
We’ve already seen pics of it Volvo’s new super saloon that out-BMW’s BMW’s 7 Series! But now it’s officially launched.
This thing looks really sleek, and will feature semi-autonomous drive, lots of kit, tons of luxury, hybrid powertrain and of course safety features including ‘large animal detection’ – probably a Swedish thing!
Ford F-150 Raptor Supercrew
All-new Ford F-150 Raptor SuperCrew adds. Enhanced suspension, use of advanced materials, all-new EcoBoost engine technology plus smart engineering saves up to 225kg. All-new high-output 3.5-liter EcoBoost, all-new 10-speed transmission. The all-new F-150 Raptor starts with a purpose-built fully boxed frame that is the strongest in the F-150 lineup, featuring more high-strength steel than the outgoing Raptor.
New Mercedes E-Class
10th Gen E-Class unveiled with Air Body Control suspension, Semi-Autonomous drive features, and enhanced safety. Compared to the previous E-Class, wheelbase is up 2.6 inches, length up by 1.7 inches, and it has more swoopy styling. Up-to-date interior, tons of equipment including 64 ambient interior lighting colours, nine-speed auto, and Autonomous features such as ‘Drive Pilot,’ ‘Evasive Steering Assist,’ ‘Remote Parking Pilot’ and ‘Car-to-X communication’ where it will be able to exchange information with other vehicles around it! Expect it to go on sale this summer.
Buick Avista Concept
It’s a shame Buick isn’t in our region any more – because take a look at this beauty! It’s the Avista concept, a 2+2 coupe based on the Cadillac ATS (and new Camaro) with a 400bhp V6 (sounds like the ATS-V unit). Sleek and sensational, we love it. Buick listen – build it, bring it!
Volkswagen Tiguan GTE Active Concept
Extreme off-road version of the scond-gen Tiguan with plug-in hybrid and gesture control enabled infotainment system.
2017 Chevrolet Cruze hatch
Based on the all-new 2016 Cruze, this hatch looks rather tasty. Same wheelbase as the saloon and 524 litres of cargo space, expandable to 1,189 litres. Goes on sale in the US last quarter of this year, no work on whether it will come here.