Google, Camry and the shadow of Trump
Fresh off a record year for US auto sales, carmakers meet in Detroit next week to show buyers what’s coming next - and ponder their own future under a Trump administration.
More than 40 new vehicles will debut at the North American International Auto Show, which is one of the largest shows in the US After record sales of 17.55 million in 2016, US sales of new cars and trucks are expected to cool off a little this year, but demand remains strong.
Even if they can count on US buyers, automakers aren’t sure what to make of President-elect Donald Trump. Trump has criticized Ford, General Motors and Toyota for making vehicles in Mexico and exporting them to the US. He is threatening a 35-percent border tax, which could throw the industry into disarray. But automakers are also hopeful that Trump will lower corporate taxes and loosen fuel economy standards and other regulations.
“It is the year of unknowns,” said Michelle Krebs, a senior analyst with the car-buying site Autotrader.com. Here’s what to look for at the Detroit show, which is open to the public from Jan. 14-22.
BIG DEBUTS: New versions of some important products will debut at the show. Toyota will show off the new Camry sedan, which has been the best-selling car in the US since 2002, and Honda will pull the wraps off the new Odyssey minivan. Americans are increasingly favoring SUVs over cars, and automakers are scrambling to meet that demand. GM will have new versions of its popular GMC Terrain and Chevrolet Traverse SUVs. Nissan will show a smaller version of its Rogue SUV, while Volkswagen will have a stretched version of its Tiguan. Even Chinese automaker GAC Group, which doesn’t yet sell vehicles in the US, will be showing off an SUV. As usual, there will be some surprises. Kia is teasing a high-performance sports car and Ford - which shocked the show with its GT last year - is mum on its plans.
MOBILITY BUZZ: Seismic changes are coming to the auto industry in the form of car-sharing and self-driving vehicles. Carmakers are trying to get on board. For the first time, a convention dedicated to mobility will run during the auto show press days. Dubbed Automobili-D, the event will feature booths from more than 100 tech startups, auto suppliers and carmakers with innovations like car seats that can sense when you’re drowsy and software that can navigate the car in stop-and-go traffic. Waymo Google’s self-driving car project - will kick off the event by showing its new autonomous minivan developed with Fiat Chrysler. —AP