The arrival of the Chicago Auto Show is always a great way to kick off a new year. This particular auto show, 2010, is extra special because it also kicks off a new decade.
My immediate feeling about leaving the last 10 years in the rearview mirror, especially the last 16 months, is “good riddance.”
With the bankruptcy of two of the Big Three domestic manufacturers, the worldwide impact of an American economy in deep recession and the continued volatile nature of fuel prices, it would be hard to have a bright outlook for the short-term future, unless, of course, you are the automotive industry.
This is an industry that has seen hard times before, seen escalating fuel prices crush long-term projects with millions invested and an industry that knows no way to look – other than forward. The willingness of General Motors to shed the Pontiac and Saturn brands to move forward in a new age of worldwide competition in a new decade is a perfect example of automakers doing whatever it takes to keep going and to keep competing.
This is a glass-half-full industry on parade at the Chicago Auto Show (Feb. 12-21). It would be difficult to ignore some of the signposts that have been created in the last year. From the 2009 sales figures, which are the worst since 1982, or the Detroit Three’s staggering losses of American market share, the last year has been all about saving – and a lot less about growing.
Unless, you happen to be Hyundai or Kia, which managed to crack the 2009 top seven sales leaders list, falling just shy of Nissan. Back in 1999, you would have been hard pressed to convince me either of those Korean brands could achieve such lofty goals. But Hyundai and Kia have become major players worldwide and they are brands every automaker must heed.
Could you have imagined the new Equus, which will be on the floor at the Chicago Auto Show, a $50,000-plus sedan – from Hyundai? Could you have foreseen the sudden emergence of the electric vehicle, which will be quite evident at this year’s auto show? Look for them in virtually every corner of the floor.
These are strange days indeed with systems like Kia’s new UVO and Ford’s SYNC making connectivity to your car take on a whole new meaning. Muscle cars are still in the spotlight on the showroom floor and they sit directly across from electric vehicles. That’s called transition or evolution or change – which is constant in the auto industry.
With all the hybrid and plug-in mania at this year’s show, leave it to Cadillac to deliver us a gorgeous CTS-V Coupe featuring a 6.2-liter V-8 with 556 horsepower and 0-60 in 3.9 seconds. No doubt, there will be a plug-in capable of reaching those marks in no time. Some other highlights to look for at this year’s show include the return of the Regal nameplate, more touch panels and LCD screens, and fewer buttons and dials.
It will be a long time before the industry is able, or willing, to completely trade off rpms for mpgs, but one thing is for certain, if it comes down to profitability and survival – they will do what they have to do to live to fight another day.
