Volvo XC90 concept

Volvo showed the face of the 2015 XC90 on its XC Coupe concept at Detroit.

The lights, grille and front-end styling are what will be seen on the large SUV replacement, while the rear lights are also close to those that will appear on the XC90.

This is the second of three concept cars Volvo has developed to illustrate the flexibility of its new product architecture, which will underpin an entire range of 60, 70, 80 and 90 series models. The last of the trio will appear at Geneva in a couple of months.

All will benefit from a set of advanced safety features, including the world's first animal detection and crash prevention system.

The current XC90 has been around for 13 years, but will go out of production this summer. Production starts on the new model next year.

Kia concept

With everyone in Kia from the CEO downwards adamant that the brand would like to introduce a rear-drive sports car in 2016, the big question at Detroit was whether the stunning GT4 Stinger – the company's first RWD coupe concept – might be it.

‘We would love this to be it and we wouldn't change anything,’ said Kia’s Californian design studio head, Tom Kearns. ‘It is a total concept at this stage, but we always do our concepts with the idea at the back of our minds that we could do them without too much change. We have rear-drive platforms in the group that we could use.’

The concept car is fibreglass-bodied. It has see-through windscreen pillars, which at this stage Kearns is not sure are feasible for production, and a deliberately simple interior. Even the door openers are just red straps.

The Stinger is a two-door two-plus-two coupe powered by a 315hp version of the company’s 2.0-litre T-GDi direct-injection turbocharged petrol engine, driving the rear wheels through a close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox.

It has all-wishbone suspension, 15-inch Brembo four-calliper brakes, direct steering and 20-inch carbon fibre-and-aluminium wheels.

Kearns sees is it as a potential rival for the Toyota GT86, Subaru BRZ and even the Mazda MX-5. It was designed primarily with the US in mind, with a target audience of men under 35.

Acura TLX Prototype

The Acura TLX sports sedan may have been unveiled as a prototype at Detroit, but a production version is scheduled to appear in North America in the second half of 2014, replacing the TL model. The launch will also signal the end of the line for the TSX model, streamlining the Acura model range to ILX, TLX and flagship RLX. TLX is promised with a choice of two direct injection petrol engines, an advanced transmission and a choice of two or four-wheel drive.

Infiniti Q-50 concept

The Q50 Eau Rouge is named after the famous left, right, left flat-out uphill sweep at Belgium's Spa circuit and painted, appropriately, in a striking shade of metallic cherry red. It also features red elements in the inner door panels.

The F1 links are emphasised by its wider stance compared with a standard Q50 executive saloon, and by the wing-style additions at the front, elaborate lower sill sections and a diffuser-like rear, all in carbon fibre.

Infiniti says that if a decision is taken to turn the Q50 Eau Rouge from show concept to production reality it will have at least 500hp from a forced-induction V-engine, and that a suitable power unit has already been identified from within the Renault Nissan Alliance.

‘There is a desire to produce it,’ says Shiro Nakamura, the senior vice-president and chief creative office of Nissan and Infiniti; ‘but it is not definite that this will happen at this stage.’

MINI John Cooper Works concept

Following the launch of the latest MINI, the BMW brand showed the latest John Cooper Works treatment on a concept model at Detroit. Cue the stripes and aerodynamic aids. MINI calls the colour Bright Highways Grey, while there are familiar stripes in red and white and red finish for the roof, roof spoiler and mirror housings. The car is not all about looks, with claimed weight savings and improved aerodynamic performance. There are contoured side skirts, a rear apron with flaps and a diffuser element. It’s not clear what engine changes there might have been.

Ford F-150

Pickups don’t come bigger or tougher than the Ford F-150, America's best selling pickup for the past 37 years. Last year saw 763,402 of them take to the road – put in a line they would stretch from Los Angeles to New York. Ford sold one every 49 seconds in 2013, the best year since 2006.

Now there is a new F-150, unveiled at Detroit with the claim that it is even bigger and tougher than before, yet 315kg lighter and more fuel-efficient thanks to the use of lightweight materials.

Chief engineer, Pete Reyes said: ‘We have been able to take weight out by using high strength lightweight steel for the frame while the body is now 93% aluminium. This has also made the vehicle even tougher and stronger than before.’

The new model carries over many of the features seen on the Atlas concept at last year’s Detroit Show. Chief designer, Gordon Platto said: ‘We have worked on some styling points to improve aerodynamics and visibility and have given the interior a more premium look and feel.’

The new F-150 comes with a choice of five petrol engines, a new 2.7-litre EcoBoost while the 3.5-litre EcoBoost, 3.7-litre V6 and 5.0-litre V8 are carried over from the outgoing model.

Lexus RC-F

Lexus unveiled the new RC coupe at the Tokyo Show in November and followed that up with the ‘F’ version of the car at the Detroit Show. F specification brings a 5.0-litre V8 delivering over 450hp, making it the most powerful road-going Lexus to date.

Various revisions to help the RC-F to handle the increased power have been made including an active rear wing, air scoops and cooling ducts. According to Yukihiko Yaguchi, RC-F chief engineer: ‘Unique air outlets in the bonnet and rear section of the front wings contribute to optimum engine cooling and handling stability.’ The active wing is automatically activated at speeds over 80km/h and retracts at speeds below 40km/h.

Nissan Sport Sedan concept

Nissan unveiled its Sport Sedan Concept, designed to give an impression of a future production sports saloon. Design elements include features we can expect to see in a production model, including the ‘floating’ roof and boomerang shaped lamps front and rear.

Sporty design characteristics include the lowered bonnet line and lowered suspension. Quality materials are used to trim the interior, which was inspired by modern furnishings, and feature diamond shaped graphics on the quilted seats.

Power comes from a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine developing over 300hp and driving through a CVT automatic transmission.

The concept was designed by the company’s American design centre in San Diego, California and developed at Nissan’s Global Design Centre in Japan. 

Audi Allroad Shooting Brake

Audi is expanding its range of Q cars with the launch of a new small SUV in 2016 while also looking at how to fill other niches.

Development chief Ulrich Heckenberg said: ‘When you look at our line-up there is clearly a need for a small SUV as the market is expanding rapidly. The Q1 project is already in place and we have capacity to make the car at our Ingolstadt plant in Germany when we move Q5 production to Mexico.

‘There is also potential to expand our Q range even further, there is space between the Q3 and Q5 and between Q5 and Q7 and we are looking at the idea of MPVs with additional seating. The option of seven seats is becoming increasingly popular.’

The Audi Allroad Shooting Brake was revealed in Detroit, as a taster of what we can expect style-wise, from a small Audi SUV.

Heckenberg also said there were opportunities to spin-off more models from the popular Audi TT. The next generation model will appear at the Geneva Motor Show. 

Subaru WRX STi

Subaru unveiled the latest WRX STi at the Detroit Show. It is due to appear in Europe this summer and is based on the WRX saloon launched at the Los Angeles Show in November 2013. The turbocharged 2.5-litre ‘boxer’ engine develops 305hp, with drive to all four wheels via a reinforced six-speed manual gearbox, which now features shorter gearshift movements. Spring and damper rates have been re-tuned.

Inside the new model gains a smaller D-shaped steering wheel and there are new dials. The interior is trimmed with a mix of materials including soft-touch, carbon fibre effect and metal.

VW Beetle Dune concept

19-inch wheels and body work raised by 50mm helps to distinguish the Beetle Dune Buggy concept from the standard Beetle. The concept even gets a rear-mounted ski-rack, similar to those available for the classic

The car features a wider track and wheel arch extensions. There’s a redesigned front bumper incorporating trapezoidal air intakes and revised lighting. The rear bumper has also been re-designed. Volkswagen was gauging reaction to the car at Detroit.

Toyota FT-1 concept

Toyota conjured up the 2000GT, first seen 49 years ago, when launching the FT-1 concept at Detroit. It looks every inch a modern sports coupe with obvious echoes from the GT86. It’s a traditional front engine/rear drive design featuring a retractable rear wing. Inside, features included an F1 style steering wheel and a head-up display.

Mercedes S600

The Mercedes S-Class gained a new range topping model at Detroit when the S600 was unveiled, powered by a 530hp twin turbocharged, 5,980cc V12 engine. Auto Start/Stop helps to reduce fuel consumption to 11.1l/100km, 21% less than its predecessor. Standard equipment for all S-Class models now includes a head-up display, touchpad and Collision Prevention Assist Plus. As you would hope, the list of standard equipment is long. Sales begin in March.

Porsche 911 Targa

Detroit saw the launch of the latest 911 Targa, giving 911 customers a second open-top option from the latest 911. As Porsche points out, the new 911 Targa shares much with the 911 Carrera 4 cabriolet – up to the window line, the two cars are more or less identical. But the Targa offers the roof bar and an automated system for raising and lowering the Targa soft top and dropping the curved back window out of sight. The soft top is stowed away behind the rear seats, all at the touch of a button. Drivers can choose between a 3.4-litre 350hp and 3.8-litre 400hp version of the famed flat six engine with a choice of manual or automated transmission. Prices start at around €153,000 if you need to ask.

Hyundai Genesis

Hyundai revealed a second-generation version of the Genesis saloon at Detroit – and is planning to bring it to Europe in small numbers for the first time.

Mark Hall, the company’s vice-president of marketing, says that European sales will be in the hundreds rather than thousands, but the new Genesis has been engineered for right- as well as left-hand drive.

The previous Genesis was developed for the American and Korean markets, but the new model will have more of a global presence.

The engines on offer will make it of only limited interest to Europeans, Hall says, but there is talk of diesels being added later.

‘Our number one task is to make the brand image (in Europe) as good as the quality of our cars.

‘We have a new wave of product launches on the way (22 by 2017), new models as well as replacements, and new technologies. There will be new B- and C-segment cars before 2017 and we want to sell 100,000 in each as well as in the C-SUV segment.’

Volkswagen Taigun

Volkswagen’s Taigun looks ready to be slipped into a showroom tomorrow. Ever since it was revealed in Brazil there have been rumours it would slot perfectly into the Indian market, and now it appears the time is imminent.

‘It is a glimpse into the future line-up we are contemplating for India,’ said the company's managing director for the region, Arvind Saxena.

The show car is powered by a 107hp 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine, which is said

to deliver excellent fuel efficiency. Volkswagen is also trumpeting space within compact dimensions.

Renault KWID

Unveiled at the Delhi Motor Show, the KWID concept is said to be designed for international markets including India. It features short overhangs and outsize wheels but has a two-wheel drive powertrain. It’s powered by Renault’s 1.2-litre petrol engine but could also be electrically powered. The four-seat interior was inspired by a bird’s nest. KWID also features a flying companion which can take off from the rotating rear portion of the car. The device can scout the road ahead for obstacles and take pictures. It can operate automatically or be manually controlled from a touchscreen inside the car.

Mahindra/SsangYong Compact SUV

As Indian carmaker Mahindra & Mahindra battles with what to call its South Korean brand in the future, it is leveraging its Far Eastern affiliates expertise in four-wheel drive SUVs.

It is planning to launch a rival model to Ford’s Ecosport using a joint Mahindra-SsangYong’s platform project. According to Headlineauto, the project, codenamed S102 is based on SsangYong’s X100, and will be launched into global markets in the first half of next year or early 2016.

Cadillac ATS Coupe

Cadillac launched its first compact luxury coupe at the Detroit Show, before going on sale in the summer. The car is based on the ATS sport saloon, but the roof, doors, rear bumpers and boot lid are new for the coupe. The car gets a wider track, too, with standard 18-inch wheels, while the coupe also gains revised frontal treatment to help separate it from the saloon.

LED headlamps are available for the coupe, while LED rear lamps are standard. The dashboard is carried over from the saloon and technology options include OnStar 4G LTE connectivity with a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot.

Power comes from either a 272hp 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder or 321hp 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine. Both are equipped with direct injection. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard and there is an option of either rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. The car will also be shown at the Geneva Show in March.

New Tata x 2

At this year's Delhi Motor Show, Tata unveiled its first new models in four years – two small cars aimed at reversing a decline in the company’s passenger car sales.

Sales of Tata passenger vehicles in India fell 37% in the first nine months of the fiscal year that ends in March, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, the steepest drop of any car company in the country.

The market itself is suffering due to rising interest rates and high fuel costs and although it is still growing, it is at the slowest pace in a decade.

The two newcomers are the Bolt hatchback and Zest entry-level saloon, jumping into the small car market that accounts for the bulk of vehicle sales in India – the B-segment accounts for around two thirds of the 3m market.

The company said it believes the two small models will help restore the market share Tata has lost to the country's two biggest players, Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai.

Tata said it has a number of models now in the pipeline, which will be introduced over the next six years.

Honda XS-1

Honda gave a World Premiere for the Vision XS-1 concept, a compact crossover utility vehicle. Honda describes the Vision XS-1 as a proposal for a next generation vehicle, featuring three-row seating for seven-passengers, with a single sliding door each side. We understand that cost and weight would rule these out of any production model.