The major auto show circuit will end with a bang at the
2015 New York International Auto Show, which runs from Friday, April 3 to Sunday Apriil 12 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
The
show boasts 18 international product debuts and will give automakers
one last surge of buzz before new models start rolling off the stage and
into showrooms. While performance and luxury cars dominated the Los
Angeles Auto Show in late November and the North American International
Auto Show in Detroit, the New York Show is shaping up to be a blend of
performance with the mainstream consumer appeal of the Chicago Auto Show
from February.
With an estimated 1,000 vehicles on display at
950,000 square feet of space, the Show mirrors the scope of the Chicago
show but with a more international profile and a greater sheen. Here are
15 for 2015.
1)
2016 Mitsubishi Outlander:
It may be the car to rescue Mitsubishi from irrelevance in the U.S.
The seven-passenger Outlander small SUV was just redesigned in 2014, but
it is getting a quick update to make improvements suggested by
customers and dealers. Changes include more a rigid body and suspension,
electric power steering, noise-isolating windshield and rear door
glass, and increased sound insulation. The SUV also gets a new
continuously variable transmission that keeps the motor revving at the
most efficient speed. Outlander sales rose 6 percent in the U.S. to just
over 13,000 last year, about one-sixth of Mitsubishi's total. The
refreshed version is due in showrooms in July. Mitsubishi says it hopes
to hold pricing steady. The current Outlander starts around $23,000.
Tribune autos edtior emeritus Mateja wrote of the outlook for the Outlander in his
review of the 2015 model:
"Mitsubishi is optimistic because its best-selling nameplate is the
Outlander Sport compact crossover that seats five, and its three-row
companion Outlander that seats seven. All new versions of both are
coming soon, including a plug-in gas/electric version, and the full-size
Montero crossover last offered in 2006, is expected to rejoin the
family soon, in both gas and plug-in versions."
2)
2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid:
Toyota is bringing a gas-electric hybrid to the hot-selling small SUV
market with a version of the RAV4 being unveiled in New York. Like all
RAV4 models, the hybrid gets a sleeker exterior and improved materials
on the inside. Toyota promises more horsepower and better gas mileage
and acceleration than the current gas-powered RAV4s. Mileage and pricing
weren't released. The current RAV4 with a 2.5-Liter four-cylinder
engine gets 23 mpg in the city and 30 on the highway and starts around
$24,000. Building off the defining success of the Prius, Toyota says it
will offer a hybrid variant of every model by 2020, according to
John Voelcker in Green Car Reports. The 2016 RAV4 Hybrid will be Toyota's eighth hybrid model when it goes on sale in the fall.
3)
2016 Nissan Maxima:
Similar to the Sport Sedan concept that debuted at the 2014 auto show in
Detroit, the eighth generation of the full-size sedan has the sporty,
carved-out styling of Nissan's other new models, like the Murano
crossover. It sits lower and wider than the previous generation. Under
the hood sits an updated, 300-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine and a new
transmission. The new version drops 82 pounds of weight and Nissan
estimates highway fuel economy will increase to 30 mpg. Inside, a 7-inch
driver display can show navigation, speed and audio controls
simultaneously. The highest Platinum trim level has a segment-first
system that provides audible and visual warnings to drowsy drivers. The
2016 Maxima goes on sale this summer. Pricing hasn't been announced, but
the current Maxima starts at $31,290.
4)
2016 Honda Civic concept:
The concept that portends the fully-redesigned tenth-generation Civic
compact due out in late 2015 may have won the first day of the press
preview at NYIAS. The lime green sporty car will be offered as a coupe,
sedan and 5-dr hatch, and in several trims, including the high(er)
performance Type R, which is a first for the U.S. market. Reactions on
Twitter ranged from "Holy S#!@ this car is super green!" to "...is your
average neon green turbocharged show stealer." After faltering with a
noisy, cheap-feeling Civic five years ago, Honda has invested the time
and resources to endear the car with fanboys and girls once again. This
Civic is a crucial vehicle for Honda because it accounts for nearly a
quarter of the brand’s annual sales in the U.S. The body styles and trim
levels reinforce that Honda is aiming for a global audience spanning
demographic lines.
5)
2016 Kia Optima:
Kia is being cautious with the 2016 Optima midsize sedan, not wanting to
mess with its best-selling model. The new Optima is longer and wider,
giving it more interior space and more cargo room in the trunk. It's
also stiffer, for better ride and handling. The big changes are on the
dashboard. AndroidTM Auto and Apple CarPlay allow drivers to access core
functions from their phones on the car's display screens. There is a
new 1.6-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine with 178 horsepower, and
Kia's first-ever seven-speed transmission. The car goes on sale at the
end of this year. The current Optima starts at $21,690.
6)
2016 Chevy Malibu:
Chevy unveiled the ninth generation of the Malibu midsize sedan.
Dwarfed by more daring and handsome midsize sedans, the most notable
improvement on the Malibu comes from the efficient engine offerings. The
base powerplant is a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a
six-speed automatic transmission that gets 37 miles per gallon on the
highway. The car also has an optional 2.0 liter turbocharged
four-cylinder engine paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission
that gets 33 miles per gallon on the highway.
But the Malibu
hybrid, which is based on the plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt's propulsion
system, gets 48 mpg city, 45 mpg highway and 47 mpg combined, according
to GM President Dan Ammann. Car shoppers can't afford to overlook the
Malibu with those specs.
7)
2016 Cadillac CT6:
The CT6 has generated more buzz and speculation than the Continental. While the 2017 CTS-V blew
the roof off the Detroit Auto Show with a 6.2-liter supercharged V-8
engine generating 640 horsepower and 630 pound-feet of torque--the
fastest in Cadillac's 112-year history--the CT6 is a fleet-footed
full-size sedan.
The CT6 is a lightweight, rear-wheel-drive
performance sedan with three engine options, the most powerful is a
3-liter, twin-turbo V-6 engine offering 400 horsepower and 400
pound-feet of torque. At under 3,700 pounds -- the result of new
automotive technology that allows engineers to more freely join aluminum
and steel chassis parts -- the CT6 gets more power and better fuel
economy from its engines.
8)
2016 Lincoln Continental concept:
Announced early Monday morning, the return of the Continental as
Lincoln's flagship sedan was the tweet of the town. Last produced in
2002, the production version goes on sale next year with a decidedly
eastern ambition. Ford is pushing Lincoln into China, where the
full-size Continental resonates as a stately symbol of luxury. Lincoln
is on the right path after a decade of being overshadowed by imports and
upscale models with a clearer identity. The Continental aims to
recapture Lincoln's heritage and build off the 16 percent sales growth
in the U.S. last year. It'll be powered by a 3-liter V-6 EcoBoost, but
we haven't heard much else. It's expected to replace the MKS.
9)
2016 Lexus RX:
Toyota's luxury brand revamps the top-selling luxury SUV in the U.S. for
2016. The RX gets a new aerodynamic look, an updated engine and a more
spacious and luxurious interior. The sleeker outside makes the SUV
quieter and more sure-footed at highway speeds, according to Lexus. The
company says it upgraded the 3.5-Liter V6, pushing horsepower from 270
to 300. A new eight-speed automatic transmission boosts gas mileage.
Lexus sold more than 107,000 RXs last year, up 3.4 percent from a year
ago. The new RX goes on sale late this year. Pricing and fuel economy
were not announced, but the RX 350 now starts around $41,000.
10)
2016 Jaguar XF:
The
sexy Jaguar XF sedan gets a makeover to look more like a coupe.
Additional aluminum lightens the car by up to 265 pounds. The second
generation of the car also gets a new supercharged V6 engine with 340
horsepower and 380 horsepower ratings. An updated suspension is designed
to give the XF a more comfy ride, yet better handling than the current
model. With an eight-speed automatic transmission, it can go from 0-60
mph in 5.1 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph. The
current model starts around $50,000. The XF goes on sale in the winter
of 2015.
11)
2016 Porsche Boxster Spyder:
The 3.8-Liter, 375 horsepower flat six engine in the topless Boxster
Spyder is the fastest and most powerful Boxster ever. The car, with wide
use of aluminum to make it lighter, can go from zero-to-60 in 3.8
seconds. That beats the 4.7 seconds of the Boxster GTS, currently at the
top of the Boxster lineup. The sculpted mid-engine two-seat Spyder also
has a top speed of 180 miles per hour. The Boxster Spyder starts at
$82,100. Orders are being taken now in the U.S., Porsche's largest
market. But it will take four to five months for delivery.
12)
McLaren 570 S Coupe:
Consider it a first for the British supercar maker: an entry-level
McLaren coupe, for an estimated $185,000. The Sport Series line
represents a more accessible and road legal McLaren with a
power-to-weight ratio that McLaren calls class leading. The mid-mounted
3.8-liter twin-turbo V-8 makes 562 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of
torque, all wrapped in a lightweight carbon fiber structure. It goes
0-62 mph in 3.2 seconds.
13)
2016 Chevy Spark:
The subcompact pod gets a dual release in New York and Seoul, Korea,
where the city car came to life in 1998 and is its most popular market.
Since Chevy took over the nameplate from Daewoo, and globally relaunched
the 3rd generation as the Spark for model year 2009, it has sold 1.1
million around the world. It's going to get a "sleeker, more aerodynamic
profile" but will likely be budget-minded and tech-connected as the
model that gets young urban buyers into the brand. That is especially
important as Chevy ramps up its electrification program with the
relaunched 2016 Volt, the second generation of the compact plug-in
hybrid, and the all-electric Bolt, due out in 2017 and expected to get a
200-mile range. The electric Spark is limited to California and Oregon,
but might be phased out. The 2015 gas model gets 31 mog city, 39
highway.
14)
2016 Ford Focus RS:
The third generation Ford Focus RS (Rallye Sport) will debut for the
first time in the U.S. in 2016 as part of Ford Performance, which will
bring a total of 12 new performance vehicles to market by 2020.
It's
all built on the back of the EcoBoost direct-injection, turbo-charged
engine design. The all-wheel-drive RS will have an all-aluminum
2.3-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost engine producing "in excess" of 315
horsepower. Enhancements include a twin-scroll turbocharger to eliminate
lag. The all-wheel-drive system with dynamic torque vectoring can
deliver 70 percent of the drive torque to the rear axle, helping to
eliminate undesteer and making boomeranging in and out of corners a
promised blast.
15)
2016 Scion iM hatchback and iA sedan:
The iM will be a small hatchback/station wagon mashup based on the
existing Toyota Auris that’s already sold abroad. Powertrain details
will be announced during its debut, but the iM is expected to have a
naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine and front-wheel-drive. Scion
debuted a concept of the iM at the L.A. Auto Show in November.
