Detroit Show 2019: Highlights

For the last time, the Detroit Auto Show opened this week for the first time in the industry in January. In the hope of greater acceptance from manufacturers, it will take place in 2020 from June. However, the question of whether this will bring back European exhibitors, largely absent in 2019, remains debatable. As much as the American automobile industry no longer wants to use the Motown fair. Anyway, the appearance of the main US players Chrysler, Ford and General Motors (GM) is unfortunately bloodless.

The big star does not come from America or Europe, but from Japan. Twin technical of the BMW Z4, the Toyota Supra celebrates its world premiere. Because BMW was expecting too much for a new edition of the Z4, the Japanese jumped to the rank of partner. With the idea of ​​helping to bring more emotion and dynamism to its own range of models with the reissue of a Supra. And as former BMW CEO, Norbert Reithofer, and Toyota CEO, Akio Toyoda, were well understood, it was agreed that BMW was making the most of the development and was looking for a production site ( Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria), while Toyota contributed to development costs. and provides a guarantee of purchase. The models should not be in direct competition with each other: the BMW Z4 remains an open two-seater, while the Toyota Supra is a closed coupe, with its own design and a perfect weight distribution. For the pleasure of driving from the end of the summer with us, Supra provides the BMW training (340-liter six-cylinder, 340 hp, 500 Nm and the eight-speed automatic transmission) which accelerates the Japanese sportsman in 4.3 seconds to 100. If the BMW Z4 costs between 57,620 francs (197 hp) or 82,500 francs (340 hp), the three-liter Supra (340 hp) costs 79,900 francs.

VW raises great hopes for the new Passat in America. Of course, the American version has nothing to do with our European variant, because the American model is still based on the old platform PQ35 and is only available with a 2-liter turbo developing 174 hp with traction front and six-speed automatic transmission. One can wonder if VW can revive the increasingly serious segment of mid-size and luxury sedans in America. Because next to the Toyota Supra and the VW Passat are the most important news in Detroit – which is surprised – mainly SUVs.

In addition to the Cadillac XT6, for example, Kia unveils the Telluride, the largest SUV ever developed by South Koreans. More than five feet long, this 4×4 is powered by a 3.8-liter V6 producing 291 horsepower. Ford does not yet show the new Bronco expected in Detroit, for the first time his new Explorer. This should, like the Mustang, have chances to come to Europe. All the more so that the luxury SUV will not only be gasoline and sports ST 400 horsepower, but also hybrid of 318 hp.

Otherwise, there is not much in Detroit with alternative discs. With the exception of a study on Cadillac underwater electric vehicles in 2021, it's mostly the big ones picked up. Examples include the Dodge's RAM 3500 Heavy Duty, which includes not only 6.4-liter V8 petrol engines, but also a 6.7-liter turbocharged engine with a torque of 1350 Nm and 16-tonne traction. .

Even though the Detroit organizers hope to have more exhibitors with the change of dates in June next year, we doubt that the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), which was once one of the five most important car shows, still on the program. It seems more likely that it will be merged with the equally troubled Chicago Motor Show, which takes place every February: two auto shows in the northeastern United States, with no significant international significance, will be too early.