Detroit Motor Show: The full round-up
Our guide to the best production and concept cars unveiled in Michigan this year
The Detroit Motor Show has had its doors open to the world's automotive press for a couple of days now, with new production models and concept cars from the likes of Audi, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and others all under the spotlight.
Here's a selection of the most important and exciting metal from the show. Click through the gallery above to see the stars.
Acura Precision Concept
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The Acura Precision Concept previews the new design direction to be taken by the luxury wing of Honda, says Auto Express. The Precision is a long, stretched four-door coupe which uses suicide doors to open up and make the most of the cabin space – handy, considering the low roof. A "floating" touchpad dominates the cockpit. While Acura does not sell in the UK, the Precision lays the foundations for the next batch of cars destined for the US.
Picking up where the E-Tron Concept from Frankfurt left off, the H-Tron also previews an upcoming production Q6. The car boasts a hydrogen-electric powertrain with a 373-mile range, an interior packed with gesture-controlled screens and autonomous driving features.
Audi A4 Allroad
Alongside their hydrogen-powered concept, Audi revealed something much more every day. The new A4 Allroad is a more rugged A4 estate with chunkier, flared wheel arches featuring black-plastic cladding, 1.3ins more ground clearance and Audi's Quattro four-wheel drive system as standard. One petrol and five diesels are available and it will go on sale in the UK this summer, according to Autocar.
BMW M2
The newest addition to BMW's M range is also the smallest. The M2 gets a turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six engine producing 365bhp. It goes on sale in the UK in April, priced at £44,070, but buyers will have to be quick as there's only 500 coming.
BMW X4 M40i
A hotter version of the X4 compact coupe-like SUV was also on BMW's stand in Michigan. The M40i has 355bhp and will do 0-62mph in just 4.7 seconds. It is likely go on sale in Europe soon, although Auto Express is unsure if the model will be coming to the UK.
Genesis G90
Hyundai's new luxury sub-brand Genesis debuts its first car the G90. It comes with three engine choices: a 5.0-litre V8 with more than 400bhp or two V6 powerplants with 3.3-litre and 3.8-litre capacities. The company is plotting five Genesis models by 2020, says The Verge.
Infiniti Q60
The Q60 is Infiniti's new small premium coupe to rival the likes of the Audi A5 and Mercedes C-Class. The range-topping Q60 will use a 400bhp V6 twin-turbo when it launches, with a smaller 208bhp four-cylinder also available, and the design hasn't changed much from the concept car revealed at the same show last year. Auto Express reckons it will go on sale in November, priced around £30,000.
Kia Telluride Concept
The Telluride is Kia's large SUV that uses a muscular, puffed-up design language quite different to that seen on other utility vehicles from the marque. It has a plug-in hybrid powertrain and a 3.5-litre V6 mated to an electric motor for a total power output of 400bhp. A decision to make a production version for the US market will be taken soon, but a road-going model is not destined to make it to the UK.
Lexus's LC 500 coupe gets L-FA-inspired design cues and a 5.0-litre V8 with 467bhp under the bonnet mated to a ten-speed automatic gearbox. The big V8 coupe has gone down well in motor city, with Top Gear saying: "Not since the LF-A have we been this excited about a Lexus." There's no release date or price for the LC 500 just yet, but it will be this year.
Arguably the most important debut of the show, the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class plays heavy on interior and driver technology over what some critics have labelled a Russian doll-inspired exterior design, with lines almost identical to its S and C-Class siblings. The cabin is taken over by two 12.3ins HD screens on all but the entry level E-Class and Mercedes claim it's "the most intelligent saloon in the business class".
The Mercedes SLK gets a facelift and a change of name in 2016. Now called the SLC, the new model has had a slight nip and tuck in the form of sleeker lights and a modern grille. Under the bonnet, the range-topping SLC 43 AMG drops V8 power in favour of a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 with 362bhp.
Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG Cabriolet
With an expected price tag of around £200,000, the new Cabriolet will be the most expensive car in the S-Class range when it hits the UK in April. Under the bonnet is a 6.0-litre V12 Bi-turbo with 621bhp.
Porsche revealed updated 911 Turbo and Turbo S models in Detroit, although cosmetic tweaks extend to nothing more than new lights at the front and the side air blades. Nevertheless, both cars get a considerable power boost, up 20bhp on their previous versions. The Turbo S now has 572bhp and dips under the three-second mark in a 0-62mph dash before topping out at 205mph.
However, much of the focus post-show has been on the rumours that Porsche might make a hybrid or fully electric 911, sparked by 911 Turbo director Erhard Mossle's interview with Top Gear.
VLF The Force 1
Former Aston Martin designer Henrik Fisker's new vehicle courted controversy before the show. The man behind the Aston Martin DB9 and V8 Vantage opened a $100m (£69m) lawsuit against his previous employers after they claimed his latest creation copied their DB10. In the flesh, however, "it's clear the resemblance is small," says Autocar. The Force 1 uses the 8.4-litre V10 from a Dodge Viper and has 745bhp. Only 50 will be made, priced at $268,500 (around £186,000) for the 218mph supercar.
A rival for the E-Class revealed at the same show, the new S90 takes design cues from Volvo's XC90 SUV. It will get the same engines, too, with hybrid power an option on the T8 model with 316bhp. Prices are likely to start from around £32,000 when it goes on sale in September.
Volkswagen Tiguan GTE Active Concept
It's a chunkier, off-road inspired version of the Tiguan for VW at Detroit. The GTE gets thick cladding, a taller ride height, fatter off-road tyres and a 222bhp hybrid powertrain. Inside, the car showcases VW's next-generation infotainment system with a 9.2ins touchscreen. Some believe the concept also hints at an off-road styling pack available on the new Tiguan when it arrives later this year.
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