Automakers reveal new models at the Detroit auto show
Global automakers kicked off 2017 displaying a wide array of future vehicles at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Luxury sedans and small sport utility vehicles jostled for the spotlight along with electric cars and diesel-powered pickup trucks. When it came to industry profits, the trucks and SUVs were at center-stage.
Here are some of the notable vehicle debuts at the Detroit show, which opens to the public on Saturday, January 14.
* Nissan Rogue Sport. A 5-passenger SUV that will be slightly smaller than the Nissan <7201.T> Rogue, which has become the top-selling model in the company's U.S. lineup. Rogue was the top-selling non-pickup truck in the U.S. in December. It will go on sale in the spring. This is part of Nissan's response to U.S. consumers' growing preference for SUVs of all sizes.
* Kia Motors Co <000270.KS> Stinger. The Stinger is a new 5-passenger fastback sport sedan. Kia said it would produce the Stinger after showing a concept version of it earlier. The car was designed in Frankfurt. It will go on sale in the U.S. market in late 2017.
* Lexus LS. Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T> debuted the first Lexus LS 400 sedan in Detroit at the 1989 auto show. On Monday, the brand unveiled the fifth generation of its big sedan to a market that is turning away from the traditional concept that a luxury brand's "flagship" model must be a sedan, instead of a sport utility vehicle. The brand also is showing a compact crossover concept called UX.
* BMW 5-series. BMW AG has already taken the wraps off the look of the new 5-series, which competes with the Mercedes E-class and Audi A6. The German luxury automaker displayed a plug-in hybrid version of the car for the first time in Detroit. Like its competitors, the 5-series is losing ground to SUVs - and the Tesla Model S electric sedan - among affluent U.S. buyers. BMW also is showing a compact X2 crossover concept.
* Honda Odyssey. Just in time for millennials starting to have the baby boom generation's grandchildren, Honda Motor Co <7267.T> debuted a new generation of its Odyssey minivan. The minivan segment has shrunk since the former Chrysler Corp pioneered the concept of a boxy family hauler in the 1980s, but sales in the segment rose 8 percent last year.
* Ford F-150. Ford Motor Co will give the 2018 model of the best-selling vehicle in the United States some modest appearance changes, and more significantly, new technology to reduce fuel consumption. For the first time, Ford will offer a diesel engine option in the F-150. The company is not releasing fuel economy estimates for that engine. A new 3.3-liter six-cylinder engine will also be offered and fuel-saving technology that shuts down the engine at a stop light will be available.
* Chevrolet Traverse. General Motors Co highlighted two redesigned sport utility vehicles in Detroit, including a new generation of the Chevrolet Traverse, a family hauling SUV that will compete with the likes of the Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander and Jeep Grand Cherokee.
* Toyota Camry. The best-selling passenger car in the United States for the past 15 years got a major makeover. Camry sales fell 9.5 percent in 2016 from the year before, reflecting pressure from the shift to SUVs. Overall, mid-sized sedan sales in the United States fell 10 percent. Toyota <7203.T> has been giving its mainstream models more expressive styling and advanced technology, to counter a long-held image for dull reliability. The 2018 Camry is expected to reflect that direction.
* Mercedes-Benz E Class Coupe. Daimler AG's mainstream brand has redesigned its mid-size E Class Coupe. It also showed a facelifted version of the GLA compact crossover, as well as a redesigned Smart Electric Drive.
* Audi Q8. Audi, the high-volume luxury brand of Volkswagen AG showed a concept of a new, large sport utility vehicle in Detroit. It is also unveiling a facelifted version of its SQ5 mid-size SUV and redesigned A5 cabriolet.
(Reporting By Joe White and Paul Lienert; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Andrew Hay)