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NAIAS 2014 | VOLVO

Following the Concept C Coupe shown in Frankfurt, Volvo demonstrated further product aggression with the Concept XC Coupe introduced at the Detroit show.  Sharing a similar, bold front end with the C Coupe, the XC is a two-door estate car or station wagon with dramatic tail lamps extending the Volvo tradition in this area.  Two-door station wagons are not the most logical of vehicles, but this one looks good and would be a handsome addition to the Volvo line up.  Full marks to ‘the new Volvo’ for creating these interesting concepts.
The one criticism we have for the XC is the use of grey painted trim mouldings throughout the car.  Clearly this was intended to create a different look for the concept and to that extent the designers succeeded.  However, we think that the “industrial plastic” look that resulted diminished the overall value of the vehicle.  Properly designed, bright trim, or jewelry, goes a long way to making a vehicle look high quality, rich and appealing.  The touches of orange paint on the front and rear bumpers are no substitute for tasteful brightwork.

 

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NAIAS 2014 | Range Rover & Jaguar

Speaking of $200,000 vehicles, Range Rover displayed its latest long wheelbase version – the Autobiography model (‘write your own story’, I guess) that is priced from $185,000 to $199,500.  The “off roader” looks imposing, has 510 hp on tap and features a spacious, very nicely crafted interior, but $200,000 is a great deal of money, even by today’s crazy standards.
Jaguar showed quite a few different versions of the F-Type, a car that is always good to look at, plus the C-X17 SUV concept that originally debuted at Frankfurt last year.  We can all revisit the angst that we felt when Porsche introduced the Cayenne, but the fact is every manufacturer has to have at least one SUV in its line up to stay in the game.  Jaguar is already quite late on the scene and aficionados will have to wait until 2016 for this rather nicely executed model to hit the showrooms.  By that time Maserati and Bentley probably will have theirs on the road already.

 

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NAIAS 2014 | PORSCHE

Porsche 918
The guys from Zuffenhausen had plenty to show and a big display that included a private room just for the hyper-hybrid 918 Spyder. The 918 is certainly stunning, especially from the rear with its exposed engine complete with radical exhausts that exit from the top of the engine just behind the occupant roll cage. We cannot wait to hear those exhausts from the driver’s seat. The front end is a bit bland unfortunately and the 4 square LED headlights under aero covers may be high tech, but they just don’t look right.
The
big introductions for Porsche were the 911 Targa and the Macan SUV.   The Targa is great looking with its large wrap around rear window and black fabric covered roof panel.  The mechanism required to stow the rather small roof panel behind the roll hoop and on top of the engine with just the push of a button, however, is quite elaborate and makes one wonder whether it is worth all the effort!  Why is the roof panel covered in black fabric you may ask?  Well, it ends up exposed under the rear window, so a shiny, body-color panel would create too much reflection.
The Macan compact SUV looks like another winner. The proportions work very well and the vehicle looks much more attractive than the highly successful, but somehow clumsy styling of the Cayenne – especially the first version.   One interesting facet of the Macan is that the clamshell hood completely surrounds the large front lamp units, so when the hood is opened there are two rather large holes in the panel.  The large, flat, grey plastic mouldings on the lower part of the front and rear doors seem to be a jarring element for a Porsche.  Presumably they are intended to reduce the apparent size of the doors or the height of the belt line.  The interior is instantly recognizable as all Porsche.  The array of switches is rather bewildering at first, but we would love to have the chance to get used to using them.
The selection of vehicles from Porsche is now quite significant, covering a wide range of tastes and a wide range of prices.  The Panamera, for instance, ranges from about $76,000 all the way to almost $200,000!

 

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NAIAS 2014 | AUDI

VW has failed to achieve the planned volume growth in the US that was required for the total group to meet its global objectives.  Not so Audi.  The premium sister brand has been growing from strength to strength – and for good reason.  The Audi products still have the interiors that everyone benchmarks and the exteriors continue that “machined from the solid” look that is hard to beat.
The new S8 sedan on the front corner of the stand looked suitably menacing, with the now even larger grill clearly designed to strike fear in your rear view mirror on the autobahn! The S7 looks really good too.
The new A3 was introduced at the show and displayed in both sedan and cabrio form.   Execution of these vehicles is exactly what we have come to expect from Audi with tight crisp lines and simple elegant forms.  Also shown was the Q3 model that will enter the increasingly competitive premium compact SUV segment, along with the Porsche Macan, the MB GLA and the Lincoln MK C.
The E-Tron 2 door “Quattro shooting brake” concept PHEV that was also on display is expected to join the Audi family of vehicles in 2015.  This will be a cool addition.
More than anything the new E-Tron concept is introducing the silhouette (up to the front door…) of the TT Mk III that will probably be introduced at the Geneva show. The interior was introduced at the CES in Las Vegas, earlier in the month. The design is very close to what the cockpit of the TT will be…lets say that if the first TT is a Design Icon; the Mk II was “just” a nice looking car; the Mk III will certainly be seen as a revolution for its interior…  The cluster integrates fully digital instruments and displays all information directly in front of the driver. You can tune it up virtually the way you want with two display modes. The first one is a classic view where you see the speedometer and rev counter in front of you like a physical cluster. In the “infotainement” mode, the virtual instruments are smaller and the space that is then created offers a huge display area for your media info or map. The navigation map in 3D is right in front of you! The instrument panel is then reduced to its minimum and the design visually conveys the Audi lightweight construction principle. Designers got the freedom to rethink the whole interior, reducing the number of buttons here, removing the central screen there…In order to visually simplify the cockpit. The controls for the air conditioning are also housed in the vents – the adjustment functions for seat heating, and for the temperature, direction and strength of the air flow are located in their axes, with small displays indicating the chosen setting.
As the first TT became an Icon, no doubt that the Mk III will set up a new standard, at least for interior…But let’s see how they will design the rear part of the exterior…We can’t wait for Geneva…
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NAIAS 2014 | BMW

Like Mercedes-Benz, BMW keeps adding more and more models to expand their market coverage and improve overall fleet fuel economy and emissions.  This ‘segment creep’ by the premium brands is likely to have a serious, long-term impact on the profitability of the volume brands as the wealthier buyers are skimmed off.  The higher price buyers will tend to move to the luxury brands leaving the volume manufacturers with the just the mainstream, lower margin units.  This could result in significant downward pressure on overall corporate profits for the mainstream manufacturers.
BMW has all the single digit numbers covered now (8 and 9 in concept form), plus the overlay of the ‘i‘series and then of course the X series and a GT or two thrown in for good luck.  But it is mostly good.  I can do without the GT and the Liftback, but the rest of the range continues to have that high ‘lust factor’.
The production ready i8 is a masterpiece.  The entry and egress is somewhat difficult with its wide, high sill and small wedge-shaped area through which one must squeeze ones foot, but BMW has taken maximum advantage of the carbon fiber construction to create a unique and stunning machine.
The 2-series coupes (replacing the 1-series coupes and conforming to the odd number sedan and even number coupe naming scheme) were new and firmly in the BMW mold.  More exciting were the M3 and M4 models, featuring aggressive front and rear fascias, big wheels and huge carbon ceramic brake discs that fill the wheels all the way to the rim.  Just give me the keys and no one gets hurt!
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NAIAS 2014 | MERCEDES

Mercedes-Benz continues its product onslaught with the new C Class, the new CLA and the new GLA.  The new designs are unmistakably Mercedes, providing a consistent flow across the entire range.  Bold grill treatments, sculptured bodysides and expressive lamps demand attention and exude presence.  The AMG versions of the CLA and GLA on the stand, however, lacked taste and descended into the “boy racer” realm with overdone graphics and, on the GLA, an oversized tailgate wing.  Now and again they ‘lose the plot’…
There was no loss of focus with the S Class Coupe concept.  This car was the Best in Show for my money.  It is a wonderfully elegant and flowing design with powerful wheels and a fabulous interior.  The nose may be a little too prominent, but again this may be a pedestrian impact effect.
S Class Coupe Interior Detail
Several of the new Mercedes have an interior feature that strikes me as odd, and that is the free standing or floating display screen for radio, navigation and other connectivity.  To me it looks like I stuck my iPad to the instrument panel with Velcro!
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NAIAS 2014 | LINCOLN

The guys at Cadillac frequently dismiss Lincoln, saying that it is not really a competitor for them.  The Blue Oval guys are determined to prove them wrong.  They are making progress and the new MK C compact crossover, which debuted at the Los Angeles show, and was featured at Detroit.  It is a step in the right direction.  Certainly compact crossover vehicles like the MK C were much in evidence with several manufacturers including Mercedes, Audi, and Porsche.  The MK C styling is robust, but elegant, with a 360-degree feature line, a wide stance and a large tailgate opening that includes the entire taillights. Anecdotally, there are 4 different ways to release the tailgate.

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NAIAS 2014 | CADILLAC

The premium domestic brands fought for attention with GM choosing to have a completely separate display area for Cadillac far away from the rest of the corporate brands.  Cadillac featured a two-door coupe version of the ATS, as well as the production version of the ELR.  The design of the CTS coupe and the ELR are very strong and visually arresting, the ATS coupe – well, not so much.  We wonder who is going to buy all these coupes.  They might look good, but are the looks worth the loss of utility.

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NAIAS 2014 | CHRYSLER

The big news at Chrysler, apart from the fact that the company is now fully owned by the Fiat Group, was the introduction of the all-new Chrysler 200.  Built on the CUS-Wide, Alfa Romeo derived platform, this mid size sedan must play in the highly competitive, mid-size segment against cars like the Toyota Camry and the Ford Fusion.  The design is certainly attractive enough, with a fastback greenhouse, clean lines, a sculptured hood and, of course, the LED running lights that are de rigueur these days.  The interior is well executed, with good use of materials and loaded with features.  The bad old days of Cerberus and Daimler cost cutting are a distant memory.  How could they have got it so wrong???