NEW YORK MOTOR SHOW: 2017 Preview
There will be plenty to see in the Big Apple this week as car-makers go horsepower madThe 2017 New York International Auto Show gets underway this Wednesday (April 12) and will be in full flight by the time we wake up on Thursday. Here's our pick of the top five debuts to look out for.
Dodge Demon
Take the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat – a 527kW two-door beast – times it by evil, and you've got the Demon.
This vehicle is unlikely to be sold in Australia any time soon, but you should be able to hear the engine ignite across the Pacific Ocean.
It's powered by what could be one of the world's most powerful mass-produced V8s, a development of the 6.2-litre supercharged Hellcat powerplant. If you thought almost 600kW from a factory-built car was too much, prepare to be outraged. Fear the Demon.
Toyota's reputation as a "white goods" car-maker — a company only interested in manufacturing cheap, reliable appliances for the masses — has slowly changed over the past few years and vehicles like the FT-4X will help convince the press and public alike this is no fluke.
Expected to debut a bold new design, this high-riding, go-anywhere off-road vehicle will do for Toyota's rugged, adventurous vehicles what the upcoming Supra will do for its sports cars.
Tipped to preview a new production model from the Big T brand – potentially to fill the void left by the toy-ish Jeep Wrangler rival that was the FJ Cruiser, the FT-4X will indicate where Toyota's off-road future lies.
What happens when you take a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo mid-size SUV, double the engine size, add another turbo, dump it on its stumps and put ultra-wide tyres on? You get the AMG's latest 4.0-litre V8 bahnstormer, the AMG GLC 63.
Available in wagon and coupe body styles, this vehicle is quicker than the AMG GT Roadster to 100km/h and has enough power – 375kW – to scare the bejesus out of your best mates. Buy it for the family, drive it for the thrill. This one's going to make AMG lotsa motza.
This lumbering chunk of supercharged SUV superiority cares little about emissions regulations or decibel limits. It's all about power. First you get the money, then you get the power, then you get, um, the idea.
Powered by the Dodge Hellcat's nutzo 527kW 6.2-litre supercharged V8, this thing has enough thrust to put John Travolta's crotch to shame in Saturday Night Fever. Despite being heavier than the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat coupe, the Trackhawk's all-wheel drive system enables it to rip to 100km/h in a claimed 3.6 seconds – faster than some exotic supercars.
Genesis concept
Hyundai's fledgling prestige brand, Genesis, is so serious about taking on the Europeans in the luxury car market that it's poached literally every ambitious auto executive from Germany and thrown bags of cash at them.
We don't quite know what Genesis will show – a scooter is unlikely at this stage – but with two SUVs on the product plan by 2020, we expect to see something high riding and you can bet your bottom dollar it'll expose a design unlike anything we've seen before.
Several passenger cars are in the pipeline for Genesis, including the G70, G80 and G90, so it will be fascinating to see whether the Korean upstart favours pure luxury or sportiness for its latest concept model. We're hoping it's packing the company's exciting new 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 and, despite President Trump now being in charge of US emissions regulations, a hybrid module is on the cards too.
Whatever concept Genesis shows to preview its next new model, the production version is certain to come to Australia, following in the footsteps of the swoopy concept that previewed the G70 at the 2016 New York motor show.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
