2004 Los Angeles Autoshow
To most of the world, the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) is the ‘biggie’ for that country and indeed, it is the event which gets the most publicity. However, elsewhere in the USA, there are also other big motorshows which sometimes give glimpses of new models that may not be highlighted in Detroit’s NAIAS. One such show is the Los Angeles Auto Show which runs at around the same time. PH Cheah, our roving reporter, contributes a story on the show after his visit…
Los Angeles’ annual motor show has to play second fiddle to the larger, more glamorous even in Detroit usually opening a week or so later. So the LA visitors do not get to see the latest unveilings of Detroit although having said that, the show is not without its attractions. I have covered the LA show for many years now and have always found the LA Convention Centre a great place for such an event.
This year, the Los Angeles event was about the Yankee carmakers trying hard to establish themselves back into the passenger car market. These past couple of decades saw the Big Three increasingly rely on their trucks or SUVs. As a result, the passenger car market has become the bastion of the Japanese carmakers, even if the best-selling models like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry are actually made in the USA.
So it looks like the fight back has begun… or is just beginning?
Chevrolet has finally replaced its ancient Cavalier with the new Cobalt, available as a saloon and coupe. The car sits on GM’s ‘Delta’ floorpan and is available with three engine choices. The base engine is a 2.2-litre and next up is a 2.4 litre. There’s also a 2.0-litre supercharged engine for the SS Supercharged coupe. This is not a bad looking car, certainly better in appearance than any of Chevrolet’s current range. Chevy also claims far higher levels of build quality and is hoping to have the Cobalt turn out to be a serious rival to the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and the Ford Focus.
Chevrolet also showed off its new Corvette powered by a new 6.0-litre V8 that delivers 400 horses. The body is all new, finally doing away with pop up headlights. The new body is sleeker, more modern than its predecessor but I can’t help thinking it looks too much like a re hash of last year’s model. Funny how some ‘all new’ bodies look like major facelifts…
The Saab 9 2X looks to me like a ‘re nosed Subaru Impreza’ complete with the Saab badge on the bonnet while staying true to Subaru’s all wheel drive system and interiors. Whether this convinces Saab buyers and brings new blood to the Swedish line is uncertain. Turning the Impreza into a Saab appears as convincing as the presence of WMDs in Iraq!
GM’s Pontiac Division showed off production versions of its new GTO. This is based on the Australian Holden Monaro and is imported from Down Under. Why mention this? Well, when you see the GTO/Monaro among other Pontiacs and Chevys, Buicks, Saturn and various GM cars, you begin to realize the sheer good looks and the cohesive design from Down Under is missing from GM in the US. Never thought Holden can teach its masters a thing or two about styling!
Oddly enough, the vast GM stand even had some sort of morbid wake to the defunct Oldsmobile brand with the last remaining Oldsmobiles shown. It celebrated 100 years of the marque, explaining the company’s innovations and ideas. The final innovation must be the appearance of the soon to die brand at Los Angeles.
Ford has not had a great couple of years but it seems to be celebrating its 100th year of existence with much promise for the future. The company has also found the passenger car holy grail and showed off several examples of the company’s future wrapped up in the Ford GT, new Mustang, the Ford 500 and revised Focus.
The GT is Ford’s first (and perhaps America’s only) supercar that’s meant to do battle with the likes of Ferrari and Porsche while the Mustang evokes much from the classic Mustangs of the 1960s, interpreted in a modern and muscular looking body.
The US Focus has come in for a Mondeo like nose, new cabin and better quality. The Five Hundred is a new large sedan to take on the likes of the Accord and Carnry. It is a solid-looking car, somewhat bland in some areas with nose that is reminiscent of the Mondeo. It looks quite roomy and has a cabin that, like most new Yankee Fords, appears inspired by the dashboard and fit/finish of VW/Audi cars. That’s not a bad thing.
But the company isn’t about to abandon the SUV and pick-up market its F Series is still the world’s best-selling vehicle and the Explorer remains the best-selling SUV on earth… and now comes the Freestyle, a crossover SUV like wagon with seven seats and a clean, neat-looking body, somewhat similar in appearance to Australia’s forthcoming Territory. The smaller Escape gets its Hybrid version later in the year.
Of course, the Los Angeles event would not be without more trucks from other manufacturers. Hummer showed off a pick up version of its H2, while Nissan paraded a new truck that is a serious attempt to take on the Ford F-Series. Toyota unveiled a new truck at Detroit and also showed off a new sporty model for its Scion brand (Toyota’s attempt at capturing America’s youth with affordable cars).
Chrysler displayed its slow-selling Pacifica, now re priced because the launch price was considered too high. Not a bad looking vehicle this but I was struck by the limited opening provided by the front doors. Still, it feels solid and has obviously benefited from its M-B association.
The Europeans were in force with BMW showing off its new 6 Series drophead. How odd – lopping off the 6 Series roof has actually made the car look better. But nothing much can help the look of the 5 and 7Series although I hear a 7 series facelift is in the cards.
But it had to take Aston Martin to show BMW (and others) how to produce a stunningly beautiful sportscar. The new DB9 graced the stand within the vast Ford Group area and as my second look at the car since Frankfurt, it remains a styling tour de force that almost matches the DB7’s beauty.
This time, I did not manage to get to LA in time for the Press Days so I had to see the show during the public days which meant less opportunities for good pictures but I still managed to get some which I hope you folks like.
