AUTO SHOW PREVIEW: New Exhibitors and Focus on Alternative Energy Vehicles Expected at 2009 NAIAS

PHOTO BY MIKE ISMAIR / ©AMERICAJR.com

AmericaJR.com's Jason Rzucidlo reports LIVE from Cobo Center for the NAIAS.

by Jason Rzucidlo americajr@americajr.com

Unveiling of the 2009 North American Car and Truck of the Year Finalists [Quicktime Video] AmericaJR.com's Jason Rzucidlo and Garrett Godwin describe he 2009 NACTOY Finalists [Quicktime Video]

DETROIT -- This is a great time to be in Detroit. The Motor City's signature event, the North American International Auto Show opens to the media in less than one week from today - Sunday, Jan. 11. The glitz and glamour is coming and AmericaJR.com will be in the middle of it bringing it home to you. For the first time ever, we will be streaming most of the unveilings LIVE on your computer during press days. You will be able to watch all the excitement from home or work. Click here to Watch our LIVE Auto Show Coverage.

The NAIAS will open its doors to the media from Jan. 11 through 13. The industry preview will take place on Jan. 14 and 15. The charity preview will be held on Jan. 16. The public will have its chance to see the auto show beginning on Jan. 17 and ending on Jan. 25.

AmericaJR.com is proud to be the ONLY website in the world with FREE tickets to the Auto Show. Click here for your chance to win! AmericaJR.com was the first website in the world to announce which concept cars will be displayed (10/20/08) and which production models would be on display (10/7/08).

Five Chinese automakers came to the 2008 NAIAS last January. This January, many new automakers will be displaying their vehicles for the first time at Cobo Hall. Those include Tesla, Revenge Designs, Bugatti, Lotus, Morgan and Brilliance Auto. BYD Auto, a Chinese automaker, will return again this year with a display on the main show floor.

There will be a large focus on electric vehicles, solar-powered vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles that run on energies other than gasoline. Many of the foreign automakers are close to having these types of vehicles on the road. The Big Three - GM, Ford and Chrysler will show off their electric vehicles that they have been developing.

The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid will get 41 miles per gallon (mpg) in the city and 36 mpg on the highway. That is 8 mpg greather than the Toyota Camry hybrid. The Chevy Volt comes with a range extender and will be ready for the road in 2010. Chrysler has developed an "envi" electric engine that can be dropped into four types of vehicles.

Mercury will announce a new technology called "MyKey". It allows parents to have some control over their teens' driving habits. It sets the top speed of their vehicle to 80 miles per hour. If a seatbelt is not plugged in, music will stop. It will be standard on the 2010 Ford Focus.

Some other major reveals for the 2009 NAIAS include a redesign of the Chrysler 300 and the Ford Taurus, the 2010 Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid, the Chevy Equinox LTZ, a crossover designed to compete with the Ford Edge. The Buick LaCrosse will be completely redesigned for the 2010 model year. Chrysler will show off three electric vehicles. Ford will unveil it's electric strategy to the world.

Another new technology set to debut is the Ford SmartGauge LCD instrument panel. It will notify the driver when it is uising electric power and when it is running off gasoline. It will indicate the battery's charge and will provide more leaves when efficiency is reached. If the driver is not driving efficiently, leaves will fall off the tree. This will be a feature on the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid.

Warren Brown, an automotive reporter for the Washington Post, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award during the International Car and Truck of the Year Awards on Jan. 10 at the MGM Grand Detroit Casino.

The NAIAS will offer over 700 vehicles including 60 new model debuts. Each year, the auto show provides 14,000 jobs during the set-up and take-down process.

 

PHOTO CREDIT: American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

The 2009 Honda Insight hybrid will make its world debut in January at the NAIAS.

 

PHOTO BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com

Lincoln will unveil its new "Active Park Assist" technology on its MKS sedan and MKT crossover.

 

PHOTO CREDIT: FISKER AUTOMOTIVE

The 2010 Fisker Karma production vehicle will be displayed at the NAIAS.

 

:: Return to Our Coverage of the 2009 NAIAS ::

 

Once again, AmericaJR.com will Broadcast LIVE from the 2009 North American International Auto Show Press Preview Days and Industry Preview Days. Read our Press Release.

We will bring you the most comprehensive coverage ever with interviews, reviews and the best pictures around. It's all from AmericaJR.com -- Detroit's #1 Website with The BEST Coverage. Period.

This page was last updated on Mon, January 5, 2009 3:06 AM

 

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