Auto Shows? Still Relevant!

Living large in Los Angeles.

I just received an update from the Los Angeles Auto Show, the first of the big U.S. shows of the auto show season. Held in November or December each year, the L.A. venue is a great place to go to find out about the latest cars for sale as well as to see where the industry is heading.

L.A. Update

I attended the 2008 show, but stayed away in 2009. Though I haven’t committed myself to flying to L.A. this year, I certainly am interested in what this show has to offer. L.A. typically emphasizes fuel efficient and clean burning cars, attributes of critical importance to the Southern California community.

Indeed, if you are a press person you can test a number of vehicles during the show; I drove the hydrogen cell Honda FCX Clarity while there, a unique opportunity to get hold of a very rare vehicle.

This year’s show promises to be spectacular with 20 North American and 20 world debuts already in the works. Detroit has a show in January, Chicago in February and New York in March or April, but the Los Angeles show is first for the auto show season and a place where manufacturers love to showcase their wares.

L.A. Debuts

Look for Nissan to roll out it revised Quest minivan at this year’s show as well as introduce the LEAF, its electric car just in time for sales to begin in December. Also, Fiat will show up after a 27-year absence. Yes, that means the teen-girl friendly Fiat 500 will be on display in addition to a handful of concept models I imagine.

Last year’s show was pushed into December, but this year they’ve moved it back to November with press days on Nov. 17 and 18 followed by the public show running from Nov. 19-28.

Death Watch

Some people think auto shows will eventually be killed off by the Internet, but I for one think that there is a lot of life left in these shows. Thanks to hands on displays, customers can experience what cars are all about and speak to knowledgeable representatives about their products. Try doing all that online!

NC International Auto Expo Rolls On

The Kia Forte Koup is one of many new and upcoming cars on display at the 2010 North Carolina International Auto Expo in Raleigh

I took advantage of an opportunity to visit the North Carolina International Auto Expo in Raleigh on Thursday, the first of four days that the show is being held at the NC State Fairgrounds. By auto show standards the Raleigh event is quite small, but I did come across some decent finds which might make your visit worthwhile.

Though most of Auto Trends’ readers do not live anywhere near Raleigh, perhaps what I am about to share will encourage you to check out your local show when it arrives in your area.

In any case, the following are some of the notables for the 23rd running of the NC Auto Expo in no special order:

• Bright sunny skies and a cold wind greeted show visitors, but I was pleasantly surprised at the turn out. There seemed to be many more people in attendance this year than last.  Are we witnessing pent up customer demand?

• As usual, Toyota and General Motors shared space in the annex building. Toyota and Scion occupied about 40 percent of the space with Buick, GMC, Cadillac, and Chevrolet the remainder.

• Just one representative was on hand for Toyota and she stood behind a kiosk the entire time. It seems as if Toyota was maintaining a low profile for the show while Scion’s booth was the usual multimedia extravaganza replete with music, lights, and boxy cars.

• A white Buick LaCrosse attracted a lot of attention as did a red model on display nearby.

• Media talent Mark Roberts, known for his WRAL reporting and pitchman for Capital Ford was on hand. I was introduced to Mark and must say he is a pleasant and approachable guy.

• Meg Willett from Ford was on hand again.  We met for the first time last year and later arranged my test drives of the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Ford Taurus as well as working things out for me to get behind the wheel of a Lincoln MKT. Speaking of Ford, the 2011 Ford Fiesta was on display as was the 2011 Ford Mustang and 2011 Lincoln MKX.

• When I stopped by the Kia display I met Derek Bryant who is with the sales department of Kia of Raleigh. Derek and I discussed Kia’s remarkable market push which includes the Soul, Forte, and next generation Sorento. We also discussed the Kia Cadenza, an all new model replacing the Amanti, expecting to show up stateside later this year.

• Absent from the show were Mercedes, Volkswagen, BMW, and Audi. Honda/Acura, Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Smart also stayed away. Infiniti, however, was present.

• As usual, Lexus set up its own display on the main floor showcasing the 2011 IS 350C as well as its hybrid 250h.

• Scheduled weekend attractions include an appearance by Scooby-Doo, a classic car display (Dorton Arena) and ongoing live radio shows.

• The GM Ride and Drive was not in place on Thursday although the accompanying brochure indicated that it was part of this year’s show.

• As in past years a display of Sheriff Highway Patrol Cars dating back to the early 1960s is on hand.

As I mentioned earlier this week, the sponsoring Wake County New Vehicle Dealers Association contributes a portion of show proceeds to nearly three dozen local charities. Over the past five years more than $175,000 has been contributed.

For additional show information please visit www.ncautoexpo.com.

Photo Credit: Kia Motors America, Inc.

L.A. Auto Show Will Offer Several Key Intros

Los Angeles Auto Show to be held December 4-13, 2009

This week, the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show will begin, with press days scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday followed by the public show on Friday running through December 13th. The L.A. venue is the first major event of the auto show season and will be followed by shows in Detroit in January, Chicago in February, and New York in April.

I attended the 2008 show, but am not able to get to Los Angeles for this year’s show. That’s too bad because I like what the show has to offer, its central location near all downtown activity, and the good weather too. This time of year temperatures should be in the low 70s with clear skies which is my kind of weather!

New Models Debut

Los Angeles always gives automakers a very good opportunity to display their newest models as well as to gauge visitor reaction to their concepts. Quite a few vehicles will make their worldwide debut while a number of vehicles will be shown in North America for the first time, having been introduced in Tokyo, Geneva, Frankfurt, and elsewhere previously.

Volkswagen will unveil a pair of new models, but the German automaker isn’t identifying which models will be featured. 2011 versions of the Cadillac CTS coupe, Dodge Viper, Toyota Sienna, and Porsche Boxster Spyder will debut as will a Honda model – the Personal-Neo Urban Transport.

Visitors will also see the recently announced Buick Regal; a MINI Coupe concept; Chevrolet Cruze; Volvo C30 and C70; several Mercedes models; Kia Sorento; Rolls Royce Ghost; and various other models. Many of the vehicles being introduced are green themed which means that they emit fewer pollutants and get outstanding fuel economy.

Alternative Fuel Vehicles

The L.A. Auto Show is big on showcasing alternative fuel vehicles while allowing journalists to drive some two dozen “green” vehicles toward the end of the second press day. Incidentally, the L.A. is the back drop for Green Car magazine’s Green Car of the Year award which is also announced on the second day of the show.

The 2010 Green Car of the Year finalists are the Audi A3 TDI, Honda Insight, Mercury Milan Hybrid, Toyota Prius and Volkswagen Golf TDI.

International Recognition

Perhaps most impressive about the L.A. Auto Show is that this year the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d’Automobiles (OICA), the world automobile trade association, has officially named it as one of its sanctioned international exhibitions. That distinction puts the Los Angeles show as the top of its game, elevating the show to the same level as shows in Frankfurt, Detroit, Tokyo and elsewhere.