The backdrop of this year’s show is the economy, one of the toughest downturns we’ve seen in decades. Inasmuch as the current outlook is bleak, the auto show will give you a good glimpse into the future of the business. Moreover, if you are thinking about purchasing a car, you can compare models and learn how you can get behind the wheel of a new ride through various financing means.

The show is open to the public from now through the end of the month including on Thanksgiving Day. The following are the show hours for the duration of the event:

Friday, Nov. 21: 11am – 10pm
Saturday, Nov. 22: 9am – 10pm
Sunday, Nov. 23: 9am – 8pm
Monday, Nov. 24: 11am – 10pm
Tuesday, Nov. 25: 11am – 10pm
Wednesday, Nov. 26: 11am – 10pm
Thanksgiving Day: 9am – 8pm
Friday, Nov. 28: 9am – 10pm
Saturday, Nov. 29: 9am – 10pm
Sunday, Nov. 30: 9am – 8pm

Tickets are $10 for adults and free to children under the age of 12 when accompanied by a paying adult. Seniors (65+) can get in for just $7 from November 21-27 only. Discount ticket coupons are available at local car dealerships as well as at select local 7-Eleven Stores. Group ticket rates apply to scheduled groups with 50 or more visitors.

So put down that drumstick and avoid that second piece of pumpkin pie and head over to the Los Angeles Convention Center to take in one the top seasonal events in Southern California. Your waistline will be glad that you did and you’ll find the auto show to be both informative and entertaining.

Those were just two of the three conferences I attended today (Ferrari was the third) as I wanted to focus on getting several articles completed before I took my short drives of the Honda FCX Clarity and the Smart ForTwo. In visiting shows like these, I’ve learned to pick and choose which conferences to attend instead of feeling as if I have to take in everything. Besides, with media material at the ready, so much good stuff is available for review once the auto show has ended.

Among some of the things of note for the second press day were:

• Chrysler may be pleading poverty, but they did go to the trouble of sending three EV models to the show. Yes, they may be vaporware and, worst of all, moot once the company’s fate has been sealed. I spoke with the guys who were doing the EcoDrive for the Dodge Ram Diesel and wondered if this solid good truck would survive Chrysler’s downfall or merger. Maybe someone will buy out Chrysler and keep Jeep, the minivans, and the Dodge Ram — I doubt that Carlos Ghosn is interested.

• It doesn’t really matter what I think of a vehicle if someone else is interested in buying it. Though I thought the Kia Soul was a hit, I didn’t think the same with the Nissan Cube. In fact, if there was an “Ugly Car of the Year” award, the Cube would be a finalist. But, like the Scion, its likely to develop its own cult following.

• There wasn’t much to look at with the Suzuki exhibit, but the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies were an excellent reason to stop by. I meant to get a closer look at the Grand Vitara, but I forgot all about it. Must have been the cookie aroma that distracted me.

• The production version of the Chevrolet Volt was on display and Bob Boniface, the Director of Design for the Volt, was standing nearby answering questions. For the record: the Volt is an attractive car, the photos of it just do not do it justice.

• I learned that Toyota is “studying” diesel technology, but I don’t see the automaker going in that direction — ever. When you got the hybrid thing down pat and you’re developing electric technology, why expand to another alternate fuel source and dilute your resources? Toyota seems to be content at doing what they already do and are constantly refining the process.

• I’m probably not the only one longing to hang onto every bit of good news that I can find. Reality is that these are tough times, but that theme gets tiresome when it is repeated again and again at news conferences. Worse, are the blow by blow regurgitations of sycophant bloggers who are following the U.S. auto industry and posting everything and anything related to the crisis (manufactured, trumped up, or otherwise). I got news for you: people will still continue to buy new cars even if half of the industry went down the tubes in one day.

Well, that’s a wrap for now. I’ll be publishing a related auto show article on Friday and get back into my usual one or more article routine beginning on Monday. I enjoyed the show, made some contacts, and hope to drum up some additional business.

Will I go to Detroit in January for the NAIAS? That depends on a few things, namely the amount of business I have going for me and whether someone else will foot the bill. Sponsors, anyone?

I survived the Smart ForTwo. Or, it survived me!

Okay, before you jump all over me, it isn’t a car that I could see myself ever owning, let alone driving. Yet, when the opportunity came up to test drive the diminutive two seater from Daimler, I decided to give it ago. After all, if you are going to criticize something, it better be backed up with some solid reasons!

Wes, the representative from Smart who rode with me, was friendly and very helpful. He explained all about the 1.0L I3 powered car and went over its development, much of what I had heard about previously. Still, I didn’t know that the engine was in the back nor did I know that the car had much of a storage area (12 cubic feet). Whenever I’ve seen a Smart in my neck of the woods (Cary, NC), all I could think of was how awful it would be to be t-boned in that thing!

The ForTwo lurched its way out of the parking garage and onto the streets of downtown L.A. Wes explained to me that the car operated that way in first gear, but once I got out onto the road and could pick up some speed, the awkwardness of the gear shifting would ease. Still, I always felt that their was someone else controlling the car to some extent, reminding me of some of the other manual clutches I had dealt with many years ago.

Interior room is generous despite the car’s eight foot length. Since there are only two seats, all of the cabin space benefits the passengers. Wes mentioned that occupants as tall as 6′5″ would feel comfortable in the car which gives the Smart an advantage over most any other compact (or smaller) car on the road.

I forgot to mention that our Smart was the Cabriolet model so we were able to enjoy the sunny California weather as we made the trip around the Los Angeles Convention Center. The soft top rolls to the rear of the car, much like a sheet would roll to the end of a bed — kind of odd, but we’re talking about basic transportation, not one of Daimler’s other brands such as Maybach.

The one fun thing about the ForTwo is the car’s amazingly tight turning radius. We circled a pole when I drove the car back into the parking garage where I quipped, “wouldn’t it be great if all cars were this agile!” Clearly, the one attribute of the ForTwo that I loved.

The Smart ForTwo delivers 33 mpg city, 41 mpg highway — numbers which aren’t terribly impressive, but then this is a gas powered car. What’s more, with a retail price starting around $12,200, the ForTwo offers a compelling reason why someone might want the car. All I know that it isn’t me — then again, I’m not every driver and neither are you.

Yours truly standing by the Honda FCX Clarity, the rarest of all Hondas.

When deciding to make the trip to Los Angeles, I knew that there was one event I just had to take advantage of while there: EcoDriving, the chance to drive at least one of the many “green” vehicles on display.

As it turns out, I got to drive two cars — the Honda FCX Clarity and the Smart ForTwo. The FCX Clarity, for those who never heard of the car is a limited production fuel cell vehicle. Currently, only three cars can be found in the US and all three are located in the L.A. area where three fueling stations exist. One of the cars is being leased to actress Jamie Lee Curtis who pays Honda $600 per month which covers leasing and insurance. Within the next year or two another two hundred cars will be built and leased to select customers in California and Japan.

I won’t get into all of the workings behind the FCX Clarity other than to say that it is hydrogen powered, hence its limited availability. The US does not yet have a hydrogen infrastructure in place which limits the car’s range to 280 miles before it must refilled. The FCX Clarity produces 134 horsepower but 189 lb.-ft. of torque. EPA fuel economy is estimated to be an amazing 79 mpg city/68 mpg highway; what’s more, this is a zero emissions vehicle and quiet like you wouldn’t believe.

The ride is smooth, the seats are very comfortable, and the car handles quite well. Overall, the cabin is very luxurious.

We took it out on the streets of L.A., making about a three mile loop around the convention center. At first I was a little uptight, knowing that Honda paid a significant chunk of money to produce the car. Honda refuses to say what the car cost, but I have heard figures of upwards of one million dollars per vehicle tossed around. My Honda representative said that the car is built on its own platform after I remarked that it looks like a stretch Accord.

I’ll be following up with some additional details about the Honda FCX Clarity, a truly remarkable and beautiful car. I like the style so much that it could make a nice gas-electric hybrid model too. But, it looks as if Honda will concentrate on the hydrogen end of things for now.

(Source: American Honda Motor Company, Inc.)

2010 Kia Soul

I take back everything bad I’ve said about Kia. Well, not everything.

Today, Kia introduced the Soul – a Scion-like via with plenty of spark and what Kia hopes will be a whole lot of sales. Radically different from any model ever produced by the Korean automaker, the Kia Soul could be the car to single-handedly change the way people perceive the brand.

Box at the rear but rounded in the front and bottom, the Kia Soul has a look as if it is ready to go places.

If you’re surprised by my enthusiasm for the Soul given my dismissive comments made as recently as 2006 that the Kia Rio was a throw away car, as well as my thumbs down to the Kia Sedona minivan, and a general disinterest in the brand, then you’re not alone. Then again, I doubt that I’m the only one who had an epiphany of sorts today during the Kia news conference at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show.

To describe the Kia Soul you almost have to mention Scion, Toyota’s youth-oriented brand. But, the Soul has its own edge (or lack thereof in parts), a certain look that won’t confuse the car with anything else on the road.

My favorite color configuration on display at the show. I also liked a Soul with a butterscotch paint finish.

Designed with Generation Y in mind, Kia plans to release the car in early Spring 2009, offering several trim levels with pricing beginning in the teens. This will set the car up to compete against the Scion xB and xD as well as the all new Nissan Cube. Fortunately, the five passenger Soul isn’t as boxy as its competitors, a front engine front wheel drive model powered by a standard 1.6L I4 engine paired with a five speed manual transmission. Optionally a 2.0L I4 engine paired with the same manual gearbox or an optional four speed automatic will be offered.

Kia has been using the tagline “the power to surprise” a lot lately and the Soul does just that. The grill, headlight trim, dash stack trim, side mirrors, and wheels can each be customized, with the intent for young buyers to personalize their cars accordingly. Of the eleven, count ‘em eleven Souls on display, several featured custom paint schemes on the sides of the vehicle or on the hood.

Seats were firm, but comfortable. Even the rear seating offered plenty of legroom and support.

Inside, the cabin is clean and comfortable able to hold my six foot frame with room to spare front and back. I couldn’t count the number of interior storage areas (Kia says that there are 14) and the glove box is amazingly big and deep: a two-tier compartment that can hold all of your stuff.

Though some modern cars have cluttered dashboards, the Kia Soul does not. An attractive three-dial instrument cluster, LCD illumination, and a floating center stack design are significant visual features which offer access to the AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system outfitted with SIRIUS Satellite Radio capabilities and three months complimentary service . Standard auxiliary and USB input jacks also can be found in the center console with full iPod controllability via the audio head unit and steering wheel controls.

Imagine the possibilities with the embedded storage compartment area. Arrange all of your tools, carry groceries, stash away personal stuff, keep prying eyes away.

Yes, the Kia Soul is made for the youngest drivers, consumers with not a lot of cash but still wanting a car that’ll take them places in style. I like the storage area behind the rear seat which, when the cover is lifted, reveals a compartmentalized storage area just perfect for putting in gear of various sizes in each compartment.

Kia is still mum about the price, but says that the Soul will be aggressively priced to attract buyers. This should mean that the Soul will be priced from about $16K with higher trim levels topping out in the low to mid 20s.

I got to hand it to Kia on this one. If the Soul is the beginning of a sea change for the brand, then Kia’s position in the global automobile market will only continue to improve. Worse, if they are seeking to appeal to a younger demographic, then they better be careful: this “mature” car buyer wouldn’t hesitate to consider the Soul, perhaps tricking it out too!

(Source: Kia Motors)

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Green Car of the Year

A Diesel Does It

I’ve been proven wrong as the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI is the recipient of Green Car Journal’s 2009 Green Car of the Year award. I credit my long ago ownership of a ‘78 Volkswagen Rabbit Diesel with coloring my ability to even consider that a diesel might win. Fortunately, diesel technology has come a long way — you can actually get out of the way of that semi bearing down upon you!

“The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI epitomizes what the Green Car of the Year honor is all about,” said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com. “It raises the bar significantly in environmental performance with its EPA estimated 41 mpg highway fuel economy, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and extremely low tailpipe emissions. This is all the more impressive when you consider the Jetta TDI is a clean diesel, achieving the kind of fuel economy offered by gasoline-electric hybrids but in a more affordable way.”

Speaking of affordable, the starting price of the Jetta TDI is $21,990, but if you’ve seen the price of diesel lately, you’ll need the price break. Currently, diesel fuel is retailing for as much as one dollar a gallon over regular gas, enough of a price differential to make me prefer a hybrid. Okay, sour chips on me — I lost.

Two Greenies Waiting For Me

One consolation out of this — two, actually — is that I will get to test drive a pair of green cars later today. Both the Honda FCX Clarity (fuel cell) and the Smart ForTwo have been made available to me, so I’ll get a first hand chance to drive at least two green cars today. I’ll take the consolation prize any time even if that means a brief ten minute jaunt around the Los Angeles Convention Center or nearby streets.

As tough as things are for the short term, no company can fail to plan for the future, the heart of what Carlos Ghosn, President/CEO for Renault/Nissan said yesterday in his keynote address to the media. Quite suddenly, the economy could begin to pick up, giving those automakers who have invested in the future a leg up, one that could dash the recovery hopes of those manufacturers who pulled back a little too much.

I don’t see Chrysler surviving in its present form regardless of what the future holds, with General Motors not far behind. This morning I learned that Ford’s stock closed at just above one dollar a share yesterday, dangerously close to “penny stock” territory. Even with the Ford Fusion Hybrid, a new F-150 in the market, and the 2010 Ford Mustang on the way, time may not be on Ford’s side. Clearly, Chapter 11 may be the best approach for all three.

On the brighter side, it was good to see several automakers pressing forward, revealing new products plus showing some concepts that have a good chance of seeing production or at least having their design cues and technologies incorporated in upcoming models.  The BMW Group’s MINI E is a small step in the right direction, as it has the promise of expanding well beyond its introductory pool of 500 electric cars being set aside for drivers in New York or L.A.

Honda’s Insight is getting ready to return and it could be the most fuel efficient of all hybrids when it becomes available for sale next Spring. A Honda representative backed off from earlier claims that 60 mpg fuel economy is possible for the car and that initial $18,500 price may not hold. Still, it’ll sell for under $20K and beat the Prius by some $3K. I’m wondering just what all the talk about the $40K Chevrolet Volt is when a conventional hybrid can be made for such a low price.

Hyundai may not be a favorite brand (for me) but the Korean automaker continues to make a compelling pitch to consumers. Though I disagree with putting the Genesis under the Hyundai umbrella, the car is well made, fairly decent looking (I don’t like the sedan’s grill) and offers all of the amenities of a high end Mercedes, Lexus, or BMW at a price that cannot be beat. Hyundai is pressing forward with its own hybrid technology and has several diesel powerplants in the mix.

Today, Kia will get their chance to shine as the Kia Soul is officially unveiled. The Soul could be just the car Kia needs to move away from their cheap, plasticized look to something definitely not mainstream, but more Scion-like in appealing to young people. Kia, part of the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, hasn’t always been on equal footing with its Korean sibling, but the Soul just may change that.

One segment that won’t die anytime soon is the exotic car category. Here at the show, the entire Concourse Hall area has been set aside for Spyker, Rolls Royce, Lotus, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Bentley and Ferrari. The Ferrari California is being featured and what a beauty of a car it is! Bentley has already shown the Azure and Lamborghini had their roll out yesterday. Besides Ferrari, other exotics on display include Lotus, Maserati and Spyker. Each of the latter will have their press conferences today with the Press Day concluding with a Design Challenge Award and the Faurceia conference — the French automotive parts supplier.

I’ll be wrapping everything up later today and flying home Friday morning with one eye on fast breaking industry news and other one on sifting through my pile of media stuff.

Green Car Journal regularly chooses the leading vehicle each year that they believe demonstrates greenness – the best combination of fuel economy, lower emissions, advanced technology, and other environmentally friendly attributes. Later this morning, the magazine will announce their winner for the Green Car of the Year, choosing the winner from the following five finalists:

• BMW 335d
• Ford Fusion Hybrid
• Saturn VUE 2-Mode Hybrid
• Smart ForTwo
• Volkswagen Jetta TDI

If I could vote for the vehicle I think should win, it would be one of the two hybrids, with the edge going to the Ford Fusion Hybrid. Nine jurors including Jay Leno, automotive icon Carroll Shelby, and representatives from the Sierra Club, Ocean Futures Society and other groups will decide the winner, but not me.

The Smart ForTwo, besides its size, only achieves 33/41 fuel economy, while the new Ford Fusion Hybrid is expected to get at least 39 mpg around the city. Plus, its seats five passengers, it can go up to 47 mph on electric power before the engine kicks in, and can travel as far as 700 miles between fill ups, better than the Saturn.

The diesels are interesting, but their fuel economy numbers aren’t that great. Plus, diesel fuel costs a fortune and you pay a premium to buy a diesel over a gas engine. To me, the Ford Fusion Hybrid is the best representation of all things green.

But, we’re still several hours away from an announcement and perhaps there will be a surprise in the form of a diesel offering winning the award. Stay tuned!

2010 Mercedes GLK

Mercedes took advantage of being the last automaker to show their new vehicles on Wednesday’s Press Day, by wrapping three of them in Christmas presents and unveiling them one by one.

The first, and the most important gift was the official introduction of the Mercedes GLK, the automaker’s all-new, small sport/utility vehicle. Handsome, with chiseled lines and a boxy look, the GLK may seem out of place during these days of avoiding all things SUV. Mercedes indicated as much, but stressed that the GLK is the perfect transition vehicle from the big SUV that their competitors sell (think Cadillac Escalade) to something that is smaller and more responsible.

The 2010 Mercedes GLK will begin to arrive in dealer showrooms this December, but become available to customers in January. Offered in both two and four wheel drive, the base two wheel model will retail for $33,900 while the 4MATIC version will start at $35,900. Mercedes said that when these prices were announced to their dealer group, everyone broke out in applause. In better days, price wouldn’t have mattered, but those days have since passed by and dealers know that customers are looking for value.

Mercedes has stressed that the GLK is not a smaller version of the GL rather that the vehicle is an original design sitting on its own platform. The GLK seats five passengers who benefit from its three-point inertia-reel seatbelt technology which includes electronically controlled belt tensioners that tighten up in the split second before an accident occurs.

Side impact airbags are standard, essentially a curtain that descends between the A and C pillars to protect front and rear passengers. Anti-lock brakes, brake assist, adaptive braking, electronic stability control, and traction control is standard on every GLK model.

Inside, Mercedes added the usual luxury touches to the GLK and some sensible ones too. The top of the dashboard is black, which reduces glare, while the rest of the dash, center stack and glove box are of the interior color chosen by the customer. Air vents and controls blend into the upper part of the dash as does the instrument panel.

The center stack holds controls for the climate and audio systems as well as control for other systems including the heated seats. MP3 connectivity is found inside of the glove box where a power socket and plug is located. A 7 inch display, what Mercedes calls COMAND navigation, features a map of all of North America with turning instructions included when called upon for directions.

Under the hood, it is V6 power only for the GLK. A 24 valve 3.5L V6 engine that produces 268 horsepower with 258 lb.-feet of torque is paired with Mercedes’ seven-speed automatic transmission. Together, these components provide exceptional power and just the right fuel economy for a vehicle in its class.

I liked the looks of the GLK and can see where it’ll give Acura, Lexus, Infiniti, BMW, and Volvo a run for its money. As far as the other two gifts go, they were limited production cars including a $299,000 AMG model that will see only 350 produced in 2009. As for me, I’d go with the GLK if I was looking for an entry level luxury sport/utility vehicle something Mercedes hopes car buyers will do in abundance in 2009.

(Source: Mercedes-Benz USA)

Of the fifteen press conferences held today, I attended six of them, choosing to hear the keynote address from Carlos Ghosn, followed by conferences sponsored by Nissan, BMW/MINI, Ford, Mazda, and Mercedes. I realized that attending every press conference would take away from my chance to talk one-to-one with representatives from the car companies. So, in the afternoon I spent several hours going from display to display, obtaining press materials, and chatting it up.

Some of my recorded material I’ll go through and use that information at a later date, but I can also share some of my other notes of interest:

• Nissan/Renault CEO and President, Carlos Ghosn, addressed the global economic crisis head on in his talk. He said that the crisis started in the US and is gradually spreading around the world and can be particularly felt in most western countries where car sales are in decline.  He believes that president-elect Obama has a terrific opportunity to show leadership in the way that he addresses the problem, suggesting that some sort of government incentive plan to American citizens should be considered.

• Nissan’s press conference featured two cars at polar opposites. The 370Z is fast and muscular while the Nissan Cube is, well, funny looking and youth oriented. That latter vehicle likely will have an all-electric version available. Ghosn says that the first electric car from Nissan will be sold in the US and Japan in 2010 and worldwide in 2012. He also mentioned that the company would share that technology with other automakers.

• One in three Mazdas sold is a Mazda3, underscoring the importance of this model to the Japanese automaker. The newest design is bold and edgy, but I was disappointed by the highway fuel mileage — just 33 mpg. Larger cars, such as the Ford Fusion and Chevy Malibu achieve that number too. Why is it that so many small cars just can’t seem to hit a high mpg despite a smaller footprint?

• Mercedes rolled out the new GLK, its small sport/utility vehicle. Priced from $33,900 for the two wheel drive model and $35,900 for the four wheel drive SUV, the GLK comes in lower than expected. Perhaps Mercedes understands that selling in a challenging market means slashing prices at the front, not the back.

• The Ford Fusion Hybrid is expected to get 39 miles to the gallon city which means that the car could travel as many as 700 miles between fill ups.  For city drivers, that could mean visiting the gas station just once per month,  a satisfying thought even as gas prices continue their free fall.

• Surprise, surprise! That is what Chrysler LLC had for the show when it decided to bring its three electric vehicle (EV) concepts to the auto show: The Chrysler Town & Country EV, Jeep Wrangler EV, and the Dodge EV — a sportscar that looks a lot like a Lotus will be on display for the duration of the show.

• Confirmed: the truck version of the Pontiac G8 sedan will be called the Pontiac G8ST (ST for sport truck). Even as I was looking at it, another blogger stopped by and mentioned that he would always refer to the car as the El Camino, a name rejected by General Motors for the G8ST, but one favored by a lot of folks to this day.

• Though this bit of news did not get mentioned at the show, Kelley Blue Book released a report saying that cars bought by U.S. manufacturers do not hold their value well at all. In fact, only foreign makes made their Top Ten list which was led by Honda.

I’m heading off to bed early as I’m still on east coast time and wanting to be fresh for the second and last day of this show. If all goes as planned, I’ll actually be able to test drive a number of the green vehicles on display, one of which will be the winner of the Green Car of the Year award. That announcement will be made precisely at 9 a.m. Thursday.