2008 NAIAS newsletter reveals key reveals
The 2008 North American International Auto Show is right around the corner, and the world's biggest stage for new reveals will have more than its fair share of worldwide debuts come January. The organizers of the show have published their October newsletter, which surprisingly lets us know what a good number of automakers will have hiding under thier sheets after New Years. Check out the rundown below.
Ford - Small B-Segment concept based on the Verve (see rendering above) shown in Frankfurt. Will be based on same platform with different styling that hints at brand's future design direction.
Kia - 2009 production version of large SUV codenamed HM and based on Mesa concept.
Hyundai - Production version of 2008 Hyundai Genesis rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan.
Mazda - Unnamed concept that takes "Nagare" design to near production levels.
Mitsubishi - Worldwide debut of one concept and one production car, of which details on both will be released in December. Production car will not be EVO X, as it was debuted earlier at the Australian International Motor Show, which makes this reveal particularly interesting.
Suzuki - North American debut of concept revealed earlier at Tokyo Motor Show, probably the Kizashi 2.
Subaru - Unspecified global debut. Again, likely not the Impreza WRX STI, as its debut is scheduled for the Tokyo Motor Show this week.
Mercedes-Benz - Worldwide debut of new production model, probably the mid-size GLK CUV.
[Source: NAIAS via Carscoop]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
B-NOIT 3:43PM (10/23/2007)
Mitsubishi's new production car could be a new Endeavour or Galant... As for Subaru, I'm guessing it'll be the new Forester.
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Craig 8:39PM (10/23/2007)
Yeah, I agree on the new Forester. With the added bonus of the official launch of the new Subaru turbo diesel boxer.
A new Forester with the torque and mileage of a turbo diesel. Yes please!
A.K. 4:01PM (10/23/2007)
The Subaru debut will most likely be the new Forester. I've been told that the car goes on sale in the March-April timeframe next year.
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Torqued 4:03PM (10/23/2007)
Both Mitsu and Suby are going to reveal AWD coupes based on the lancer and impreza, but lighter, less expensive, and better-looking with only 2 doors.
230HP, 2900lb AWD coupe for $22k. Bring it on! :)
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mk 4:51PM (10/23/2007)
I wish, but I wouldn't hold your breath on a Subaru Coupe. Then will be the question of it's styling, if Subaru's current trend holds.
I've been hearing a US version of the Legacy Tuned by STI... at SEMA, but I guess we'll find out about that.
Forester is probably about their speed for NAIAS, though.
A near-production Mazda concept could be cool. I wish they would just build the kabura, already.
I wish Mazda were somehow aligned with Subaru. Mazda's production designs (especially the new 6, as well as the kabura concept) are really good looking.
A cooperation project on a good looking, light weight Mazda sport coupe, with mazda styling and handling, with Subaru turbo AWD STI drivetrain (DCCD switching to RWD on demand) and 300hp low-Cg boxer engine would be insanely fantastic. But it will likely never happen.
The rest of that list of updates seems pretty boring to me so far, but maybe something interesting will materialize out of the ether for NAIAS, or before.
Maestro1 4:04PM (10/23/2007)
@B-NOIT
I'm betting its the 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart which debuts in January and comes out in March. The WRX is already out and we've seen more than enough pictures and spy videos of it.
I think the concept may be another Lancer sportback which will debut in Geneva as a production model, but that's only speculation.
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Vinay 4:27PM (10/23/2007)
What about that new ZR1 Corvette? Is that going to be in Detroit in January?
(Also, what about the F430 Scuderia?)
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Maestro1 4:37PM (10/23/2007)
The Ferrari F430 Scuderia debuted at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show...
psarhjinian 4:38PM (10/23/2007)
Just what Mercedes needs: another model to further drain QA resources and marketing focus.
What is it with the Germans making the same "too many models, too little focus" strategy that torpedoed the US industry? Do they really think that emulating GM's cost-ineffective product structure is a good thing?
Meanwhile, Toyota and Honda are making steady-but-sure progress in Europe. Meanwhile, the Germans will do exactly what the Americans did: concentrate on each other, work only the numbers and to heck with quality. And they'll wake up one day to Toyota eating their lunch when their buyers have had enough with repair bills and engineering navel-gazing.
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Alex 4:58PM (10/23/2007)
i like the verve much better than that design up there. Give me the giant grill not that oddity of stuff the US design idiots jammed in there.
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Dave T. 5:01PM (10/23/2007)
Wow, we had the exact same post as car scoop but yesterday. With bullets and everything...anyway...
Mercedes often calls an AMG a "production model" so don't be shocked if it isn't an all new car.
I don't know if the new Forester is going to be ready by NAIAS either but that'd be interesting.
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MasterCKO 5:43PM (10/23/2007)
I like the three-bar grille actually, but I must say that when I saw this rendering (or the Flow design language in general) my head just about exploded from the awesomeness.
Ford. Seriously. At least use this language for Mercury. It's just about a perfect situation for it:
1) You want to keep the three-bar for your main brand because you just started it.
2) You have a brand that you really have no idea how to improve and distinguish from the main brand.
3) You're sitting on a gold mine of creative genius in Europe.
When will they get it? Sooner than never, I hope. I don't know, maybe they really do have some very serious roadblocks to making such an obvious decision.
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darth 8:05PM (10/23/2007)
they should bring some of their European designers to help Mercury/Lincoln
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kballs 10:45PM (10/23/2007)
WTF, Subaru is putting the new Forester ON SALE in March/April... NAIAS is in end of January. I figured they might debut it at the LA show in November... maybe they don't care about customer feedback at all (other than a couple small focus group reviews of a "possible" model)... "oh who cares if nobody buys it, just get it out the door"? Maybe it will be ugly? Rhetorical question [Subaru ugly]?
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Maestro1 1:02AM (10/29/2007)
If they cared about Customer feedback then Subaru would have revised the design of the new Impreza LOL!