In Pictures
Top 10 cars from the New York auto show
JEREMY CATO
Globe and Mail Update
Published
Last updated
There was still plenty of excitement at the New York auto show, even if many premieres happened in Shanghai first.
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2012 Volkswagen Beetle
More power, less flower is the theme of the new Beetle. In other words, VW is pushing the 2012 Bug as a more manly ride. Chick car? Not so much.
Here’s what VW wants to fix with the ’12 Beetle: In 2010, according to automotive research firm TrueCar, 60.6 per cent of all U.S. Beetle buyers were women. No model has a higher percentage of female buyers. VW is aiming for a 50-50 split, men and women. Therefore, the optional flower vase will be played down with VW instead playing up the rear spoiler and a “powerful appearance with muscular tension.” The top-end TSI model will have 2.0-litre, 200-horsepower turbocharged engine.
Still, VW has some work to do. As more than one expert says, it will be tough to reinvent Herbie the Love Bug for a macho audience. The old New Beetle was launched in 1998, with more than 200,000 sold in the U.S. that year. Sales have since fallen off in part because 2012 marks the model’s first major upgrade.
For more photos of the 2012 Beetle, click here: First photos of the redesigned 2012 VW Beetle
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2012 Subaru Impreza
The redesigned Impreza sedan and four-door hatchback go on sale in the fall, says Ted Lalka, Subaru Canada vice-president of product planning and marketing. In New York, company officials said the car will have a highway fuel-economy rating of 36 mpg, highest of any all-wheel-drive car sold in North America.
It will also have “a roomier interior and improved levels of comfort and refinement.” Under the hood will be Subaru's new-generation four-cylinder boxer engine, which will be offered in displacements of 2.0 and 2.5 litres. Subaru said output on the 2.0 engine remains the same, at 146 horsepower, while torque climbs from 141 to 145 pound-feet.
A version of the same boxer engine will power Subaru's new rear-wheel-drive sports car previewed at the recent 2011 Geneva Auto Show.
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2013 Chevrolet Malibu
Reports say production of the 2013 Malibu will begin in January, rather than in May, 2012. This according to the reported wishes of GM CEO Dan Akerson who is driving GM to get new high-volume models to market quicker.
GM previously said the new Malibu will use the same platform as the Buick Regal and, as like with the Regal, a range of four-cylinder engines will be offered. GM plans to sell the Malibu in nearly 100 countries on six continents. It will be built in China and the United States. It will be the first mid-size Chevrolet to be sold globally.
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2011 KiaSorento SX— Kia
2011 Kia Sorento SX
The 2011 crossover is the first Kia built at the Korean company’s new factory in West Point, Ga. The Sorento SX now occupies the position as the top trim level.
Kia says the SX is powered by a 276-horsepower, 3.5-litre V-6 engine, coupled to a six-speed automatic transmission and available with two- or four-wheel-drive. A slightly lower ride height, 18-inch wheels and Dual Flow Damper shock absorbers are standard.
Inside, Kia has leather seats, a premium Infinity sound system, back-up camera, navigation and Kia’s new UVO infotainment system.
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2011 Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible premiere in Goodwood— Bentley
2011 Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible
The Supersports Convertible made its global debut during the Geneva auto show in March. New York was its North American unveiling.
This is Bentley’s “fastest, most potent convertible ever,” according to a company news release. A turbocharged, 6.0-litre W-12 engine delivers 621 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. Bentley also says this is the “fastest four-seat convertible in the world,” with a 0-100 km/h time of 4.1 seconds.
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2013 Ford Taurus
A restyled Taurus sedan will go on sale in about a year, less than four years after the current Taurus went on sale. It will be the first vehicle in Ford’s lineup to offer two direct-injection turbocharged EcoBoost engine choices.
Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice-president of global product development, said the message he wants to get across is that Ford is accelerating new-model launches. A three- to three-and-a-half year product cycle will become Ford's norm going forward, Kuzak said. “One of the biggest determinants of market share is freshness of your product lineup. The fresher it is the more your customers agree to go to your showroom,” Kuzak said.
He also said many Ford products eventually will offer two EcoBoost engine choices, with 90 per cent of Ford’s North American lineup offering an EcoBoost engine by 2013. “The Taurus is more than just a car for us,” Kuzak said. “It's our flagship sedan.”
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2012 Hyundai Accent
Hyundai America touted a third model for its stable of 40 mpg cars at the New York show with the rollout of the 2012 Accent subcompact. The others: the Elantra compact and Sonata mid-size sedan hybrid. A fourth, the Veloster sporty coupe, arrives this summer. The Accent goes on sale next month.
Hyundai America CEO John Krafcik hammered the Hyundai theme that its 40 mpg cars “have no asterisk” – the ratings are for standard models, not specially equipped or extra-price versions of the car.
The new Accent has the swoopy design language we’ve already seen in the Elantra and Sonata. The cabin is also similar to what we’re seen in the recent Hyundais – that is, it’s a huge step up from the present model.
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Scion FR-S Concept
Scion is planning to sell a production version of this sexy two-door with the Subaru boxer engine, rear-wheel drive and perfect weight balance. It will come with either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission.
Who remembers the last time Toyota sold a rear-wheel-drive car? It was a long, long time ago in what seems like a galaxy far, far away.
The FR-S name stands for “front engine, rear-wheel-drive, sport.” This collaboration between Toyota and Subaru hasn’t been a secret; the question has been would it have a Toyota badge or something else. Well, it will be a Scion. Officials say the car will be the spiritual successor to the AE86 Corolla.
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2012 Chrysler 300
Chrysler said it will offer three new 300 models, including a performance SRT8 version Chrysler calls “the king of the lineup.”
The SRT8 “street machine” will have a 6.4-litre Hemi V-8 pumping out 465 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. Chrysler projects the SRT8’s performance at 0-100 km/h at less than five seconds. It will also be equipped with Brembo brakes.
Also coming: an upscale 300C Executive Series billed as the “most luxurious Chrysler sedan ever.” And a sportier 300S model will target younger buyers and have the first auto offering of the hot Beats by Dr. Dre-brand audio, a 10-speaker system with trunk-mounted sub-woofer.
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BMW ActiveE 1-Series coupe
BMW says the ActiveE will be “100 per cent electric and 100 per cent BMW.” And it will go about 160 km on a charge, the auto maker says.
If the ActiveE coupe is successful, BMW is expected to follow in 2013 with an electric vehicle designed from scratch to run on battery power, using a lightweight aluminum chassis and a strong, light carbon-fiber passenger-compartment cell. That car, say reports, will be called i3.
For now, BMW will lease 700 ActiveEs to interested drivers in U.S. coastal cities this fall for 24 months at $499 (U.S.) a month, plus a $2,250 payment at the start of the lease). BMW says the ActiveE will accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just over nine seconds.
