The Auto Writer

I’m continuing my preparation for the NAIAS by finishing up several other writing projects this week. One article in the hopper, covering the Pontiac Solstice GXP, should be in rough draft form by the time I leave for Detroit this weekend. While at the show, I hope to see the Solstice on display and use that opportunity to speak with people who developed the model. I want to include as much engineering information as possible in this article which is due two days after I return from the auto show.

As word has spread that I will be in attendance at this year’s show, people have been asking me what cars will be on display in Detroit. Since the NAIAS is one of the most significant events on the international auto show calendar, many new models and concepts will be previewed including:

• BMW’s 1-Series will makes its North American debut at the show. The smallest of all BMWs, the model has been on sale in Europe for several years and will be imported to North America as a 2009 model.

• Saturn will introduce a new version of its hybrid VUE, a vehicle that promises to be the most efficient V6-powered SUV when it goes on sale later this year. According to the Detroit Free Press, the VUE Green Line Mode 2 could get as much as 34 mpg on the highway and have a towing capacity of 3500 lbs.

• Five Chinese automakers will be showing off their vehicles, some for the first time. According to AmericaJR, vehicles from BYD Auto, CHAMCO Auto, Changfeng Group, Geely International Corp., Li Shi Guang Ming Auto Design Co. Ltd. and ZXAuto China (Hebei Zhongxing). Geely and Changfeng have previously displayed their cars at the NAIAS.

• Chrysler will unveil its Jeep Renegade concept a vehicle that takes its styling cues from the Wrangler. According to MLive, the vehicles runs on a combination battery and diesel power, delivering an unheard of 110 mpg.

• Toyota will be introducing the Venza, a five-passenger crossover sedan. According to Edmunds, the vehicle was designed in the US and will be built at the same Georgetown, KY factory as the Avalon and Camry.

• Ford is expected to reveal its next generation F-Series pick up truck which will start to go on sale later this summer. Ford announced late last week that the truck was the sales leader again for 2007, the 31st consecutive year that it led all trucks.

• According to Autoblog, Honda will showcase its next generation Pilot prototype. The updated model is expected to have a more rugged look and designed to continue to carry as many as eight passengers.

• Hyundai is hoping that its luxury Genesis sedan will shake up the market when it goes on sale later this year. Jalopnik reports that the 2009 Hyundai Genesis is the most advanced Hyundai ever with features matching what competitors Lexus, BMW, and Mercedes have to offer for tens of thousands of dollars less.

Plenty of other vehicles will be on display, so what I am sharing with you is just a sample of a few. With camera in tow, I hope to snap quite a few photos and display them on this blog as well as to accompany articles appearing elsewhere on this site. In addition, I plan on attending as many press conferences and other special events as I can to get the scoop on what is coming up. Naturally, I will share that information with my faithful readers!

2008 Buick Lucerne Super Photo Copyright General Motors