Ask The Experts: 2016 Detroit Auto Show

The mass-market brand of General Motors has delivered the Bolt EV production version to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit complete with the crucial performance specifications of the 2017 model year version. They warned that, in addition to technical issues, there are legal issues to be dealt with.

In a show where the cars are undoubtedly the stars, Chrysler hogged a good chuck of the automotive spotlight with the debut of its new minivan, ditching the iconic “Town & Country” nameplate for an arguably less iconic, but still familiar “Pacifica” instead. For a variety of reasons cars don’t get built. Now that gas is hovering around $2 per gallon, auto companies are having a hard time selling fuel-efficient small cars, hybrids and electrics. They note that they aren’t responsible for changes in gas prices.

More recently, Lexus reportedly trademarked the LC 500 and LC 500h names, suggesting that the petrol-only variant would utilise the 5.0 litre V8 from the RC F, the first non-F, non-hybrid model to use it. It’s the hybrid version that we’re interested in, as it would mark a departure from the previous petrol-electric powertrain combinations of the GS 450h and LS 600h.

One of the early debuts happened overnight, as Chrysler unveiled photos of its new minivan, the Pacifica.

Foxx will visit Detroit about a week before President Barack Obama is expected at the show on January 20, in part to celebrate the city’s revival and the bounce-back of auto industry since the $85 billion auto industry bailout. “The American market is a healthy market, compared with what we’ve seen over the past 15 years, it’s no longer a market where we were concerned about the sustainability of growth”, Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn said.

“Every automaker here at the show is launching some form of cool technology inside the vehicles, whether it’s adaptive cruise control or Smart Stop Technology, or even utilizing 3-D printing to print out and create the interior of your vehicle”, said Michael Caudill, a US automotive expert.

A fuel cell concept auto from Audi seeks to offer power and range with the convenience of quick fueling. Auto sales hit a 27-year low in 2009, but last year “they hit an all-time high”, he said. But the growth will be modest, he says.

A slowing economy has made some in the industry uncomfortable, he said, but he believes incentives will increase to meet manufacturing demand.

Buick’s concept vehicle, the Avista, is displayed Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016, in Detroit.

Nadine will be covering all the major auto show news.

He told reporters at a lavish party unveiling the new Mercedes E-Class luxury sedan that in contrast to “some German automakers”, Santa Claus “left a lot of candy in our stockings” in 2015. Thanks to upgraded semi-autonomous driving capabilities, the E-Class can change lanes by itself, maintain a safe distance from the auto in front at speeds of up to 130 miles per hour and stay in semi-autonomous mode even if lane markings are obscured. A new pothole detection system can quickly adjust the shock absorbers to minimize the impact.