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  • Drew Dowdell
    Drew Dowdell

    By Drew Dowdell •

    2012 LA Auto Show Coverage

    November 28th, 2012

    Drew Dowdell

    Managing Editor - CheersandGears.com

    Today in Los Angeles, the LA Auto Show starts the winter Auto Show season. The theme of this show seems to be "Smaller and more efficient".

    Ford: Ford is releasing two new engines for the Fiesta. The first is a Fiesta with a fuel efficient 3-cylinder Ecoboost that Ford claims will be the most fuel efficient gasoline car available. At the other end of the spectrum, Ford is releasing a pocket rocket version of the Fiesta called the ST equipped with a 1.6 liter Ecoboost with 197 horsepower and 214 lb-ft of torque.

    Going up in size, but maintaining the fuel efficiency theme, Ford is also introducing the people mover version of their Transit Connect delivery van. Called the Transit Connect Wagon, it will be available in two wheelbases with two seating configurations and with two engine choices. Configured as a 5-seater and with the 1.6T Ecoboost, the Transit Connect Wagon is estimated at over 30mpg highway.

    Audi: Audi didn't bring any new vehicles to LA this year, but they did bring an interesting announcement for diesel fans. Audi will be offering diesel engines in 4 more vehicles for 2013. The A8, A7, A6, and Q5 will now join the Q7 in offering a 3.0 V6 diesel with 240 horsepower and 403 lb-ft of torque.

    Chevrolet: Speaking of 400 lb-ft of torque, Chevrolet is releasing a car you'd never expect to see with so much twist. The 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV is an all electric version of the 2013 Chevrolet Spark mini-car released earlier this year and packs a stump ripping 400 lb-ft of twist. For those of you playing at home, that is more torque than the 6.0 liter V8 offered in Chevy's full size trucks.

    Honda: Virtually synonymous with the term "fuel efficiency" the Civic is the stalwart of the class. Still, Honda is releasing a refreshed version of the Civic just 18 months after the last refresh due to poor reviews of the styling and interior. So far we've only seen a teaser of the visuals, but we don't expect any changes to the powertrain.

    Fiat: Known in the US only for its petite 500 mini-car, Fiat is showing three new versions of the 500 in LA. First up is the California only, electric Fiat 500E with 111 horsepower and 147 lb-ft of torque good for about an 85 mile range. Then Fiat is introducing the 2013 Fiat 500C Abarth, with 160 HP and 155 lb-ft of torque in standard mode and 170 lb-ft in sport mode. Lastly, there is the 2013 Fiat 500L. Over 2 feet longer than the normal Fiat 500 and also adding a rear set of doors, the 500L brings the Fiat 500 family more into the mainstream.

    Dodge: The only reveal at LA this year is the 2013 Dodge Charger Daytona, basically just an extra trim package on top of the R/T model.

    Chrysler: Following Dodge's lead with just a trim package release, Chrysler is showing the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country S. It's an upscale and sportier version of the Town & Country mini-van with a firmer suspension setup.

    BMW: The only vehicle BMW revealed in LA was a new concept entry for their pending i-Series of sustainable vehicles. The BMW i3 Coupe Concept has a body made of carbon fiber and batteries in the floor promising to maintain the famed BMW handling prowess. As of yet, nothing to the rumor that BMW is bringing diesels to the rest of their lineup.

    Hyundai: After showing us the 2013 Santa Fe Sport at NYIAS back in the Spring, Hyundai brought the production version to L.A. The 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe comes in two wheelbases, is powered by a 290 HP V6 and can tow up to 5,000 pounds. Next up is a concept form of the Hyundai Veloster called the Veloster C3 Roll Top ... it's a canvas cloth top hatch back.

    We will be updating this entry throughout the show.

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    bobo

    The L.A. Auto Show has come and gone. As is my tradition, I went opening day. I just haven’t had the chance to post some of my observations, but here are a few.

    Some of the constants of the L.A. Auto Show are the huge, packed Porsche area near the front, the vast Ford display with lots of freebies, crowded BMW and Benz displays, throngs around Cadillac Escalades and concept vehicles, and gleaming pearl white Maseratis. Well, this year it was largely as expected except there weren’t any Ford freebies, Cadillac didn’t bring any concepts, and Maserati sat out the show, along with Ferrari. Porsche:

    20121130131929.jpg

    I spent about 5 hours at the show, the last couple hours at the ride and drives. I drove the Kia Soul! (fun), Mitsubishi i-Miev (torquey and it actually drives like a real car), Toyota Prius c (slow, the regular Prius is a much better car), and Genesis R-Spec sedan (nice, but not quite at the level of a BMW, Benz, or Lexus). I wish I had more time. I wanted to try out a Chevy Spark and some of the Chrysler offerings.

    The updated Honda Civic is a slight improvement in interior materials and styling. The more substantial improvements are supposed to be found in the driving experience with a quieter interior. The last Civic I drove was a 2011 model, and I wasn’t impressed.

    20121130135805.jpg

    The big deal at the Chevy display was the Chevy Spark EV. There were lots of pin on buttons alongside the brochures extolling the electric drivetrains, and there was also a button making station where you could make a couple of buttons using Crayola markers. Fun.

    20121130145208.jpg

    GMC was showcasing the 2013 Acadia. Buick had the updated Enclave. Cadillac didn’t have any concepts but displayed the new XTS, ATS, and a racing version of the CTS.

    This one’s for Balthazar:

    20121130151532.jpg

    And one for ocnblu, the Fisker Karma. The interior is tight and reminded me of the Mazda RX-8 in packaging. Outside, huge panel gaps.

    20121130151918.jpg

    This car, the Bentley Mulsanne, had the best presence:

    20121130171150.jpg

    The new Nissan GT-R:

    20121130134847.jpg

    The new Toyota RAV4 looks a lot like the old one from the side. The front bears an unfortunate resemblance to the Toyota Corolla. The rear loses the outside spare tire, which is instead placed below the rear cargo area.

    20121130171909.jpg

    The Chinese-made Coda electric car, which had a fairly large exhibit area at last year’s show, was nowhere to be found.

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