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North American International Auto Show Flagged Off
More concept cars are appearing at the NAIAS than in previous years, but they all tend to be lightly veiled versions of production cars—no truly "out-there" concepts showing possible design themes, material directions, etc., have been present for some time. Thus the latest concepts are more a peek into the market a few years down the road instead of blue-sky ideas that will never reach production. What is becoming very apparent is that the Japanese automakers no longer have an edge on technology over American and South Korean competitors.
High-tech powertrains are arriving on nearly all new models from Ford and Hyundai/Kia, promising serious gains in fuel economy and emissions output without the sacrifice in power and performance that European customers have had to tolerate over the decades. If the show is anything to judge by, this truly will be the "Year of Ford"—the buzz at the company's stand is palpable, with new products now dominating the floor where just two years ago tired, outdated offerings sat. Winning the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards is a big indicator of Ford's new-found competitiveness, and the known list of new products coming from the company this year will be formidable, providing a significant challenge for other automakers in the market.
Passenger cars are the stars of the NAIAS this year in a big way—no new trucks are being introduced at this year's show (aside from a top trim level on the GMC Acadia, the Denali), a remarkable change from recent years when the American and Japanese automakers introduced bigger, thirstier, heavier vehicles in an attempt to chase profits. The recession's effect on conspicuous consumption however seems to have dampened desire for flashy trucks as personal transportation, and a renewed interest in fuel economy and high technology is driving the return to passenger cars.
But these new small cars are different from any that have come before them in the American market: they have a decidedly premium feel, with upmarket interiors and expensive onboard infotainment systems that would have been unthinkable in small cars just five years ago. While small premium vehicles have been common in Europe for some time, the small equals cheap mentality of the U.S.market has always prevented such vehicles from arriving there. This is about to end however, and one can point to the success of the new Mini Cooper as the reason why. That vehicle proved that Americans will accept smaller, more expensive vehicles if they truly deliver on style and content.
Add much more stringent corporate average fuel economy standards into the mix and a recession triggered partly by fuel price volatility, and the market now seems ready to accept a Ford Focus equipped and styled in ways that would have been more Acura or Audi than more mass-market Ford. Time will tell if American consumers will accept all of these new smaller, more expensive, better-equipped vehicles in large quantities, but make no mistake: they are definitely coming.
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