Look out over the horizon. Look out west over the Appalachian mountains and over your giant kids jungle toy. See that bright light, it's the Detroit Auto Show, also known as the North American International Auto Show. It is a pretty big deal because it is the first auto show of the year and it is where every car company displays their wares. A showroom floor, several football fields in size, that displays the vehicles coming available as well as those seemingly one-step away from a daydream.
Often it is hard to tell the difference. What looks good on the showroom floor or in a magazine article may never see the light of day. Concept cars are what they are usually called and while intriguing, one never knows if they will hit the showroom floor or your driveway. That’s the beauty of it; what will these auto companies conjure up next and how much will it set me back?
I have covered several Detroit Auto shows, err sorry..North American International Auto Shows and I look forward to this year covering the Philadelphia Auto Show. Look for a SUV report right here at some point. What appears clear to me with reports coming out of Detroit is that crossovers and small cars are top of mind, while the news on our prefered mode of transport-- the SUV, are not as robust and not as exciting. How times have changed. SUVs just don’t make the kinds of headlines they used to out of these shows.
Is it the gas prices? Could be, but gas prices have leveled off and people are used to the cost by now. Is it the sexiness of eco-boosted vehicles? Sure, organic living is mainstream now and having an eco focus is much easier as the prices to access this kind of lifestyle are much cheaper than ever before. So, it does stand to reason that SUVs would be overshadowed by advances in green sedans and crossovers at the Detroit Auto Show. Sorry, I mean the North American. oh forget it…
But I, for one, care about SUVs and there were a few items trickling out of the D that got my attention. First, who would have thunk that Maserati, of all makes, would dare to dive into the SUV game? I had no clue but it seems that Maserati fans and owners have been clamoring for a very high end SUV! I am not at polo matches or African safaris so I was not in loop. Fiat, the parent of Maserati and majority owner of Chrysler, will make it happen for this consumer. If you are in the luxury space, please know the name Kubang is what they are using for this SUV right now. Don't freak out. It sounds like it will change before it hits our shores. Kubang doesn’t quite strike the right chord now does it?
The Kubang debuted last week around the Detroit auto show and I hope it makes the trip to Philadelphia for our auto show because I have to get in this thing. Looks nice, tight and fast. It looks more like a car than a truck based SUV, but that doesn't bother me if it is worth the cash that Fiat/ Maserati will demand. Apparently, it will be built on the Jeep Grand Cherokee platform, which will make it large but not gargantuan like a Chevy Suburban, which I loved this year, or the Nissan Armada. And, in an interesting twist, it will be imported from Detroit, to coin Chrysler’s phrase.
From the pictures coming out of the Detroit auto show the Kubang has a great look. Sitting high up on the awesome tires, it looks hefty and strong. The front end looks brawny, with a big, wide mouth ready to chew up and spit out a Fiat 500. By the looks of the photos, I am reminded of the Porsche Cayenne and a touch of the Infinity FX35. The hind end is rounded and sleek with what looks to be similar dimensions to the Jeep's back end. I would expect that this SUV will have a beefy V8 and will be a welcome high-end competitor to the Range Rover series and the Porsche Cayenne.
Another interesting tidbit to come out of Detroit, as we look forward to the Philadelphia Auto show, is that Buick is making a smaller version of its Enclave. This is scary because the Enclave was one of the most disappointing SUVs I drove last year. The vehicle was nowhere near as good, or as luxurious as they claimed it was. GM charged a premium for mediocrity. Everything from the weaker-than-most engine to flimsy back lift gate failed to impress. And to see them make the Enclave into a smaller version to compete with the Rav4 and others, well it’s just shocking.
Now, here is the best part. GM is calling it...wait for it... The Encore! As in, "you asked for more and here it is". As in "don’t stop clapping, we know we kicked ass and you need one more song before you hit the doors!” Please, they need a new profit center and something that brings big margins in a smaller SUV crossover. It is slated to get about 30 mpg, just like a lot of better smaller SUVs. Shop around and let me know if what Buick has in store is better than what you can find in a Honda CRV, Toyota RAV4 or even a BMW X3. Sure the prices may end up being slightly higher on the foreign models, but I am willing to bet the quality will be more than worth it.
But, maybe Buick will prove me wrong when I see it in person at the Philadelphia Auto Show later this month. I am also looking forward to seeing the 2012 Nissan Pathfinder concept that looks very nice from the photos. More refined and much closer in look to the Ford Explorer, and represents a departure from the boxier look they sell now. Hope to see you there!
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