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Newsletter Issue #10
16th January 2009
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Stars of 2009 Detroit Motor Show

The show must go on. The Americans invented the mass-produced automobile, and today, remains the single biggest car making and buying nation in the world today. Despite fighting extinction, we see the brave new cars displayed at the heartland of the American auto industry, the Detroit Motor Show.

1.VW Concept BlueSport

A compact 3,999mm length houses a mid-engine, 2.0 TDI diesel engine with 178bhp developing 258lb ft of shove, enough for a 6.2sec 0-60mph time. An impressive 113g/km of CO2 and 66mpg. Stop-start is fitted and VW claims a range of 700 miles. A roadster for the greenpeace? This Detroit show stunner will not arrive till 2011.

2.Kia Soulster

Do not worry, the Koreans have not gone mad by showing a fuel guzzling SUV at the Detroit Show. The official car will be called a Kia Soul, a sub US$14k jacked-up hatchback meant to attract college kids. Seems like the Koreans could be better at manufacturing a iconic American pick-up truck befitting the current economic climate than any of the struggling American big three.

3.Audi Sportback Concept

Billed as a rival for the Mercedes CLS, the Audi Sportback Concept wowed showgoers with its low slung profile and a new interpretation of the single-frame grille. The Sportback Concept gives plently of hints of the forecoming 2011 A6/7. Also, the 3.0 TDI diesel engine featured in this car is the world's cleanest; it meets EU6 emission laws that will not be in force till 2014.

 


 

This Week's Auto Feature

 The return of grace: Mercedes Benz SL 280
Controversial facelift gives the SL another few years of shelf life. Would the much aggressive front treatment ruin the SL's much coverted "Grace Kelly" heritage?

Read more here.

The big guns at the Detroit Motor Show'09

GM: Cadiliac ConverJ
Electric- powered luxury coupe from GM's luxury arm, Cadiliac. Capable of 40 miles without a drop of fuel, and 700 miles with the engine spinning. Set to be launched in 2012?

Chrysler 200C EV
A good looking younger brother to the successful 300C, the 200C EV is part of Chrysler’s ambitions to launch its electric line-up. Looks too much like Nissan's Infiniti G35, perhaps they are really in talks for a collaboration?

 

Ford: Lincoln C
 Finally, a compact luxury hatch, based on the next generation Ford Focus. Exceptionally wide with two rows of three seats. This could be a smash hit for Ford.

Toyota: Lexus HS250h
Bland as water styling and Toyota Prius underpinnings does a lot of damage to the crediblity of this hybrid only car. And you were wondering why there was a 44% dip in hybrid cars sales last December.

California Dreaming: Fisker Karma S

Californian start-up Fisker have just unveiled the Karma S open-top concept at the Detroit 2009 motor show – a foldling hard-top version of the Karma we already know. Fisker claims 50 miles on electric power, and fleet performance thank to two electric motors generating up to 403bhp. Remove some of the concept polish of the show car, the Karma S open-top remains an exciting proposition. However it remains hard to see how they can make money when the fanciful plug-in hybrid costs 'just' $87,900... Still, credit must be given to the only American car manufacturer that came in force with a prime stand with good news this year.

 


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