Detroit's automotive trade fair is especially catered to the US market. Americans still prefer big and strong vehicles. So pick-ups are as popular as ever. This is a Chevrolet Silverado with a 6.0-liter engine. That's six liters of engine displacement, not fuel usage, by the way
Many in North America are still hooked on SUVs. So Audi is sending its new SQ5 with a gasoline engine to the auto show for the first time. It can pack a real punch. With 354 horsepower, drivers have all options open - going off-road included, in case the opportunity presents itself.
For Daimler, Detroit marks the start of the company's biggest marketing campaign to date. The new edition of the E-Class celebrates its debut, and will be followed by the new S-Class in the summer. A coupe called CLA and a spin-off of the new A-Class are also on show in Detroit. Official pictures are yet to be released.
A three-way battle for the leaders in the premium market: Audi, Daimler and BMW. Munich-based BMW will celebrate the world premiere of its 4 Series Coupe. It's the first glimpse of what it plans to do in the future in this market segment. Currently, BMW is charging from one sales record to the next.
The designers at BMW subsidiary Mini manage to show up at every trade fair with a new model. The John Cooper Works Paceman will premiere at the 2013 auto show. Mini aims to create an entirely new market segment with the car, calling it a sports activity coupe. Words to remember? Probably not.
Americans seem not to be as taken with compact cars like the Golf. Room for storage is a must. Ford, one of the top three US carmakers, is showing the Fusion in Detroit. The car is sold in Europe under the name Mondeo. It's also available with a hybrid engine and as a plug-in variety.
The Porsche 911 Carrera is a classic. Now, its convertible version will debut in Detroit. Lately, Porsche has experienced a lot of success, especially in the US - booking a 20 percent sales increase in 2012 over the previous year. Other German carmakers have posted similar increases.
Volkswagen is leaving the new Golf at home and showing the CrossBlue instead. It's a mid-size SUV with three rows of seats and a diesel/plug-in hybrid engine with 305 horsepower. The right thing for the American market? Only time will tell. The start date for production is yet to be determined.
It's very British. But in this color? Oh well. Bentley is showing its convertible version of its Continental GT Speed. And with a speed of 325 kilometers per hour, it's fast enough to beat the rain. That's why it has a 12-cylinder engine with 624 horsepower. Bentley is also a VW brand. VW as in Volkswagen.
Lexus is the name of Toyota's luxury brand, which will premiere its IS in Detroit. Alongside the standard V6 engine model, there's something new on offer: a fully hybrid drive. Toyota seems to have weathered the storms of recent years and just might just become number one in the automotive world again.
The most elegant monster in the world: 700 horsepower, a 6.5-liter engine with 12 cylinders, it goes from 0 to 60 in 2.9 seconds and all the way up to 217 miles per hour. You can have that as a convertible with the Lamborghini Aventador. You'll just need a little bit of money and, more than likely, a private race track.
GM head Dan Akerson wants to see Cadillac become a global brand again. Maybe that'll work out with the ELR. It's the third electric car manufactured by GM, after the Volt and the Ampera.
The year begins as it always does in Detroit - with the most important auto trade fair in the US. German manufacturers are well-represented, as the US market remains extremely important in the industry.
The year begins as it always does in Detroit - with the most important auto trade fair in the US. German manufacturers are well-represented, as the US market remains extremely important in the industry.
