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New Pickups,
Alternative Fuels and a
Real Surprise In The Motor City
By:
Brandon Dye
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Pickup sales may be slowing, but Ford and Dodge are
still smart enough to know that if fuel efficiency
can be increased American consumers will still pay
up for the biggest and best on the block.
Ford's F-150 forgoes a power
increase (probably a bad idea) in favor of several
new innovations, including a retracting side step to
access the bed without throwing ones back out.
Advancements in the hydroformed frame bump up
torsional rigidity by 10% while a completely flat
load floor makes for easier cargo carrying in the
cabin. The interior designs stick with the same
basic look but many details are polished up,
including the availability of a next-gen nav system
and a whole new flagship luxury model called
Platinum. Will it be enough for Ford to retain the
best selling pickup title?
We'll get back to you, but the new Dodge Ram is going
to do everything it can to see that it doesn't. The
'09 Ram brings more power to the game with the
range-topping Hemi now delivering 380 hp and an all
new design that bestows the full-size Dodge with an
upscale appearance, thanks partly to "integrated"
chrome dual-exhaust tips. It all looks good to our
eyes. The new storage bins built into the side rails
of the bed add valuable, lockable cargo space and
the floor of the second row holds two bins that can
hold up to 10 cans of pop. We can't say for sure
until we drive them later this year, but the F-150
will have to muster everything it can to hold off
the latest Ram.
We finally got to see BMW's new X6 crossover in person
and the consensus around here is good. Sure rear
seat headroom and cargo room suffer, but sexy style
often calls for sacrifice. We might be especially
lenient on BMW here since they've tugged on our
heartstrings by offering two seriously smooth and
powerful twin-turbo engines. The 300 hp straight-six
previously employed in the brilliant 3-Series and a
new 4.4-liter 407 hp V8 with 450 lb-ft of backroad-storming
torque.
Audi celebrated a record-breaking sales year by
debuting two performance versions of cars already in
production. The TT-S turns the wick up on the
standard TTs by utilizing a new 2.0-liter turbo
4-cylinder rated at 272 hp. Paired with the S-tronic
tranny 60 mph comes in 5.2 seconds. Audi keeps its
style changes, including the S-lineup's LED
headlight treatment, tasteful. The R8 V12 TDI
Concept drops a new 6.0-liter diesel V12 where the
standard R8's 4.2-liter V8 normally resides. The
monster oil-burner punishes its 6-speed manual
transmission with 500 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque.
Audi says the spring to 60 mph takes only 4.2
seconds, and we're guessing with all-wheel drive
that number is plenty conservative. The TDI version
of the R8 adds larger air intakes up front as well
as a roof-mounted intake to feed the big engine. The
added weight of the massive diesel can't be good for
handling, but off the line and in everyday driving
the crazy torque of this engine should be enough to
bring a smile to anyone's face.
Hyundai is not content with being competitive in just
the lower end of the market. As the Genesis luxury
sedan indicates, Hyundai wants to prove it can do
more, and by more we mean two cylinders more. The V8
in the new car produces 375 hp and comes with all
the expected luxury features, including a 500-watt
Lexicon high-end audio system, heated and cooled
seats, 8-inch navigation screen and a mouse-type
controller like BMW and Mercedes use. We don't know
what pricing will be, but if value continues to be
part of the Hyundai recipe, we bet people will be
willing to give the Genesis a chance. We know we
will.
GM put Cadillac front and
center Monday morning by showing off the Provoq
concept, which features another version of GM's
E-flex propulsion system and just happens to sit
under the body of a small crossover that hints at
what Cadillac will introduce in a few years time. It
looks far better than other crossovers like the
Acura RDX and a production model could help
jumpstart Cadillac's crossover sales since the SRX
never took off like the General hoped. More
important to enthusiasts worldwide was the debut of
the 2009 CTS-V. Bob Lutz didn't beat around the bush
when he took the stage and claimed that the new
model will be the fastest four-door in the world.
With 550 hp and 550 lb-ft of torque and your choice
of a six-speed manual or, for the first time, a
six-speed automatic we don't doubt the man. And if
that wasn't enough to prove Cadillac has its grove
back the biggest (maybe the only) surprise of the
show was the CTS Coupe Concept. It sits on the same
wheelbase as the sedan and is actually two inches
longer. Pictures don't do the complex surfaces
justice; the car looks fantastic in the metal. Don't
let the concept terminology fool you, this car looks
too good to never see a showroom and GM knows it. We
expect a production version relatively soon.
Click here to view
our photo gallery of all the vehicles that made news
at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show.
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