This week the Detroit Auto Show is on! Exciting new cars, trucks and crossovers make their debut this week and in a special early edition of Motoring Monday we get the ball rolling with Volvo, Buick, Ford and Audi just to name a few.
2016 Buick Cascada
Most people don’t think of Buick when it comes to drop-top fun in the sun, but the new 2016 Buick Cascada aims to change all that.
Based on the same architecture as the Buick Verano, the new two-door Cascada convertible brings open air enjoyment to the brand for the first time in decades.
Its power soft top can be lowered in as little as 17 seconds at speeds up to 31 mph, stowing neatly under a clam shell rear tonneau cover.
The design retains a sizable rear seat area aided by an electronic rear-seat entry system which automatically powers the front seats forward and back with a press of a button.
Safety systems include pop-up roll-bar protection and electric safety belt presenters. There are also driver assistance features like lane departure warning, rear park assist, rear-view camera and rain sensing windshield wipers.
Power comes from a new 1.6 liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 200 horsepower which drives the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.
Buick touts its Hyperstrut front suspension which aims to reduce the effects of torque steer from that extra power. The modified MacPherson struts have dual path mounts which separate spring and damper loads.
Chassis dynamics provided by a sold-beam rear axle are said to be enhanced by a Watts Z-linkage to keep it in check, though I’m surprised they didn’t use a more premium independent multi-link suspension.
Styling while distinct from the Verano at the front and rear may remain a bit derivative of long standing GM rental fleet design language to really stand out.
2016 Volvo S60 Cross Country
Standing out from the crowd is something Volvo intends to do with their new S60 Cross Country crossover sedan.
You heard that right, crossover sedan. While the Cross Country moniker conjures up images of plastic clad wagons, the S60 Cross Country offers classy dress shoes with combat boot capability.
Sharing its bones with the V60 Cross Country sport wagon just re-introduced to the States, the S60 Cross Country rides 2.5” higher than the country club bound S60 sedan.
Here in the States, it will come only in a T5 designation with a turbocharged 2.5 liter five-cylinder engine good for 250 horsepower. All-wheel drive will be standard.
In our initial sneak peek Volvo didn’t elaborate on option packages, trims or additional specs but shared it will be available with either 18” and 19” wheels.
The S60 Cross Country trim grades will be tailored such that buyers can outfit theirs in either on-road bound and all-road themes.
Volvo says the S60 Cross Country will come to our showrooms this summer and we should expect it to be a limited quantity.
Who knows though, the new S60 Cross Country could be the first domino in a new class of vehicles that takes over the market. Time will tell.
What To Watch
This week at the Detroit Auto Show, over a dozen world debuts will be coming at us with some very exciting new cars, trucks and crossover vehicles. Here are a few to keep and eye on.
Ford will be making huge news this week. While they have been silent up till now, rumors are swirling about a new F-150 Raptor based on the all-new aluminum 2015 F-150
An even hotter Mustang for the track may be coming in the Shelby GT350R, stripped down to its most basic performance bones for raw kick-ass speed.
Ford has said a more powerful Focus RS is coming and we may even see the return of the mid-engined Ford GT super-car in a very limited production run.
Nissan is going to unveil their all-new 2016 Titan full sized pickup line which will be equipped with a new Cummins turbo-diesel V8. This is sure to be a huge news maker.
From Germany, the 2016 Audi Q7 will make its North American debut with a new lightweight version of their full sized crossover which looses over 700 lbs. The new Q7 also brings a host of new infotainment and audio breakthroughs we’ll be talking about.
Be sure to tune in right here on TestDrivenTV all this week for more detailed news about these and many other exciting new vehicles.
Test Drives
In our Test Drives this week we spent time on the back trails of the Arizona Sonoran Desert with the 2015 Toyota 4Runner Trail
The off-road themed Toyota 4Runner sheds some of the ultra luxury touches found in the top-end Limited model for a more-robust suite of traction and drive systems aimed at enthusiastic trail crawling.
A manual locking four-wheel drive system and advanced terrain management features really bring confidence to going further off the pavement in the 4Runner.
We spent time in snow and ice as well as the back trails of the desert with the 4Runner and found it to be challenged by really nothing at all.
This week we are currently driving the 2015 Lexus RC350 FSport coupe, a more sexy and stylish version of the popular IS sedans set to compete with the likes of coupes from BMW, Mercedes, and Infiniti.
Its 306 horsepower V6 isn’t as boisterous as the raucous 5.0 V8 found in the RC-F we tested last fall, but provides plenty of power and sweet sounds for a day in the mountains.
A full report on the Lexus RC350 is coming up soon. You can see our full review of the 4Runner and many other vehicles on TestDriven.TV or our YouTube Channel.
Reality Check: Mercedes F 015 Research Vehicle
At the CES Show in Las Vegas, Mercedes-Benz revealed their F 015 Luxury in Motion research vehicle which explores the brands vision of our future.
The futuristic vision of a self-driving luxury sedan illustrates how Mercedes-Benz sees us evolving toward our relationship to cars going forward.
The interior is a lounge where front seats can be turned around to allow a casual visit among passengers while the car takes care of all the driving, worry of safety, traffic and motivation. Meanwhile you and your friends can listen to music, surf the net or post selfies on Facebook.
Interactive touch screens line every surface with motion activated features and voice commands to make it the ultimate iPad on wheels.
But rest easy, because the driver and front passenger can if needed turn their eyes and attention toward the road for manual driving. What a bother yes, but there is a presumably drive-by-wire steering wheel for such temporary inconveniences.
Our future of mobility includes automated driving whether we like it or not say the automakers. As Mercedes-Benz contends, “the greater the advance of urbanization, the greater is the desire of the individual to be able to retreat to a private sphere. Autonomous driving will become a given.” Neat.
I don’t know about you but I don’t find this appealing at all. I’m a driver, not a rider. If I’m gonna spend 100 large or more for a car, it better be more than my own personal compartment on a commuter train.
Money Shot
Now its time for our Money Shot where we pick the hottest photo from this week’s news and we show it to ya!
Infiniti is showing us a concept version of what will be the next production sports coupe from the brand. The Q60 Concept is sexy and the best interpretation yet of the brand’s sea creature styling. It will compete with the Lexus RC coupe, BMW 4 Series and others.
That’s it for Motoring Monday. Tune in all this week for our wall-to-wall coverage of the Detroit Auto Show news with several first look reviews on the cars, trucks and SUV’s making their debut.
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