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The Crossovers Are Coming!
By:
The Editors of Automotive Trends
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Automakers may be scaling back a bit on the press
conference theatrics this year, but there's been no
slowdown in the amount of new product being debuted
in Cobo. This year brings us everything from reborn
muscle cars to luxury cars and, of course, the
automakers' favorite new segment, crossovers utility
vehicles (CUVs). There was a definite interest in
fuel economy this year, but thankfully not at the
expense of power. Indeed, the product choices
industry wide have never been better, as the
following Showstoppers indicate.
Ford
Not wanting to leave anybody out, Ford provided
enthusiasts some details about the Shelby GT500
coupe and convertible—475 of them to be exact.
That's the number of horses under the Shelby's hood
and the amount of torque ready to launch this
fastest-ever Mustang off the line. Then for the
environmentally-friendly families of no more than
three Ford has the sporty Reflex concept that
continues a new design theme at Ford. We like what
we see. For those who want the ultimate pickup the
F-250 Super Chief will suffice. It's the Ford Edge,
however, that should have the other guys most
worried. This CUV looks fresh, packs 250hp and a
comfortable place to seat a family. The CUV segment
is set to explode and as Ford says, for once, it's
on the offense.
Lincoln
We were expecting the next-generation Aviator and we
got it—albeit with a new name. Henceforth, the
Aviator is dead and the MKX (Mark X) lives. We're
not fans of the busy, electric razor-like new
grille, but otherwise the MKX, if priced
aggressively, could make a decent alternative to
other rough riding midsize luxury SUVs. The real
news at Lincoln is the debut of the MKS concept.
This large sedan strongly hints at the future of
Lincoln's flagship sedan and is powered by a 315hp
V8 and a six-speed automatic transmission. We're
happy to see Lincoln using an attractive waterfall
grille again and we hope the production version
looks as good as this concept.
General Motors
The General is serious about making Buick desirable
again, even to people ineligible for the Senior
Citizen discount. The Enclave is a good indication
that might actually happen. What you're really
looking at here is a thinly disguised production
model that'll break cover with other GM CUV's
sometime this year. If it has an interior even half
as nice as this concept's then Buick is headed in
the right direction. There's no doubt Chevy is
headed in the right direction as it will proudly
tell you it is once again the best selling brand in
the US for the first time since 1986. And it's
striking designs like the Camaro concept that will
help ensure Chevy stays on top. The Camaro borrows
heavily from the 1969 model but runs on a fully
modern chassis with a small-block V8 borrowed from
the Corvette. In the world of hybrids Toyota may be
off to an early start, but GM says it'll do more
good by installing hybrid powertrains in the
vehicles that will benefit most from them: giant,
fuel-sucking SUVs. As such, the new Tahoe, Yukon and
Escalade are all set to get a dual-mode hybrid
powertrain for the 2008 model year. The advancement
in the hybrid system comes from GM's partnership
with DaimlerChrysler and BMW. GM also plans to sell
a hybrid version of the Saturn VUE that uses a
cheaper version of GM's hybrid technology and will
add less than $2,000 to a VUE when it goes on sale
later this year.
Chrysler
The amazing designs just keep coming from Chrysler
as the Challenger gets resurrected on a modified
Chrysler 300 platform. With 425 horses of HEMI power
under the hood and only two doors there's no one and
no reason to give Dodge a hard time about this one.
We figure there's no sense giving Ford all those
Mustang sales without a fight. Let's hope DCX is
working on the same logic. On the production side of
things we find Jeep headed in a new gentler
direction with the Jeep Compass, which finally
debuted in full production trim at Cobo. There are
some clever details included, like a dome light that
doubles as a removable and rechargeable flashlight,
as well as speakers that swivel outside to provide
tunes for tailgate parties. But Jeep can't be seen
as going soft, so to keep the hardcore off-roaders
happy they took the wraps off the new Wrangler. At
least we think it was new; the Wrangler hasn't
really changed its look in decades so you have to
squint to see the updates, the most significant of
which is the new three-piece removable hardtop.
Audi
The Q7 looks more than ready to attack suburban
streets across the country, but we are more anxious
to attack the twisties with the new V10-powered S6.
The latest performance Audi joins its equally new S8
big brother and maxed out RS4 as great options for
those lucky Audi customers seeking extreme
performance.
Toyota
Toyota is poised to steal some more sales from its
competitors with the latest Camry that goes on sale
in March. The new car wears fresh sheetmetal with
tasteful but restrained design cues. There's no way
Toyota will risk alienating hundreds of thousands of
Camry customers. Inside the ergonomics appear
stellar and materials are, as expected,
class-leading.
Lexus
Lexus continues its aggressive product rollout with
the next-generation LS sedan, now dubbed LS460. It
brings slightly more exciting design to the now
legendary luxury Lexus is known for. As expected
there's technology galore—even an automatic parallel
parking feature. For the first time you can even
have your LS in long wheelbase form, which brings
with it plenty of luxury goodies and rear-seat
accommodations that are downright Maybach-like. And
incase that 7-speed automatic in your Mercedes
wasn't doing the job Lexus wants you to know its new
8-speed automatic—no that's not a typo—will provide
the right gear for any occasion.
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