LA MOTOR SHOW: 2016 preview

UPDATE 11/11/2016 11:00am: Updated to include Porsche, Jaguar and Ford wares.

November and December is traditionally the quietest time of year for car-makers, but 2016 is fast proving a different story.

The annual LA motor show is only days away, and car-makers are preparing to once again wow the world with an arsenal of new metal in sunny California. In fact, more than 20 global debuts have been promised.

While the previous Paris motor show was big on electric cars and futuristic concepts, car-makers are set to finish the year strongly with new volume models, along with a healthy dose of performance.

Not surprisingly, the humble SUV is a hot ticket item for many participating manufacturers.

From Alfa Romeo to Audi, Mazda to Mercedes-AMG, here’s our full rundown on what to expect.

Alfa Romeo Stelvio
Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo will use the LA stage to show off its first SUV, the Stelvio.

The Audi Q5 rival represents a bold new step for Alfa, one that it hopes will anchor increased global sales.

Codenamed Tipo 949 D-SUV, the Stelvio is scheduled to start production in the final quarter of 2016 – a year later than originally planned – before going on sale in Europe early in 2017.

Based on the same Giorgio platform as the (Tipo 963) mid-size Giulia sedan, the Stelvio will arrive Down Under sometime in 2017.

To be available with rear- and all-wheel drive and a range of four-cylinder and V6 petrol and diesel engines, the SUV line-up will be spearheaded by a 380kW Quadrifoglio Verde (QV) that packs the firm’s twin-turbocharged 2.9-litre V6.

Already spied in testing in August, the QV will see the Stelvio powered by a Ferrari-developed twin-turbo V6 that will go head-to-head with the Porsche Macan Turbo and the forthcoming Audi RS Q5.

Having shown off its new topless duo in November, Audi will formally unveil the new A5 and S5 Cabriolet in California.

Joining the Coupe and the five-door Sportback hatch revealed at the Paris motor show, the Cabriolet is based on the firm’s modular longitudinal platform (MLB2) that also underpins both the big Q7 and the A4 sedan and wagon launched earlier this year.

Claimed to have 40 per cent better body rigidity compared to the convertible it replaces, the German car-maker says its new A5 and S5 are among the stiffest in its drop-top class, despite weighing around 40kg less than the old model.

Initially, the A5 will be offered with just three engine options (two diesel, one petrol), while the flagship S5 will get a powerful 260kW/500Nm 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 petrol – the latter bringing a zero to 100km/h time of 5.1 seconds.

Measuring in at 4673mm long, the new cab is 47mm longer than the previous version, with a wheelbase stretched 14mm for the benefit of cabin space. Factor in new slimmer seats and Audi claims there’s 26mm more shoulder room in the front and 18mm more knee-room for those sitting in the back. Luggage space is decent for the class at 380 litres.

Australian cars are expected to reach showrooms by mid-2017.

Ford has confirmed it will stage the world debut of a 'new' EcoSport in LA, where the US car-maker is expected to announce the small SUV's North American release for the first time.

That's significant for Australians because the model is likely to preview the facelifted version of the Indian-built city-crossover that's due on sale here next year, when the EcoSport's midlife makeover is expected to bring revised front/rear styling and potentially a range of mechanical and technical upgrades.

We understand Ford Australia is lobbying hard for the removal of its spare wheel from the tailgate, as is already the case in Europe, but the rear door will remain hinged from the wrong side.

Ford's upgraded baby SUV will be bookended by the launch of the born-again Escape (facelifted Kuga) mid-size SUV in early 2017 and Ford Australia's Territory replacement, the all-new Edge, in 2018.

The Blue Oval's SUV range will be further bolstered by rear-drive versions of the Everest this month, followed by five-seat 2WD and 4WD versions that could undercut $50,000 by mid-2017. A born-again Bronco based on the next-generation Ranger ute is also on the cards by 2020.

Honda CR-V
As Honda releases go, this is a biggie. All-new, redesigned and re-engineered, the fifth-generation CR-V is a crucial new model for the Japanese marque. It will be shown in LA before going on sale in the second half of 2017.

Drawing on the design language debuted in the 10th-generation Civic and built on the same global platform, the new CR-V is a touch more aggressive in terms of styling.

Honda has trimmed the front and rear overhangs, it claims, and says the CR-V gets slimmer A-pillars for better visibility. “Wing-shaped” daylight running lamps set a new signature for the front end coupled with an active, shutter grille that’s claimed to decrease aerodynamic drag.

Specification details are scare at this stage, but US-sourced info suggests the new CR-V is approximately 40mm longer overall and rides on a correspondingly longer wheelbase. Despite the looks, it’s also taller than the current car. Let’s hope there’s a better than corresponding increase in cabin space.

There’s no news on a seven-seat version as yet.

Under the bonnet, the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four featured in the Civic is the star of the show. In the USA, lower grades of the new SUV will also be available with an updated version of Honda’s existing 2.4-litre petrol four. We’d expect a similar line-up Down Under along with a choice of both front and all-wheel drive variants.

Both engines are exclusively paired with the Civic’s continuously variable transmission (CVT). No fuel or performance figures have been released for the new CR-V. The new vehicle rides on a range of 17 and 18-inch alloys.

Honda is also set to use the LA show to debut another Civic variant, this time the sporty Si.

Confirmed by the organisers of the show, the Civic Si is set to be turbocharged and looms as a slightly toned-down alternative to the manic Civic Type-R. Let’s just call it a Focus ST equivalent.

Jaguar XKSS
US media outlets are reporting that Jaguar will use the LA show to stage the world debut of concept car called the XKSS.

Full details won't be released until the eve of next week's show, but don't get excited about a new-generation XK coupe and convertible to be sold alongside the F-TYPE.

Instead, the XKSS show car previews Jaguar's plan to produce nine 'continuation' versions of the 1957 D-Type XKSS, each hand-built and priced at more than $1.5 million.

Jeep Compass
The new Jeep Compass, or aptly named Compass Patriot Replacement (CPR), will be shown off in LA having recently been publicly unveiled in South American form at an event in Brazil.

The exercise is a bit back-to-front considering motoring.com.au has already sampled the new model, the review for which you can read here.

Jeep has retained the Compass badge for the vehicle. It’s not clear whether it will apply the Patriot badge to another vehicle in the future.

Jeep says the new Compass will be produced with “17 fuel-efficient powertrain options for consumers in more than 100 countries around the world”.

The new Compass very clearly leverages the styling of its big brother, Grand Cherokee. It will sell into arguably Australia’s hottest new car segment to compete against the likes of Mazda’s CX-5 and Hyundai Tucson.

Jeep says the new vehicle will be “the most capable compact SUV ever”, and will arrive in Australian showrooms from late 2017.

One of the most relevant Australian releases will come in the form of the next-generation Mazda CX-5.

The high-rider has been a hit locally, as well as internationally, and Mazda wants to continue its upward trajectory with a series of meaningful updates and changes.

A lone teaser image has already revealed the replacement for Australia’s top-selling medium SUV will borrow heavily from the new, larger CX-9 in terms of exterior design, as forecast by this Automedia rendering.

Mazda also claims that it has “further refined every element of its design and technology to offer new dimensions of driving pleasure”.

As we’ve reported, the new CX-5 will be the first Mazda model to benefit from Mazda’s second-generation SKYACTIV II chassis, body and engine technologies.

Expect the new CX-5, which is due on sale in Australia around mid-2017 to bring other high-tech features including high-speed autonomous emergency braking, adaptive LED headlights, auto high-beam, driver attention alert and lane-keeping assistance.

Beyond 2.0- and 2.5-litre petrol and 2.2-litre diesel engines, it remains to be seen whether the new CX-5 also scores the CX-9’s new turbocharged 2.5-litre petrol four, which could power a top-shelf sports variant.

Thanks to the internet, genuine surprises are few and far between at motorshows nowadays.

But it is understood Land Rover has something up its sleeve for the annual event. We don’t know what it is, or where it will fit, but will be doing our darnedest to find out in the coming days.

Early reports suggest sister company Jaguar has something electric in the works, so stay tuned.

Mercedes-AMG E 63
Occupying centre stage in Los Angeles will be the hotly-anticipated E63 sledgehammer sedan.

Dubbed the most powerful E-Class of all time, the third-generation E63 will go on sale in the third quarter of 2017. It has already been comprehensively previewed, but the actual metal is yet to see the light of day.

Mammoth 450kW/850Nm outputs have been confirmed from the sedan’s 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, equating to a superlative zero to 100km/h time of just 3.4 seconds.

But stonking acceleration is not the E 63 powertrain’s only trick. Now matched with a nine-speed version of the AMG Speedshift transmission – which employs a weight-saving start-off wet clutch rather than a torque converter – and aided by cylinder deactivation (a first for this engine), the engine’s fuel consumption claim in Europe is in the 8.9-9.2L/100km range.

It’s not only under the bonnet where the E 63 is significantly different, as it is now AWD across the range. Previously Australia was one of the few markets that stuck exclusively with rear-wheel drive. AMG 4MATIC+ is a newly engineered all-wheel drive system that includes fully variable torque distribution, front to rear, for the first time.

Rear-drive tragics should not feel left out, as selecting ‘Race’ in the four-mode AMG Dynamic Select program of the E 63 S decouples front-wheel drive and allows what AMG calls ‘drift mode’. So you can still have two turning and two burning - if that’s your thing.

Mercedes-AMG GT four-door Coupe
Also rumoured for unveiling in Cali is the AMG firm’s large four-door version of its AMG GT coupe.

Codenamed internally the X290, according to Autocar, the new model will be called the GT 4 when it’s unveiled next year.

On sale by 2019, the big Porsche Panamera-rival will share the same 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 as the coupe and the aforementioned E63. That means it will produce at least 450kW/850Nm – but it will be even quicker than the new E63 thanks to its lightweight construction.

Expect the GT 4 to hit 100km/h in less than 3.2sec and have a top speed of at least 330km/h.

MINI Countryman
British marque MINI is going bigger than ever before in LA.

The new MINI Countryman will regain the title of the biggest MINI, with the manufacturer effectively bumping it up a class size, growing 200mm in length to almost 4.3m. The new car boasts an extra 75mm in wheelbase, 50mm in rear seat space, 30mm in height and gained at least 100 litres of extra luggage space.

It knocks off the second-generation Clubman as the biggest MINI, albeit by just over 20mm.

That boost in size means the BMW-owned brand will be able to more convincingly pitch the Countryman against the likes of its twin under the skin BMW X1 (with which it shares its core UKL architecture), the Audi Q3 and Mercedes-Benz GLA, when the Countryman arrives in Australia late in the first quarter of 2017.

The aim is to make the Countryman a viable consideration for family buyers, something its limited rear seat and luggage space has discouraged up until now.

MINI claims The Countryman’s growth spurt has provided significantly more interior and luggage space. The three rear seats slide through a 130mm range, split 40:20:40 and have a variable tilt angle. The door openings are larger and rear leg space extended.

The luggage volume rises 100 litres to a claimed 450 litres, expanding to 1309 litres (plus 220 litres) with the rear seats folded.

Porsche Panamera
BNo big surprises from Porsche at LA this year, but the German sports car maker has pre-revealed two new additions to its second-generation large sedan line-up, which is due on sale in Australia from next March.

Priced more than $5000 higher than before at $210,000, the new entry-level Panamera arrives here towards mid-2017, powered by a new 243kW 3.0-litre petrol V6 that consumes 7.6/L/100km, making it 15 per cent more powerful and 1.0L/100km more efficient than before.

Also debuting at LA will be the new all-wheel drive Panamera 4 ($220,400 plus ORCs -- up $3600), which also joins the new Panamera Turbo, 4S and S E-Hybrid line-up next year.

Japanese manufacturer Subaru is keeping quiet on its unveilings for the American gathering, however organisers have revealed show-goers will witness "a new line of vehicles for the brand".

Read into that as you like, but initial speculation is pointing to the reveal of a three-row cross-over. Again, stay tuned.

Volkswagen Atlas
Volkswagen is understandably eager to clear its name in the US, and will employ a ‘big’ strategy in LA to do so.

The firm’s new Atlas is the largest SUV it has ever-made. Fitting above both the new mid-size Tiguan and the full-size Touareg SUVs, the seven-seat Atlas is being touted as an American Volkswagen — designed by Americans for Americans — that just happens to be wearing a German badge.

While that’s clearly an oversimplification, the Atlas is a departure in more than the ‘T’ model naming tradition of the German SUVs, and there is not even a hint that the SUV might ever be sold in Europe at all.

That’s partly guaranteed because when it goes on sale in the next northern spring, it will only be built with either a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine or a 3.6-litre V6, both fuelled by petrol.

Europe, Asia and markets like Australia and South Africa will instead get sent a long-wheelbase version of the Tiguan, complete with a third row of seats for seven people.

The Atlas has not been confirmed for right-hand drive production and Volkswagen remains non-committal on its prospects in other markets.

However, that hasn’t stopped Volkswagen Group Australia “fighting hard for it”, in the hope that an affordable new seven-seat VW SUV could one day slot in between the Tiguan and Touareg in SUV-crazy Australia.

At 5037mm long, the Atlas has been designed as the biggest SUV Volkswagen will build off its near-ubiquitous MQB chassis architecture, which underpins cars like the Golf and the European Passat.

The Atlas will also come with much of the in-car electronics equipment the MQB has become known for.

They include an optional virtual cockpit digital instrument display and app-connecting technology with the major smartphone platforms, including Apple’s CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink. There will also be a 12-speaker, 480-Watt Fender sound system.

Volkswagen e-Golf
The troubled German giant has also confirmed it will use the LA show to reveal the e-Golf, an all-electric small car based on the facelifted Golf 7.5' revealed last night.

The 2016 LA show kicks off next Wednesday (November 16), meaning early Thursday Australian time.