2008 North American International Auto Show

Ron Doron
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2008 North American International Auto Show

This year’s NAIAS show was a tale of two stories. First there is the story of finding a solution to the rising cost of oil as the reality of $4 per gallon gasoline nears; and then there is the story of the most significant auto show in America and a long list of reveals.

Since the spotlight is on Detroit with this show, we’ll start with the Big 3 Domestics. The news from General Motors was an alliance with Koskata, a private venture who has developed technology that claims production of Ethanol from multiple, renewable sources and at around a dollar per gallon (as opposed to the current cost of over $3 per gallon). Not to be outdone, Ford announced new technology that should improve fuel economy by 20 percent thanks to EcoBoost. And Chrysler used the Detroit Auto Show to reveal three hybrid concepts – Jeep® Renegade, Dodge ZEO, and Chrysler ecoVoyager. Overall, there were 16 concepts and product announcements that involved some sort of alternative to standard internal combustion engines.

  • Audi R8 V12 Diesel - from a design and style standpoint, this Audi stole the show. Its menacing appearance and sleek styling make this the sexiest car at the show.
  • BMW 335d Diesel - forget the BMW 524 turbo diesel from the eighties. This BMW diesel is quiet, powerful, and efficient.
  • BMW X5 3.0sd Diesel
  • BMW X6 Hybrid Concept
  • Cadillac Escalade Hybrid
  • Cadillac Provoq Fuel Cell Concept
  • Chrysler Eco Voyager Concept
  • Dodge ZEO Hybrid Concept
  • Honda CR-Z Hybrid Concept
  • Hummer HX Hybrid Concept
  • Jeep Renegade Hybrid Concept
  • Land Rover LRX Concept
  • Mazda5 Hydrogen RE Hybrid
  • Mercedes-Benz GLK & GLK Bluetec
  • Saab 9-4X BioPower
  • Saturn Flextreme
Of course there were also over 30 traditional product launches and concepts. Once it was announced that the Chevrolet Malibu won North American Car of the Year and the Mazda CX9 won Truck of the Year, the rest of the show was about the buzz which was rather lack luster this year. Ford had a lot to say with the all-new F150 truck as well as two concepts – Explorer America and Verve.

  • Audi A4 North American Debut
  • Audi TTS
  • BMW 1-Series Convertible
  • BMW X6
  • Buick Riviera
  • Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept – this is how a coupe should look. The CTS is edgy, stylish, and built to perform.
  • Cadillac CTS-V sport sedan with 550 horsepower.
  • Chevrolet ZR1 with 620 horsepower -
  • Dodge Hornet
  • Dodge Ram Truck -
  • Fisker
  • Ford Explorer America
  • Ford F-150
  • Ford Verve Sedan & Coupe Concept
  • Hyundai Genesis Sedan
  • Kia Borrego – 7-passenger crossover
  • Lexus LF-A Roadster Concept
  • Lincoln MKT crossover Concept
  • Mazda Furai
  • Mazda Taiki concept
  • Mercedes GLK compact crossover – we’ve been saying that the luxury compact crossover segment is growing and the GLK just made the list longer. However, we’re not sure if Mercedes intended for their GLK to be compared to a Subaru Forrester, but that’s what it looks like. In an effort to look for rugged, Mercedes managed to create a love it or hate it styling. The one redeeming quality of the GLK is that it will be available as a Bluetec diesel model which will help set it apart from the competition.
  • Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart – Mitsu’s compact sedan gets the RalliArt treatment which includes upgraded suspension, upgraded interior, and a 200-horsepower engine that is positioned nicely between the
  • Mitsubishi RA concept
  • Nissan Forum
  • Subaru Forrester – we commend Subaru for sticking with the Forrester and improving it, but can it stand out in a very crowded compact SUV segment.
  • Suzuki SXForce
  • Suzuki X4 WRC
  • Suzuki X-Head concept
  • Toyota A-Bat concept sub-compact truck
  • Toyota Venza – 5 passenger crossover. Toyota seems determined to build a utility vehicle for every niche. To us, the Venza looks like a Camry wagon, but Toyota insists this is true crossover. No question Toyota will sell a bunch of these, but do we need it?

At the end of the day, we were left with a void from this show becuase there was not a single big buzz preview that stole the show. Instead, many announcements and promises that these car companies are working hard to deliver the promise of technology that to help offset dependancy on foreign oil.

The game is on and the race has begun and for the moment, General Motors seems to be in the lead with a five pronged apprach to solving this problem.