iCars Brands Reveal Their New Models And Concepts In Detroit
The biggest Auto Show of the year is underway in Detroit, Michigan with auto industry and press preview events, and opens to the public from January 14 through the 22.All of iCars Brands are represented at the show and we thought you'd enjoy having a peek at their new offerings as the 'big reveals' take place.
Please check back often for the latest updates from the Motor City.
Mercedes-Benz Takes Wrap off 2013 SL-Class / Smart For Us Concept
DETROIT – Mercedes-Benz pulled out all the stops with a multi-pronged press conference introducing its new Smart-For-Us concept “urban pickup,” two new Mercedes-Benz hybrids and an all-new 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class at the North American International Auto Show. Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, said the 125-year-old Mercedes-Benz had a banner sales year in 2011, selling 1.36 million Mercedes-Benz and SMART cars worldwide. SMART car sales totaled 100,000 units last year. It plans to launch six new models this year. The biggest splash came from the appearance of the 1953 Mercedes-Benz
300 SL followed by the new model, which the company is describing as
“lightweight, athletic, and luxurious.” The new car is produced almost
entirely from aluminum and weighs considerably less than its
predecessor. |  |
SL stands for “super lightweight,” which Zetsche said is very true of this new model.
The aluminum body shell weighs about 242 pounds less than it would using the steel technology of its earlier model.
Comedian Jon Lovitz introduced the Smart-For-Us concept, which embraces “the platform, four wheels and two-people-up-front premise of the pick-up truck” -- in miniature.
“It’s a car for creative, inspired and forward-thinking people,” said Annette Winkler, Smart CEO. “It’s a big idea to keep people on the go while (being kind to the environment).”
Mercedes-Benz unveiled its worldwide E300 BlueTEC hybrid (European model), which runs on clean diesel, and its E 400 hybrid with combined estimated 27 mpg. Both vehicles are expected to be on the market in early summer.
“With these two E-Class models, we are now continuing our comprehensive hybrid offensive,” said Thomas Weber, Daimler board member for Group Research and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars Development. “The modular technology opens up a quick way for us to complement other model series with hybrid models.
“With a clear focus on the different requirements of the global markets, we are able to offer precisely the models which our customers want,” he added.
Volkswagen Celebrates Gains and Introduces Jetta Hybrid
DETROIT – Diesel-favoring Volkswagen took a significant step toward an “all-of-the-above” approach toward propulsion at the 2012 North American International Auto Show here today by making a worldwide introduction of its Jetta Hybrid. The company also underscored its considerable sales and other achievements in the U.S. market in 2011. VW Group Chairman of the Board of Management Martin Winterkorn noted that the Jetta Hybrid, offering up to 45 mpg, would be on the U.S. market in November. Volkswagen introduced a new Jetta to the American marketplace in 2010, and the new version of the compact has provided a significant sales boost as one of the brand’s three-pillar nameplates since then. Jonathan Browning, chief executive officer of Volkswagen of America,
noted the strong debuts of the two other staple VW models in the new
market, the new 2012 Passat mid-size sedan and the new |  |
As for other models, the new Passat, he said, is a “testament” to the strengths of German engineering and to “doing what’s right” for American consumers as well. As VW executives have noted, the new version is substantially “Americanized” over earlier versions of Passat, with larger dimensions and more interior amenities, among other changes.
In fact, Browning said, the strong reception by American consumers for the three models has elevated VW to highs in the U.S. market that it hasn’t enjoyed for many years. Overall VW of America sales rose by 26 percent last year over 2010. The unit of Volkswagen AG was profitable for the first time in eight years, Browning said. And VW enjoyed its biggest share of the U.S. market in 30 years.
“We now have an underlying foundation for our growth,” he said. “Our strategy and our focus on growth in the United States is a global priority” and requires “organization, dedication and discipline that haven’t always characterized Volkswagen in this market.”
Browning also mentioned other manifestations of VW’s renewed and growing commitment to the U.S. market, including the opening of its assembly complex in Chattanooga, Tenn., last year, which has won an environmental-stewardship award. The brand’s plans to nurture an electronics lab in Silicon Valley to improve VW’s infotainment and connectivity technologies.
Chrysler Makes Surprise Unveiling of New Minivan Concept
DETROIT – Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne surprised journalists and other attendees of the press preview at the 2012 North American International Auto Show today by providing a worldwide unveiling of a new minivan concept vehicle at Chrysler’s display at the show. The concept known for now as the 700 C “has been provided at the display so that we can gauge consumer feedback on the idea and the design,” said a Chrysler spokeswoman. Chrysler didn’t issue a news release or stage a press conference about the vehicle. The silver minivan with chrome accents seems to hug the ground more
and is more aerodynamic than the current Chrysler Town & Country and
Dodge Caravan minivans that the company has been selling for nearly 30
years, having pioneered the entire vehicle type under former CEO Lee
Iacocca. Some observed that the 700 C is reminiscent of |  |
Marchionne simply held court this morning with some reporters and talked about the 700 C off-handedly. Reportedly, he said that the company is trying to decide how many minivans it wants to make and that decisions on production of future minivans would be made by mid-year.
“I expect to have something tangible ….that we can take back into clinics probably in the first part of the second quarter,” Marchionne said, according to the Detroit Free Press, “and start industrializing it in second half of this year.”
Dodge Launches Euro-Based 2013 Dart as Competitive U.S. Compac
DETROIT – Accompanied by pulsating techno music and lights, Dodge executives unveiled their 2013 Dodge Dart as the brand’s first significant entry in the compact segment at the North American International Auto Show since 2006, also after a long hiatus for the nameplate. “We weren’t competing in this segment, so we wanted to create a world-class compact car,” said Reid Bigland, president and CEO of Chrysler’s Dodge brand. “And we approached this segment with a clean slate – no baggage.” The last compact model introduced by Dodge was Caliber, in 2006. The
new Dart is the first Chrysler Group vehicle built on architecture
provided by Fiat, which took over the company in 2009. The new Dart is expected to average 40 mpg and will retail at prices
beginning at $15,995 in the second quarter this year. |  |
While the sedan comes with an affordable price tag, fuel efficiency and reliability – attributes many compact cars are offering – Dodge wanted to do more with its Dart, giving consumers more options than they already have in this segment, he said.
“The look, style and features of this car set it apart from the other vehicles in this class,” Bigland added. “It has the DNA of [an] Alfa Romeo,” Fiat’s European brand which provided the mechanical platform for the new Dart.
Dart will offer three all-new engines and transmissions including a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine with 184 horsepower. Dart is loaded with technology, including a smart-phone application that goes as far as monitoring the driving speeds of drivers who might have a lead foot. “The Dart is a compact car with a midsize interior roominess,” Bigland said. “It has features and attention to detail that you would not expect in a compact car.”
The previous Dart was a compact car in the Dodge lineup whose production ended in 1976. The new Dart will be built at Chrysler’s assembly plant in Belvidere, Ill., beginning in the second quarter.
Check back often for the latest Jeep Brand news from the Detroit show.
Check back often for the latest Jeep Brand news from the Detroit show.