The 2017 North American International Auto Show pulls into the mighty Cobo Hall in downtown Detroit next week, with media preview days commencing on Monday.
We’ll be on the ground in Motown to bring you all the exciting news – the concept cars, the high-tech machines, the big reveals – but until then, here’s a rundown of all the hot rides we’re looking forward to checking out.
NAIAS is the biggest car show in the world and represents the midpoint of the global auto-show circuit, which will wrap up in New York in a few months. It runs until Jan. 22.
Detroit is riding high in 2017, seven years after the financial crisis and sales downturn that cratered the US market. In 2016, the US sales record of 17.5 million new vehicles set in 2015 was beaten by about 50,000 cars and trucks. December was particularly bonkers, with a pace that would have delivered well over 18 million in annual sales.
Suffice it to say that there’s going to be joy in Detroit this year, although the industry is far from certain about what the Donald Trump administration will mean for the car business.
But enough about politics. Let's check out some hot cars!
The Corvette ZR1. Speculation is rampant that Chevy will pull the cover off a more super version of the already superlative 650-horsepower Corvette Z06. Speculation is also rampant that the C7 generation Vette could be the last the have the engine up front — a mid-engine Vette is rumored to be in the works as the C8 car.
2018 Toyota Camry. The all-important Camry sedan is getting an update and making an appearance in Motown. We expect a sexier ride that what the familiar four-door has given us in the past.
2018 Mercedes E-Class Coupe. Two version of the two-door will go on sale in mid-2017, each harboring a 329-horsepower twin-turbo V6 under the hood. We'll get our first look in Detroit.
Volkswagen I.D. Concept. After revealing a concept in its new I.D. range at the Paris Motor Show, VW late last year teased a new model. The electric vehicle will, according to VW, be able to join the self-driving party if and when it comes to market.
Lexus UX concept. The wild-looking Lexus first broke cover at the 2016 Paris Motor Show. The instrument cluster has been replaced by a hologram!
2018 Mercedes GLA. The crossover coming to Detroit is a mid-cycle refresh of a compact SUV that Mercedes introduced for the 2014 model year.
2018 Lexus LS. The new big sedan from the luxury brand "reconnects the LS with its birthplace – the first LS premiered in Detroit in 1989, which also heralded the debut of the Lexus brand, a significant milestone in automotive history. The LS has gone on to make its mark in the luxury segment by offering ride performance, quietness and comfort that consumers expect from a premium vehicle," the automaker said.
2018 Honda Odyssey. According to Honda, The fifth-generation of the minivan "has been completely redesigned and will feature new powertrain technology, sophisticated styling and showcase a new suite of innovative features, making it the ultimate in family-friendly design and packaging."
2018 Chevy Traverse. Crossovers are hot, an they're especially hot for GM and Chevy. The new Traverse will have a "bold and refined design," Chevy said, "with seating for up to eight passengers."
Audi Q8 concept. "The study represents a synthesis of the emotional styling of a coup and the spaciousness that typifies an SUV," according to the carmaker.
Infiniti QX50 concept. "At the heart of the QX50's tech package is the rollout of Infiniti's new ProPilot autonomous driving tech," Business Insider's Ben Zhang reported. There's also an innovative variable-compression, turbocharged engine.
2018 Audi A5 and S5 convertibles. The two new ragtops will each come equipped with a new engine: a 252-horsepower, four-cylinder in the A5 and a 354-horsepower V6 in the S5.
2018 Volvo V90. The wagon from the Swedish brand is going on sale in the US later this year. We'll see it in the flesh in Motown.
2018 BMW 5-Series. The newest version of the crucial sedan from BMW will hit the show floor. It follows the arrival of the new 7-Series.
A mysterious new Nissan crossover SUV. It's rumored to be based on the Europe market Qashqai and could be a smaller than the popular Nissan Rogue.
2018 VW Tiguan Allspace. It's supposed to be a longer, seven-passenger version of VW's crossover. Tiguan — now with more Tiguan!
