DETROIT MOTOR SHOW: 2016 preview
It may be icy in Motor City, but there'll be plenty of heat in JanuaryAs most people nurse the relics of diabolical hangovers from New Year's Eve revelry in early January every year, huge amounts of cash, energy and creativity are pumped into the Detroit motor show, one of the year's biggest events on the automotive calendar.
Detroit, aka Motor City, has always been the heart of the North American automotive industry and hosts the largest motor show representing the world's second largest new car market.
As such, new vehicles from right across the globe -- from Germany to Japan, Korea to Italy -- will make their public debut at the 2016 North American International Auto Show. And you can bet your bottom dollar there'll be plenty of American metal too.
The no-shows always make for interesting reading too, especially when this time it's marques like MINI and Jaguar Land Rover, for whom the US market is crucially important.
The Detroit motor show media days (January 11-12) precede public attendance and we'll be there to report on all the juicy news during the mercilessly early motor show. Organisers reckon more than 800,000 people will attend this year to see more than 40 global and domestic world premieres. Here's what we know so far.
Audi h-tron quattro concept
The German luxury brand is rumoured to whip the covers off yet another new concept at Detroit, this time a hydrogen-powered version of the e-tron quattro concept its showed at Frankfurt in September. Together, the quattro concepts point to an all-new electric SUV Audi has promised to deliver by early 2018, likely dubbed Q6.
This highly-strung compact coupe makes its global premiere at the event and is due in Australia during the second quarter of 2016. Priced from under $90,000, the M2's rear-drive turbo six pumps out 272kW and 465Nm of torque and scorches to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds. Yep, it's got 'winner' written all over it. BMW will also reveal the X4 M40i, which may or may not come to Oz. With the new i8 Spyder due for global reveal at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas just days earlier, expect it to appear at the NAIAS.
Likewise, Chevy is expected to stage the world debut of its all-new, affordable Bolt compact EV at the CES on January 5, so expect it to appear in Detroit too. There's almost certain to be some Camaro action from Chevrolet in Detroit too, so bet on the new ZL1 version being unveiled – but sadly only in left-hand drive form like the latest pony car it's based on.
Chrysler Voyager
The next-generation Chrysler Voyager is tipped to borrow styling cues from the 2012 700C concept car, and will bring with it people-focussed tech such as foot-operated power side doors and boot. There'll be USB ports in all three rows, so all eight occupants can ignore each other and keep their smartphones charged, and an optional micro vacuum cleaner has been mooted. It's not clear if the next-gen model will be built in right-hand drive and therefore may not be offered in Australia.
Ford Mustang derivatives
The new Mustang is one of the hottest-selling coupes globally today (Aussies have already snapped up the entire first year's vehicle allocation) and it's likely we'll see something special from Ford or possibly one of the major tuning houses in the US using it as a basis. Also unconfirmed for the Blue Oval's Detroit exhibit is the 2017 Fusion Energi, a plug-in hybrid version of North America's Mondeo.
Infiniti Q60 Coupe
It won't be a money-spinner for Infiniti, but the Japanese luxury car maker's new-generation Q60 Coupe will be an image vehicle, a halo car, a coupe that will sit at the front of dealerships and beckon customers. Expected to be powered by Nissan's new 'VR' family of V6 engines, spearheaded by a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 worth 298kW, it won't just be a pretty face and is due in Australia later in 2016. Infiniti will also show updated versions of the Q50 sedan and QX60 SUV.
The long-awaited compact SUV that slots underneath the Sportage is tipped to make its debut in Detroit. A vehicle that would rival Mazda's $20,000 CX-3 and powered by a 1.6-litre engine generating around 80kW/150Nm, it too could be a sub-$20K SUV that sells its pants off.
Lexus LC Coupe
It's been spotted testing wearing camouflage, it's been talked about and it's been lusted after. With any luck, Lexus will finally whip the covers off its all-new, ultra-luxurious large sports coupe, the LC, which will give the Japanese prestige brand a vehicle to rival the Mercedes S-Class Coupe. This one is a slam dunk for Australia, it's just a question of when.
Maserati Levante
Maserati's first SUV concept was the 2011 Kubang, but now the Levante is almost ready to pop and has the potential to send Maserati sales soaring. Like all Masers, the big Italian SUV will be sporty in appearance and execution, with a range of V6 and V8 engines to choose from. It's a certainty for Australia, by the end of 2016.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
We've seen in the interior, we have an understanding of what engines it's going to get – expect new diesel donks – and spy photos have virtually revealed the look. All we need now are a few words from Benz boss Dr Zetsche, and we're done! Expect loads of cool new autonomous driving doodads when Merc's new large sedan comes to Australia later in 2016. Benz will also reveal the SLC (nee SLK), which arrives here late next year, plus the AMG S 65 Cabriolet.
The Force 1 hypercar
Representing American muscle will be The Force 1, a low volume US-built performance machine based around an existing US muscle car, potentially a Mustang or Corvette -- and almost certainly running a V8. Designed by Henrik Fisker, the bloke who penned the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, the new model will cost around $US150,000 and will probably look pretty tasty.
Toyota's new compact SUV will slot underneath the RAV4 as a sub-$25,000 proposition and is due to be revealed in production guise at the 2016 Geneva motor show in March, but a concept hybrid version of the city-savvy SUV is expected to take a bow in Detroit. Toyota Australia has said it's keen on bringing the C-HR Down Under but is yet to officially confirm the deal.
Based on the same new SPA platform as the new XC90, the large S90 sedan replaces the S80 and will step upmarket in terms of design, technology and safety. It's due on sale Down Under next August and is expected to offer cutting-edge autonomous driving technology.
At this stage it's unclear what we'll see at the NAIAS from Honda or Porsche, which will reveal its upgraded 718 Boxster and Cayman turbo-fours at the Geneva show in early March, and Hyundai, which will unveil its all-new rival for the Toyota Prius, the IONIQ, in Korea in January before its public debut at Geneva.
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