Top car, truck/utility to be selected at Detroit auto show

The show opens to the public on Saturday.

That sound of engines revving? The stop at the show is part of a trip to Detroit to highlight the revival of the city and the auto industry since the $85 million auto industry bailout.

Government financing saved several manufacturers from shutdown and now, seven years later, a revitalized – albeit leaner – auto industry is on display at the 2016 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan.

Nadine will be covering all the major auto show news. CEO Mark Fields said Ford will continue to manufacture and sell cars as it traditionally has, but will also turn itself into a “mobility” provider through a network of apps and services that offer ride-sharing, transportation assistance, and new types of vehicle leasing, for example. “This may be the first minivan that you drive that the kids will let you pick them up at the front of the movie theater”, Kuniskis says of the Pacifica, Chrysler’s first new minivan in eight years.

Minivan mystery: What will Chrysler call its new minivan, and what new technologies will it use to reignite excitement in the classic family hauler? But there will be some flashier cars, too.

As the Free Press reported this week, it’s hard to argue that the turnaround since then isn’t complete, with USA auto sales setting a record in 2015 and the Detroit Three each having banner years. Automakers have moved to new spots and spent $200 million on flashy new displays. Bevin says the show is an opportunity to promote Kentucky to some of the auto industry’s most influential leaders. A new mobile app will help guide visitors around and flash information about cars to them through electronic beacons placed throughout the floor.

What was teased on day one of the Detroit Auto Show?

Jaguar, Land Rover, and BMW’s Mini brand have also ducked out, though Aston Martin will return to the show for the first time since 2009.

In February 2012, the President endorsed the gas-electric Chevrolet Volt, saying he planned to buy the extended-range electric vehicle upon leaving office.

The mood in Detroit is upbeat, following a record 2015 for sales that has created an everybody-wins dynamic among automakers. But automakers are still exploring alternatives to gas-powered vehicles, partly because they have to meet higher fuel economy standards. The company will also sell a plug-in hybrid version.

Most agree that autonomous driving technology – the stuff of self-driving vehicles already in testing – is the force most likely to significantly change how people get around. General Motors is touting its new Chevrolet Bolt as the auto of the future, with some impressive credentials.