New model reveals by Lexus, Buick, Honda steal Detroit auto show

Driverless cars and active safety features charmed audiences at the 2016 North American International Auto Show, which kicked off here Monday.

Bevin’s office says the governor is traveling to Detroit on Tuesday to speak with auto industry leaders at the event. Might cross-town rivals at Chrysler and General Motors have another top-secret vehicle tucked away somewhere in Cobo Hall…we’ll know soon enough!

Keep an eye on Freep.com all day for full info, photos and videos of these and all the other new cars and trucks debuting at the show.

2015 was a great year for automakers, with vehicle sales topping 17 million and surpassing the record set in 2000.

President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit the show next week, a trip which would serve to remind how his administration helped rescue the industry from a devastating collapse during the economic crisis in 2009.

By all means, let’s enjoy the Detroit auto show. “From developing lightweight manufacturing materials to pioneering connected and autonomous vehicle communications systems, the American auto industry is shaping the way we will get around for decades to come”.

One of the early debuts happened overnight, as Chrysler unveiled photos of its new minivan, the Pacifica. The Detroit News’ Daniel Howes has a column today saying that the automotive future is even more unpredictable than ever.

The contrast will be stark between last week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where autonomous driving took center stage as GM and Ford announced new high-tech initiatives, and the display of traditional heavy metal in Detroit. “You have plenty of people willing to not only buy a new auto, but maybe buy a more expensive vehicle, and/or a less fuel-efficient auto, than they normally would have”. There were a number of newsworthy unveilings and announcements at CES, ones which in years past would have likely appeared at an actual auto show.

Scott Keogh, president of Audi of America, said his company has experienced its sixth-straight year of increased sales – including its second 100,000-sale year in five years. Sales were up by almost 6 percent. That downturn accelerated muchneeded restructuring at the Detroit Three carmakers, which are now producing far more attractive vehicles with significantly lower operating costs. This is the first vehicle from Volvo to win an award since the company was purchased by Chinese automaker Geely during the recession. A hybrid version gets up to 80 miles per gallon. Mercedes will also try to steal the spotlight by revealing its new E class luxury sedan at a party Sunday night. These cars are among the best-selling vehicles on the market, and a new Fusion sedan is not likely to steal sales from the sport utility vehicles. As Hyundai and Kia moved upmarket with SUVs and luxury sedans, the only thing that seemed to hold them back was having a mass market badge on a premium product – think along the lines of what VW dealt with years ago, when pitching the $100K Phaeton.