Even as the organizers of the North American International Auto Show grapple with the future of automobility (especially of the autonomous nature), the facts remain that there are still plenty of traditional cars, crossovers and trucks to be sold until that new age dawns. As a result, this year’s show in the Motor City had a Jekyll and Hyde feel as press conferences shifted from the present to the future and back.
Car buyers, however, should focus more on the here and now and the message that is being sent by automakers is that they’re not giving up on traditional sedans yet, but they will have a slew of new crossover SUVs to compete in an already hot segment and that even the venerable minivan is not quite dead yet.
In the bread-and-butter world of family sedans, Toyota revealed the all-new 2018 Camry, while rival Nissan presented a concept that is said to foreshadow a replacement for its Altima. In the luxury segment, Lexus unveiled the next generation of its flagship LS sedan, BMW showed off its new family of 5 Series 4-door models and Mercedes-Benz took the wraps off the new E-Class Coupe, showing that even the traditional 2-door has some appeal left in it.
A year after Chrysler introduced its Pacifica minivan replacement for the Town & Country in Detroit, Honda did the same by showing a thinly disguised concept version of its 2018 Odyssey people mover.
There were also a plethora of crossover SUVs including the much-anticipated remake of the Chevrolet Traverse and GMC’s compact Terrain, while at the luxury end of the spectrum, Audi unveiled the Q8 Concept and Infiniti took the wraps off its QX50 Concept, showcasing new engine technology and autonomous features. Volkswagen is readying a new Tiguan compact SUV, and in Detroit debuted a longer new 3-row version.
And with that, let the show begin.
Video: See Many of the Cars Above as they were Revealed at the Show
We broadcast live from the show floor on media preview day, when automakers lifted the curtains on most of the cars and concepts above. Scrub through the video below to see your favorites as they were presented to the world for the first time.
Previous Detroit Auto Shows
The Detroit Auto Show remains one of the biggest and most anticipated auto shows in the world and draws more visitors to kbb.com than any other auto show. Also known by the loftier North American International Auto Show or NAIAS, the Detroit Auto Show is held annually at downtown Detroit’s Cobo Center, with a public opening date around the middle of January. Not just the home auto show for the American auto industry, the Detroit Auto Show is also an important show for automakers from around the world as the key car show in one of the world’s largest car markets.
2016 Detroit Auto Show The resurrection of Honda’s Ridgeline, Chrysler’s unveiling of Pacifica, plus the 2017 Lincoln Continental debut.
2015 Detroit Auto Show The Hyundai Santa Cruz Concept had Subaru Brat fans recalling fond memories, even if it didn’t have in-bed seating.
2014 Detroit Auto Show Toyota had the FT-1 Concept, Kia had the GT-4 Stinger Concept, and we wanted one of each.
2013 Detroit Auto Show Before it became reality, the second coming of the Acura NSX was just an unattainable concept car.
2012 Detroit Auto Show The aluminum-intensive, turbocharged Ford F-150 first peeked out at the world as the Ford Atlas Concept.
2011 Detroit Auto Show Remember the Kia KV7 Concept? Neither did we, but it was fun getting caught up when we saw it again.
2010 Detroit Auto Show MINI Beachcomber Concept, why did you never make something of yourself and become something we could buy?
