In a town known for movies stars, it’s always nice to see the cars become the stars whenever the LA Auto Show gets underway. Although this year had plenty of exciting concepts and new models for automotive journalists to ogle over, the tone was different than in recent years, which isn’t really a big surprise. After seeing one of the worst years in the automotive industry due to a crippling recession and rapidly changing consumer buying habits, the show certainly didn’t have the noise and energy typical of past events. Even more notable, however, were the changes in the cars.
Although there were certainly high-end automakers present, it was surprising to see automakers such as Bentley, Lamborghini, and Ferrari all decide to avoid the glitz and glamour of the LA spotlight. Interestingly, these brands are not likely to be missed, as most automakers focused on highlighting more practical transportation. From the Volt hybrid that to the Fiesta subcompact, automakers were focusing on efficiency and the consumer’s bottom line.
Even sports cars fit in with the shift towards practicality. The Ford Mustang was all-new for 2010, but for the 2011 model year the pony car finally got updated engines. Rather than offering high-power at the expense of mileage, the 2011 Mustang will offer a 305 horsepower engine that is still capable of attaining 30 miles per gallon.
In an attempt to put negative perceptions behind them, General Motors focused their energy on the 2011 Cruze, a small car with small engines and up to 40 mpg. The General also showed off the 2011 Volt which has a range of 40 miles on electric power alone. Also competing in the small car segment was one of the more over-the-top releases of the show – the 2011 Ford Fiesta. The Fiesta offers a peppy four-cylinder engine and European styling to compete with the likes of the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris. This small car also gets up to 40 miles per gallon.
Of course Toyota certainly had its fair share of publicity centering on high-mileage as well. The automaker used the LA Auto Show to unveil a plug-in hybrid version of its popular Prius. Hoping to broaden the Prius lineup, Toyota chooses an outstanding venue due to to the success of the Prius in Southern California.
Los Angeles has a reputation for excess and consumerism, but the economic meltdown has certainly caused the 2009 LA Auto Show to be focused less on overindulgence and more on sensibility. We realize that may seem boring, but really the cars are anything but. We’ve seen firsthand more new cars featuring fuel efficiency and technology without the sacrifice of fun and power. To us, that’s really less of a sacrifice and simply more common sense.
* * *
More auto show coverage is coming your way.
{ 3 trackbacks }
Comments on this entry are closed.