Eight new vehicles launched in LA
Which stars shine brightest at the Los Angeles Auto Show? By David Linklater.
For a short time, the cars are the stars in Los Angeles as the city’s Auto (that’s American for ‘‘motor’’) Show gears up for the first two weeks of December.
It’s an event full of shiny metal... but which cars are truly the newest? Here are eight straight out of the box.
BMW i8 roadster
It’s been much talked-about and a really long time coming, but BMW rolled out the roadster version of its i8 plug-in hybrid sports car at LAAS.
It’s pretty much as you’d expect: an i8 with the centre roof section missing. And still very dramaticlooking. Most features from the coupe are retained, including the distinctive dihedral door openings. BMW is all about EV-power: by 2025 it plans to have 25 plug-in vehicles in its lineup.
Mercedes-Benz CLS
The third-generation CLS made its global debut at LAAS. The concept is still the same as the 2004 original: a four-door coupe. If anything, this new model steps back a little closer to that first-gen model, with fewer sharp lines and an extremely small glasshouse in profile.
But the front is lower and more aggressive, and the CLS is now a five-seater. There’s a new engine lineup, with M-B’s latest four and six-cylinder units. No doubt with the obligatory AMG-V8 version to follow.
Lexus RX350L
The boom in seven-seat SUVs has caught Lexus by surprise... apparently. It has three-row seating in off-road models like the monster LX, but it’s something never offered in its core-crossover RX model.
The solution has been to stretch the RX by 110mm to create the seven-seat RX350L and RX450hL hybrid models.
The wheelbase has remained the same – all the extra is hanging out the back.
The third row can be powerfolded and the L has steeper tailgate and rear-screen angles to maximise rear headroom.
Mazda6 turbo
The most important features of the updated Mazda6 cannot been seen from outside.
Behind the mild frontal makeover there’s the 2.5-litre turbocharged engine from the CX-9 SUV and a completely new interior, with only the steering wheel and some minor trim elements carried over.
The turbo-model will be launched in NZ mid-2018, exclusively in a flagship luxury specification that will sit above the current Limited model. The name of the new version is yet to be decided: Mazda NZ gets to pick its own.
Porsche 911 T
Each new generation of Porsche 911 seems to get larger and more luxurious. Porsche is attempting to take the model back towards basics with the new Carrera T version. The ‘‘T’’ stands for Touring and dates back to 1968.
The Carrera T has pared-back equipment (nylon opening hoops for the doors, lightweight glass, less sound deadening) but ups the ante on driver appeal, with shorter-ratio transmission and 20mm-lower PASM suspension.
Jeep Wrangler
Another model extensively teased (and even tested by American media in Central Otago, NZ last month) but not officially launched until LAAS, the all-new Wrangler has greater powertrain options, including a turbocharged fourcylinder and eight-speed automatic, superior turning circle and brings a claim of even better off-road ability.
The JL Wrangler is slightly larger than the outgoing JK, but approach and departure angles have both improved by two degrees.
The bonnet and doors are aluminium, the interior is vastly more modern and roof options include a power soft-top.
Range Rover SVAutobiography
LAAS was a bit of a Special Vehicle Operations (SVO)-fest for Jaguar Land Rover. There were cars from SVR (Jaguar XE SV Project 8), SVX (an extreme-offroad Land Rover Discovery) and the latest from SVO’s super-luxury division, SVAutobiography.
The Range Rover SVAutobiography long-wheelbase SUV has a redesigned cabin with rear seats offering 1.2m of legroom, hot-stone massage function and business class-style reclining. It’s also now available with an even more refined powertrain: a plug-in hybrid offering 50km of near-silent EV running.
The SVAutobiography will be launched in NZ mid-2018.
Infiniti QX50
The QX50 mid-sized SUV has been teased a lot by Infiniti in the past year. But what’s special about the production version launched in LA is what’s under the bonnet: a variable-compression engine. It’s a world-first technology.
The QX50’s 2.0-litre turbo engine can instantly adjust its piston stroke to modify compression ratio to suit the driving situation. Infiniti claims it offers the performance of a petrol with the torque and fuel efficiency of a diesel - much like Mazda’s forthcoming SkyActiv-X engine.