The Portal is a semi-autonomous, battery electric vehicle with a 250-mile range. It features twin sliding doors on each side providing a 5-foot opening for easy entry and egress to the three-row reconfigurable seating. It was shown with two-handle yoke style steering and a glass roof with an interesting inner cruciform structure. The styling broke plenty of new ground and was full of interesting features and elements including the ball shaped rear view cameras. FCA hasn’t shown a concept at an auto show since 2009, but the Portal is clearly a success and worth the wait.
FCA introduced the new Jeep Compass at the show. It replaces both the old generation Compass and the Patriot. Neither will be missed, but they both sold well until the end in this SUV dominant market. FCA recently discontinued the Dodge Dart and the Chrysler 200. Both cars were decent, modern vehicles, but they have been swept away to make room for more profitable SUV’s and trucks. The new Compass follows the very successful Jeep formula — well packaged, very capable off-road, nicely equipped and with the look of a small Grand Cherokee.
On the separate Alfa Romeo stand, there were 6 Guilia’s and one of the new Stelvio SUV’s. Let’s hope that these long awaited cars make it to the dealer showrooms very soon. The question remains, however, can these good-looking cars make a lasting impact in the tough premium sedan market against the well-established brands like BMW, Mercedes and Audi.
NAIAS 2017 | Episode 3 : Ford Group
At the front a new grille, bumper and headlights give the truck an even wider, bolder look, more like the well-received Super Duty version. At the rear new rear lamps are also aimed to provide a bolder look. On the mechanical side, a 3 Liter diesel engine will now be offered to fulfill a long-standing customer need. By the way, walking the stand I counted ten different grille designs for the Ford full-size pick up range. Now there is a design challenge!
Not much new on the car side of the business, although there was a production version of the beautiful Ford GT on display, alongside the actual Le Mans, class-winning racecar – dirt and battle scars still in place.
Lincoln unveiled a concept vehicle that is a precursor to the Navigator replacement scheduled to begin production in 2018. The aircraft inspired concept features one massive gull wing door on each side, along with three power-deployed steps for passenger entry. All a bit of overkill, but designed to provide full visibility of the crisp, clean and luxurious interior. The load compartment was largely occupied by a ridiculous clothing/travel case that fully blocked any rear visibility. Sometimes the designers get carried away…..
The exterior is bold, yet simple and elegant. The front end is massive and intimidating, featuring a really big version of the latest Lincoln grille. The wheels evoke an aircraft turbine. Those doors are truly massive and when open might well present a big problem in the average garage. Never the less, the design concept works well and we look forward to seeing the real thing. And yes, rumour has it that the body may be aluminium like its pick up cousin.
NAIAS 2017 | Episode 2 : General Motors Group
Not much new at Buick or Cadillac this year, but Cadillac did display the Escala concept previously debuted at Pebble Beach. This bold flagship product is quite striking and would be a welcome addition as an aspiration car at the top of the brand. Let’s hope that it will become a commercial reality one day soon. The Escala is quite a large car, with a long, pillarless greenhouse giving an “open”, clean look. There are some strong body feature lines, but this concept shows some welcome evolution from the present brand styling ethos. The large front grille is perhaps rather lacking in brightwork for the brand, (especially alongside the very small headlights) and the interior rather simplistic, but these are just details. All in all, the car is elegant and commands a presence. An interesting small feature is the bright trim at the lower leading edge of the front door that mirrors the wider greenhouse moulding at the C pillar. With the addition of a full height B Pillar; a reduction in the trunk lift-over; some larger mirrors (unfortunately) and few other minor changes the Escala probably could be a viable production offering.
Needless to say, SUV’s and Crossovers continue to be a major factor in the US market. GM is clearly working hard to blanket this very broad market with a wide range of products covering every size category. Chevrolet replaced two key products in this market with an all-new compact Equinox and an all new mid sized Traverse. These products fit between the smaller Trax (also freshened) and the larger, body-on-frame Tahoe. The Traverse and Equinox are not exceptional in terms of design, but they are competent products tailored for their particular role in the line-up.
NAIAS 2017 | Episode 1 : Overview
A few manufacturers were absent this year (Porsche, Jaguar/Land Rover, Mini, Mitsubishi, Tesla) and some of those exhibiting did not have a press conference, but there were some additions to the ranks too. The Chinese manufacturer GAC had a display this year – the first time a Chinese company has had an exhibit on the main floor.
The US saw record sales again this year, slightly higher than last year at 17.5 million cars and light trucks, finishing with a strong December. This number might be hard to match in 2017, but we shall see.
There were some important introductions at the show, notably the all-new Toyota Camry, as well as some stunning concepts to keep us excited about the future. Hybrid and electric power remain strong trends, along with a steady move in the direction of autonomous vehicles – whether we like it or not!
Here is a quick look at a few of the concepts that we will be discussing in upcoming articles:
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