The Chelsea Standard
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Auto show offers plenty to the casual observer
PUBLISHED: January 24, 2008
DETROIT — Have you ever been with a spouse, a significant other or even a friend and been dragged around a mall, going from store to store and seemingly looking at everything available?
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At some point, when the frustration level hits maximum, the patience is at a minimum and the feet start to shuffle rather than step, you build up the nerve to ask, "So, what exactly are you looking for?"
"Oh, nothing in particular. I'm just looking around."
Welcome to the North American International Auto Show.
Starting yesterday and continuing through Jan. 27, Detroit's Cobo Center will be given over to the latest and greatest from auto manufacturers around the world.
The show is as much about the sizzle as it is the steak. The annual event gives manufacturers, suppliers and anyone even remotely connected to the car business a chance to preen a little, to show off latest innovations ... and to get a peek at what the competitor next door is working on, as well.
And when the show opens to the public today, automakers will go into full-pitch mode for the consumer, or at least the would-be consumer.
Problem is, not many people go to the auto show to actually buy an auto. Or a truck. Or a sport utility vehicle.
For the majority of people, the show is about looking and seeing what's new. And, as always, there's plenty.
Along with the throngs of media, I got a chance to preview the show Monday and Tuesday. There's a lot to see, but if you're headed down, here are a few things to keep an eye on.
If there's one overriding theme to this year's show, it has to be about what goes in the car as much as the car itself.
Nearly every manufacturer ... and I mean every manufacturer ... is touting the gas-saving, planet-preserving products they have to offer.
It wasn't that long ago, less than a decade, anyway, that Honda and Toyota were the only manufacturers offering hybrids.
Today, you can get a hybrid Chevy Malibu, a hybrid Dodge Ram pickup, a hybrid Ford Explorer — even a hybrid Cadillac Escalade.
How's that for a contradiction in terms? But then, GM was the same company that, on Monday morning, unveiled a zero-petroleum concept vehicle and a sedan that produces 550 horsepower. GM calls it being green mean.
The push is way beyond hybrids, though. Most major manufacturers have different vehicles touting their advances in hydrogen fuel cells, in cleaner-burning diesel engines and in lithium ion batteries that are promised before long to use zero gasoline for short trips.
Even Ferrari got into the act, with one ground-hugging model decked out to promote the Italian automaker's use of biofuel.
What does that mean to the average consumer? More than you might think.
Consider high-definition TVs. A decade ago, people were talking about high-def, but the general consensus was it was many, many years away; and, even when it did arrive, who would pay for it?
If you don't have high-def already, how many people do you know who do? And I'm betting it's more and more every year.
There are a ton of advances on the way when it comes to alternate fuels and more environmentally friendly vehicles. If you're headed to the show, take a few minutes to get familiar with what's on the way. It will be here before you know it.
A 'Smart' idea
I'm a pretty big guy. I'm about 6 feet 3 inches tall, and a bit bigger around the middle than I would like these days.
So when I saw the Smart car at the show, I had to take the opportunity to sit in it ... or to see if I could sit in it.
Well, I fit with no problem. And I walked away pretty impressed with the Smart.
The tiny two-seater will make a big push into the United States this year, with 74 Smart dealerships, including one in Bloomfield Hills, set to open.
Clearly, the Smart isn't for everyone. If you have to haul four kids and their gear to hockey or softball practice, look elsewhere.
But how many times have you seen the subdivision-size SUV on the road with one person in it? Plenty, I'm betting.
While folks who simply zip around town may find the Smart, well, smart, the best market I thought of was for young drivers.
The Smart has a four-star crash rating, and with only two seats, there isn't room for a car full of friends to distract the driver.
There's also no back seat. Enough said.
Pickup lines
Of course, this is Detroit, and for a lot of automakers, the pickup truck is the bread and butter when it comes to a presence with the consumer and profit margins.
Last Sunday, both Ford and Chrysler rolled out the latest versions of their full-size trucks.
And while the consumer might say he or she is interested in fuel efficiency and helping the environment, many aren't going to give up the ride and size of a pickup.
At Chrysler, the new Ram sports an even larger grille, a spoiler-enhanced tailgate and storage units built into the wells on each side of the bed. The Ram is available with a 4.7-liter V-8 that generates 310 horsepower or, for those who want even more power, a 5.7-liter Hemi that kicks out 380 horsepower.
At Ford, the full-size F-150 is worth all the attention it's been getting. Several years ago, Ford really made a lot of improvements to the F-150, and those improvements have been expanded on the latest version.
According to Ford, the F-150 will be available in 35 different configurations, including the all-new luxury Platinum platform.
Thirty-five different configurations, from the same company that once gave buyers a Model T in any color they wanted ... as long as it was black. Henry Ford must be rolling over in his grave.
What a concept
Of course, for a lot of people, the auto show is all about the concept vehicles, those futuristic cars and trucks that may someday be built and may not.
Even when an entire vehicle isn't put into production, one internal feature or one design element may be used.
In other instances, a vehicle designed to be a concept — such as the PT Cruiser several years ago — gets such a reaction that it gets put into production earlier than planned.
Once again this year, just about every manufacturer has at least one concept car, and many are pretty interesting.
GM, for instance, has the youth-inspired trio of the Beat, the Trax and the Groove, three cars clearly designed to go after first-time buyers currently looking at Toyota's Scion.
Speaking of Toyota, keep an eye out for the A-BAT, a compact pickup that reminded me a lot of an El Camino that got zapped into the future. Subaru tried a similar platform a few years ago with the Baja, so I'll be curious to see how much of the A-BAT ever sees the light of day.
For my money, though, the concept car of the show could be the Nissan Forum. To call the Forum a van wouldn't really be accurate, but it's more like a van than anything else.
There are other stand-out elements, though. For one, the seats in the Forum are nicer than the furniture most people have in their houses.
The second-row bucket seats are separated by a console that drops into the floor when not in use. Once that console is in place, the entire second row — two seats and the console — can rotate on a turntable to face the third row of seats.
Like having a sunroof? The Forum has an entirely glass roof over the passenger compartment.
And as a parent, I loved the steering wheel-mounted "time out" button that kills the radio and video player when the little ones aren't on their best behavior.
Out of dozens of concept vehicles, the Forum had the most "why didn't I think of that" elements I hope actually make it to the road.
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