2006 North American International Auto Show Roundup: Day Two

Written By: MyRide.com
Reprinted under license.

American icons and mainstream Asians dominate in Detroit
Iconic Americans and mainstream Asians dominated the news from the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Monday, a day which began with Lincoln claiming that it had "no aspirations to compete on the world stage." Wait, that's quoted somewhat out of context. Anne Stevens, Ford Motor Company executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Americas, kicked off Monday's round of 14 press conferences by claiming that Lincolns are a reward for people with American values who've achieved the American dream but don't wish to flaunt their success in an ostentatious manner. The battle for this customer is on American soil, and Stevens therefore theorizes that Lincolns should be designed for this buyer. But Anne, Lincolns still need to compete in terms of value, performance, refinement, sophistication, durability, and desirability with the best the world has to offer. Take the blinders off, and build something that kicks butt everywhere, not just in Detroit. Otherwise, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Acura, Infiniti, and Lexus are going to continue eating your lunch.

Hope for the domestic auto industry did arrive later in the day, taking the form of the 2007 Jeep Wrangler and the Chevrolet Camaro Concept. Though both look like decades-old models, one is retro, one is not. The 2007 Jeep Wrangler sticks to the same seven-slot grille, dual headlights, trapezoidal fenders, and removable doors year in and year out, so it's not actually retro, though the styling elements of the new Wrangler can be traced back to the 1941 Willys MB. Chrysler executives, however, did go retro with a 14-year-old stunt during the Wrangler's introduction, driving the Jeep through a plate glass window at Detroit's Cobo Hall and parking it across the street atop a man-made "Jeep Mountain" as a display. Highlights of the redesigned 2007 Jeep Wrangler include greater off-roading capability, better on-road ride and handling, a more spacious and comfortable interior, and refinements in terms of power, safety, and features. We'd bet, however, that the soft top is still a pain in the butt to drop...and raise.

Chevrolet wowed the crowd with a parade of vintage Camaros, rumbling and burbling and revving along "Main Street," drenching the crowd in exhaust fumes before GM product guru Bob Lutz cruised the new Chevrolet Camaro Concept to its perch on a rotating stand. Featuring interior and exterior design cues culled from the 1967-69 original, the Chevy Camaro Concept is at once instantly reminiscent of times gone by and immediately contemporary, a deft blend of classic styling elements and modern forms that clearly announces that the car is a Camaro, but with technologically advanced engineering under the skin. The Chevy Camaro Concept has a Corvette-sourced 400-horse V8, a 30-mpg highway fuel economy rating, room for four, and a real trunk. No official decision has been made to build this thing, but GM would be remiss if it passed on the opportunity.

Jeep and Chevrolet weren't the only ones in on the retro act. Iconic British automaker Mini, today owned by Germany's BMW, showed the Concept Detroit, a longer wheelbase Cooper with added rear seat and cargo room. Mini once sold a similar model back in the 1960s, and since the standard Cooper is tight on space, the Concept Detroit would make a swell addition to the lineup. Groovy, baby. And Volvo looks back to the stylish P1800 ES sports wagon for themes that translate to the upcoming C30 hatchback, arriving as a production model for 2008 and which will take on the Mini Cooper and revitalized Volkswagen GTI for hottest affordable Euro-hatch honors.

Retro fantasies satisfied, attention turns to the kinds of cars that most people buy most of the time. Nissan pulled the cover back on a completely revamped Sentra, the only model in the company lineup that hadn't been redesigned since Carlos Ghosn took control and made Nissan profitable again. Originally, this car was supposed to arrive as a 2005, but when customer clinics panned the design, Ghosn sent the Sentra back to the drawing board. The second try results in a mini-Maxima, an extremely handsome small car with more than a dash of European flair - and not only because it's built on a Renault platform. With the new Nissan Versa sliding into the entry-level spot in Nissan's lineup, the 2007 Nissan Sentra goes upscale into Mazda 3 territory. A hot-rodded SE-R model will arrive within a year after launch.

Acura showed off its new crossover sport utility (CUV). This is the hottest segment of the marketplace right now, and the Acura RDX Prototype - the third "concept" on this theme in as many years - goes head-to-head with the 2007 Mazda CX-7. It's on the small side, with room for five, and a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine drives all four wheels through Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive system. The blown motor makes 240 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, a little less grunt but a little more twist than the Mazda.

Kia debuted a small concept CUV called the Soul, which looked pretty slick, but the bigger news was the redesigned 2007 Kia Optima. Larger, more powerful, more refined, and more stylish, the new Optima is going to give plenty of midsize sedans a run for the money, especially with its 10-year/100,00-mile powertrain warranty. And if the Kia Optima's pricing structure is anything like that of its corporate stablemate, the Hyundai Sonata, Honda, Nissan, and Toyota ought to be worried.

Of course, Toyota's new Camry might be worth paying the premium. Completely redesigned, the 2007 Toyota Camry is bigger and more comfortable inside without growing outside, and is stylishly upscale without being pretentious - which is what Lincoln is hoping to peddle for thousands more. Toyota likes to think that the new Camry's styling breaks the car out of the Vanilla freezer at 31 Flavors, but at best it lands in the French Vanilla bin at Coldstone Creamery, which means it's mighty tasty even if it is still predictably dull. People looking for added Camry pizzazz can choose a sport-tuned SE version, and a four-cylinder Hybrid model that Toyota expects to deliver 43 mpg in the city will be on sale by summertime.

The Toyota Camry is the most popular passenger car in America. In fact, it has been developed specifically for Americans, was designed by Americans, and is built in America. Yet, it competes on the global stage in terms of refinement, reliability, and quality. These are lessons Lincoln needs to learn before it hemorrhages even more market share than it already has. Haven't the talking heads in Dearborn noticed that it was only after Cadillac and Chrysler designed, developed, and debuted vehicles that could be sold all over the globe with equal appeal that sales soared? Lincoln needs a Cadillac CTS or Chrysler 300, something ground-breaking, something distinctive, something desirable. A Buick-inspired body with Acura-imitation lights and a Lincoln waterfall grille just ain't gonna cut it.

--- Christian Wardlaw

Photos by Ron Perry

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