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2003 Auto Show: Chicago
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| Automakers showcase family haulers, and cars that just plain haul -- but why no fuel economy? |
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| Updated |
Mar 17, 2005 19:41:50 |
| Rating |
 16 ( -2 -12.5% ) | | Author | Brian Chee |
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Description:
As the world teetered on the edge of war with Iraq, automakers went to Chicago and continued to showcase big machines designed to haul people -- or just plain haul.
Call it business as usual.
Or we'll stop making fuel-sucking minivans and huge trucks when you
stop buying 'em. Someone's got to blink in this deadly staring game,
but in America's heartland, the automakers took a deep breath, fixed
their gaze on the bottom line and went glassy-eyed.
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Maybe in New York. Or maybe they'll just sell another minivan.
That's what they did in Chicago -- minivans, trucks and horsepower, the same basic script automakers have been trotting out for the last few years.
It could be so different. Instead of building a semi-luxury minivan, Ford could have announced another great PZEV vehicle, to go along with the Focus shown in Los Angeles. Mercury plans to launch one new vehicle every year for several years - but is there a hybrid in the haystack? Perhaps. But one thing is sure. There's an SUV in there, or a crossover - which leaves very little room for hay or a healthy environment.
Suzuki also has ambitious plans, first to triple sales and then to unveil an astounding 9 new models in five years. Again, the question: got a 50 mpg sipper in that crowd, or are we talking SUVs and sedans averaging 15 - 20 miles per gallon? Will Suzuki unveil an exciting new hybrid, to go with its new youth image? Unlikely. But imagine if the Aerio were to go hybrid - the buzz would be worth the research and development.
Chevrolet people know well the crowd they're entertaining, as evidenced by the SS Impala and Monte Carlo. Aside from wonderful new engines and truly inspired suspension upgrades, what's the mpg on these hogs? Will Joe NASCAR be able to get home from the track when fuel is more than 2 bucks a gallon?
Volkswagen debuts the anniversary of its own pocket rocket, the GTI, instead of making a fuss over the fact that they've already got a diesel New Beetle that goes around 50 mpg and barely emits any pollutants. Or better yet - debut their own PZEV vehicle, for sale immediately across the continental 48.
Fuel economy just doesn't play in Peoria. Automakers know this, which is why they save the tree-hugger stuff for the latte crowd in LA. But when folks in Iowa look into their wallets and see that they need more than a two bucks to get home, then there may be quite a bit of blinking going on.
Then the automakers will begin worrying a little more about MPG than RPM.
Maybe. But maybe not. After all, there's that hydrogen pipe dream. Automakers can hide behind the illusion of a hydrogen world for at least a few more years. No infrastructure? No big deal. Hey -- as long as there's still an audience, the show goes on. And in Chicago, the show did indeed go on -- like the final night of a doomed play that somehow misses the point: minivans and super sedans are not what
we need at a time like this.
--> Last Year's Highlights
It was a year to take notice for even the most non-enthusiastic car shopper. A show season of landmark debuts and promising previews, with very few boring cars sweating under the showroom lights. From the controversial BMW 7-Series to the Nissan 350Z, the Ford GT-40 and the Toyota Corolla, automakers put on a show that will be hard to beat in 2003...
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2003 Chicago
Gallery
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