What is it about cars that we love?

                “Cars are freedom. Adventure. Beauty. Romance. Power. Utility. Frivolous necessities. Sexy. What’s not to like? “

(Mary Jane Grandinetti, Chicago Tribune reporter)

February 7, 2013 Chicago. Rebirth of the Luxury market was evident today at the automotive media breakfast for the 105th Chicago Auto Show. Kicking off the day at the Midwest Automotive Media Association breakfast, President Kirk Bell started out by revealing MAMA’s Family Vehicle of the Year for 2013. Criteria included four-doors, either a new or significantly updated vehicle and costing less than $50,000. The vehicle also had to have appeared at both the MAMA rallies. Ten finalists made the list, and 70 journalists narrowed it down to the Honda Accord, Ford Fusion, Mazda CX 5; the winner: Ford Fusion. The all-new Fusion is built on Ford’s global platform.

Andy Goss, President of Jaguar/Land Rover (JLR) addressed automotive journalists regarding the new and updated Jaguar and Land Rover models. Goss shared with the audience some history of TaTa Motors and how they purchased JLR 5 years ago. A company worth $100 billion worldwide, TaTa Motors has 450,000 employees; 26,000 of them in North America. They run 100 companies, in seven business sectors; multi-types of companies operating across six continents. Mr. Tata, now Chairman of the Board, made a massive investment in JLR. Introducing the new Jaguar F-Type sports car and the re-designed Land Rover, Goss reported a 30 percent increase in global sales for JLR in 2012. Operating in North America, India, China and the UK, TaTa has grown the brand, along with adding more than 8,000 new experienced workers, and in 2012, 121 new dealers were awarded JLR franchises. Now combining the Land Rover and Jaguar brands under one roof, there are currently 2, 465 dealers.

A visionary, Mr. Tata felt that Jaguar could be a much more significant presence in the luxury car segment, but it was out of synch with models offered by other manufacturers: Hence, the all-wheel-drive version now available on Jaguar sedans. Fifty-three percent of the market opt for the V6 engine, combined with AWD. New to the Jaguar lineup are the Jaguar XJ 3.0-liter, RWD/AWD, Jaguar XF 3.0-liter, RWD/AWD, and the Jaguar XF 2.0-liter RWD. The new F-type will appeal to those who remember what a Jaguar meant: a true sports car, with, noted Goss, “the best exhaust note in the business.” The real deal, the new F-type is expected to have a large impact on the Jaguar brand.

Next up, Goss introduced the redesigned Land Rover, ‘the hottest SUV brand with tremendous potential,” sharing that Land Rover posted its best January in the U.S. market with sales up 25 percent.  Aiming to be the ‘premier’ SUV, Land Rover debuting at the Los Angeles Auto Show is all-aluminum, unibody structure, 700 pounds lighter. The U.S. is the largest consumer of Land Rover products. A shiny red Evoque also on the floor; a departure from Land Rover’s of the past.

Toyota’s Bill Fay, Group VP and General Manager introduced the 2014 Toyota Tundra full-size pickup. The Chicago Auto Show has become for Toyota the show to introduce their new trucks, and this year was no exception.  Pricing not available until September, the Tundra built in North America sports a new tailgate, rugged, high-tech look, raised hood, new unique bumper, and the only available knee airbags in a pickup. The interior is all new, the center stack 2.6-inches closer to the driver. A beefed-up towing package is also new. The Tundra is available in five grades, each with a different grille, from the entry-level SR to the premium 1794 Edition, named for the ranch which sat upon the site where the plant now is in San Antonio. There are three engine options. Hit hard by the ‘09 recession, truck sales are projected to hit 2.8 million by 2015. As customers make the switch from trucks and SUVs to pickups, Toyota will be right there to grow the brand.  The Tundra competes with the Ford F-series and Dodge Ram.

Kia Motors ramped up to introduce the 2014 Optima Superman with the super hero comic book theme, drawn by artist Jim Lee. The Superman Optima rises off the ground with a single button! More to come. Launching seven new-or significantly redesigned products in the last few years, Kia has been on a tear, selling more than 500,000 units in 2012, a historic year. Kia unveiled the 2014 Sorento in L.A., along with the 2014 Forte sedan-on sale in March. The Kia Cadenza (Optima) was introduced in Detroit. Going along with their popular vehicles, Kia figured out somewhere along the way that babies, small children and animals sell; hence, the Super Bowl ad, “Must respect the tech.” The 2014 Forte Five-door, new to the lineup, offers generous passenger space, unique grille, and will be the only compact that is turbocharged. Two versions will be available, the Forte 5-dr. will offer the EX, 2.0-liter Direct-injected, 173 hp. Model with plenty of features. The SX turbo-charged trim level will have a 1.6-liter, 4-cylinder, 201 hp. Engine, coupled with Kia’s six-speed automatic or manual transmission, 18-inch wheels. On sale in fall 2013, the Forte 5-dr is yet to be priced.

On the performance side, Kia will build a GT, based on the concept. A new breed of crossover, the Cross-GT is, according to Chief Engineer Tom Kearns, a ‘sophisticated, mature vehicle with hybrid power train and vegetable-tanned upholstery. Come New York Auto Show time in April, Kia will be introducing yet another three vehicles.

Nissan introduced three new commercial vehicles, with extreme utility and optimal performance. Starting with no established owner base, Nissan jumped into the commercial vehicle segment and has some unique cargo vehicles. The NV200, at a reasonable $19,990 offers 24 mpg., appealing to the likes of entrepreneurs providing pet grooming services, taxi services, etc. On sale in March, the NV200 will join Nissan’s other NV van with a high roof enabling owners to stand up and perform work inside the van. Oil changes on the NV come only every 18,000 miles, too. A plus.

Nissan will build 150 units of the 2014 GTR track edition. On sale in May, the GTR was introduced right here in Chicago. The second phase of Project 370 just launched, was kicked off last year.

Nissan’s performance roots go back to 1964 and the NISMO racing vehicle. The original 350 NISMO is replaced by the second generation 370 NISMO, to go on sale in the summer of 2013. A new Juke NISMO will also join the group, with 100 revised features and 18-inch wheels. More extreme versions of Juke NISMO to come!

Volkswagen introduced a redesigned version of the 1970s Beetle in black and yellow:  The Beetle GSR. Hoping the GSR, to be introduced in the fall, will appeal to male buyers, the third-generation Beetle has already changed statistics, bringing a larger percent of male buyers to the model.  In 2012, VW sold more than 29,000 Beetles. Half the TDI and Turbo models were sold to males.  The GSR Beetle will be equipped with 19-inch wheels, R-Line exterior package, and 2.0-liter TSI engine with 210 horse.

Chief Product and Marketing Officer Tim Mahoney called 2013 a year of moderation for VW, with sales up by 7 percent. Spending much of the last year or so revitalizing the product lineup (Passat, Jetta), VW has redone the Beetle and Tiguan, and keeping enthusiasts in mind, doing more for the 2012 Golf R Line. VW’s performance story is important, noted Manhoney, particularly when it comes to the GTI, the cornerstone of performance. In 2012, VW sold 16,000 GTI’s, the U.S. market the biggest (bigger than Germany). VW will offer a Driver’s Edition GTI ($29,695), with 6-speed manual, and a Wolfsburg Edition ($20,095), with manual. More R-Line products will be available, including an R version of the Beetle Convertible and Tiguan. On sale in the fall of 2013, these R-Line products will have more aggressive styling. The Golf R will be replaced with a new version, adding other models.

Chevrolet’s marketing director for small cars Cristi Landi introduced the Cruze diesel, equipped with GM’s 2.0-liter TD engine, 140 hp., and 236-lbs-ft.of torque, and will sell for $26,325. Tapping into a segment accounting for 5 percent of the U.S. market, Cruze diesel will be the only domestic turbo-diesel passenger car to be sold in the U.S. The cleanest diesel engine to date, Cruze will deliver 42 mpg. With its turbo over boost feature. Chevrolet currently sells ½ million diesel cars around the world.

Another manufacturer on the tear, Chevrolet has introduced six new vehicles in the last year, along with reaching best-year sales of 5 million cars and trucks. The fastest growing brand, Chevy has launched more than 20 new vehicles globally; the most recent being the Impala ($27,550), to appear in late March. The summer of 2013 brings the new, redesigned Silverado pickup and the Spark EV, pure electric vehicle to be sold in California and Oregon. The big news, of course, is the 60th anniversary 2014 Corvette Stingray, introduced in Detroit in January. Chevy continues to have a big impact in the small car market, all under $20,000 and with great mpg. Nearly 60 percent of Sonic buyers traded a non-GM product, and Chevy’s Spark has made Chicago its number 2 market (L.A. being #1). It was Chevy Cruze, though that started the small car revival with 2 million sold to date.

Henrik Fisker, innovative entrepreneurial autobuilder and head of Fisker Automotive was the speaker at the Economic Club of Chicago Luncheon, sharing his rise through the automotive industry. Introducing Fisker Automotive in 2005, Fisker served as director of Ford’s Global Advanced Design Studio, president and chief executive officer of DesignworksUSA, BMW’s California-base industrial design subsidiary. Some of his notable works include the BMW Z07 concept and Z8 roadster.  How does one start a car company? Hurtles to get over: A heavily regulated industry, capital intensive, global reach, no economy of scale, building the whole infrastructure from scratch. Formidable!

As a kid, Fisker shared with the audience, he would often sit in class and draw pictures of automobiles. What vehicles made him fall in love with cars? The Datsun, Mustang and original Jaguars, he told the audience.

When young, Fisker wrote to Volvo asking about being a car designer and someone at Volvo recommended a school he might attend. Fisker’s first job when he came to the U.S. in 1997 was at BMW and his first project a small electric car (1989). What you need to start a car company today, said Fisker, is $1 billion dollars! Imagine going up against the big brands? How did Fisker come up with his first model, the Karma: He looked at Chinese brands, the EV’s in the mainstream, at sustainable luxury vehicles and at the current luxury brands.

“Where is the white space,” Fisker asked himself. He took a risk and designed a different looking vehicle. It was important to Fisker to design a vehicle that would capture an emotional connection with people; one with a more sculpted look, lower to the ground and looking not like any other vehicle. Fisker wanted his vehicle to compete in a smaller market. Using the power of creativity, Fisker has the largest solar roof in the automotive industry, reclaimed wood in its interior, and Ever powertrain and 22-inch alloy wheels. Not to mention the Diamond Dust paint! One candrive the Karma without filling it up. Equipped with a very advanced battery that works as a generator, the Karma also has an electric engine. Charge or fill up. Fisker Automotive has had its ups and downs financially, raising $5 million to get started. In 2008, Fisker almost had a meltdown, but by 2009, had more money coming in. He bought a plant in Delaware and got a government-approved loan in 2010. Designing and offering a car that takes into account consumer convenience (filling station at home), and a gasoline engine as a range extender, Fisker Automotive will be introducing another model, the Atlantic, a family vehicle, to be produced in the U.S.

Fisker watches the trends-wellness resorts, people eating healthier, lifestyle changes and incorporates them into the Fisker Automotive philosophy of creating a lifestyle brand. Just this year, Fisker operates 30 dealerships in Europe, and opened a dealership in Dubai, selling Karmas in the Middle East. Before Fisker can open other dealerships, he realizes he needs another vehicle to offer. Because there are too many models for too few buyers, Fisker is careful about what he will build and offer.

Stay Tuned…..

Susan Frissell, editor, Womenwithwheels.com