 Subaru, 12:01 PM
--Finally got the chance to get over to the Subaru area of Cobo Hall to see what the new Forester looked like. I have to say I wasn't too optimistic given what happened with the redesign of the Tribeca, where their designers seemed to suck out all the personality and charm of the first-gen Tribeca, for something watered down and downright plane looking. The Forester was one of the first little crossovers (based off a car platform) that tried to borrow from the toughness credibility of more traditional SUV vehicles. Drives like a car but looks a little old-school boxy. I had a feeling that might change. And for the most part, I was right. Not a lot of creativity needed to shape something with character and personality into something more aerodynamically slippery. The challenge with that, especially for Subaru as they try to keep pushing to more clearly define their personality, is that you could end up being the station wagon company if you don't still offer the benefits and advantages, even if they're just visual, of the bigger, more capable vehicles. Not sure if a wagon company could survive, but there sure seems like their's plenty of room for Subaru to do something special in the growing compact SUV/crossover segment. So interesting how this single company can produce something so embraced by the hardcore enthusiasts like the WRX and offer something so watered down like the new Forester, soon to be embraced by not a single enthusiast. I know I'm a little slow but who are they making their vehicles for?  Honda, 12:30 PM
--Strange how some things happen sometimes, or, at least in this case, what order they happen in. Coming straight from the Subaru booth, I headed to see the new Honda Pilot "concept" and see what I could find out. Again, I wasn't holding my breath because the entire market seems to be getting smaller, lighter, more crossover-ish, and here was a vehicle that was probably a pretty candidate for Crossover Supremacy when it came out because it was based off a modified minivan platform, didn't have a low range 4x4 system, and seemed to be the easiest way for Honda to offer stop the bleeding because they didn't offer anything in the midsize (7 passenger) segment. My first reaction when I saw the vehicle on the stand was, literally, "oh, thank god". Imagine that, Honda actually decided to make their crossover look more rugged and boxy, more like a traditional, capability-driven SUV. Many of the pillars have been beefed up and carved to look like solid pieces of billet, with much stronger wheel arches over each wheel. Wouldn't surprise me to find out there's more ground clearance and a taller tire as well. The new Pilot will still be an AWD vehicle with the same (or similar) 3.5-liter V-6. No doubt it'll be more efficient and powerful, but we don't expect the 300-horsepower 3.8-liter V-6 that's in the Acura MDX to make it into the Pilot right out of the gate. Nor do we see a clean diesel in the Pilot's near future, as Acura seems to be carving out itself as the technology leader for the company when it comes to powertrain advances. But that doesn't mean we can't keep hoping. We think a Honda diesel (maybe a twin-turbo diesel) would be a perfect fit to offer as much as 35 mpg around town in a solid 7-passenger vehicle, and still give that type of customer all the power and capability they'd ever need. In fact, they could even tow a bigger bass boat or get two new ATVs to tow behind. We'll have more when we drive the new Pilot at the end of next month. And don't forget a redesigned Ridgeline can't be much further behind.  Suzuki, 1:00 PM
--I had some time to spend with one of the marketing guys at Suzuki to talk about the recent Tokyo Auto Show hit, the Suzuki X-Head. Normally I don't like to spend much time with marketing people because all they seem to know how to do is sell, sell, sell. However, when speaking to Gene Brown, one of the top dogs at Suzuki (and formerly at Ford), we got the skinny on the how viable something like the X-Head concept could be. "This was a design exercise from our Japan studios, trying to incorporate the size, lifestyle, and heritage that we think all our Suzuki vehicles, past and present, need to have," says Gene. Suzuki has always been about small vehicles but the X-Head looks like it could be a miniaturized Unimog, with its flat windshield, narrow stance, tall center of gravity, and utilitarian persona. The configuration is that of a commercial work truck that Suzuki tells us could be reconfigurable with something as simple as a utility shell. Put on one shell over the rear bed and you can have a recreational camper (think a mini Lance camper). Another could be more in line with an urban cruiser (think of a fastback storage shell). Still another could be part fire truck, part search and rescue (think half ambulance shell with a whole bunch of paramedic cabinets). Suzuki designers incorporated side-drawers and storage bins that can hold just about anything your imagination could want. This one has an air compressor and hose on one side and a water tank and hose on the other. Think fishing, four wheeling, hunting, working on the back forty, or just heading out to parts unknown for a weekend get-a-way. Something small and hardcore like this harkens back to the go-anywhere Samurai and from the looks of the control arm/coil link front and rear suspension, it looks like it could carry quite a load over some nasty terrain. We'd love to see Suzuki do something like this but we'd say the chances are less than 10-percent that something could happen. With that said, we like that this does get people thinking about compact and mini pickups at a time when they not getting much love, save the A-BAT. We'll see if anything comes out of the next auto show on the docket, Chicago.  Ford, 2:00 PM
--One of the vehicles of the show that had a constant crowd of people around it on both days was the Ford Explorer America. In some ways its probably one of the most forward thinking SUVs or crossovers of the show. But in other ways, it seems a little obvious. Fuel prices are high, people want to be more eco-friendly, and we have to update a really old player in a fairly old segment. Seems pretty easy to me: make more aerodynamic, lighten it up a bit, put some high-tech powertrain under the hood, and make the interior look like a swoopy futuristic living room (concept car interiors never really have to be too realistic anyway). Isn't that exactly what we have here? So why all the hup-bub? Is it because they're finally redoing the single most vilified SUV this country has ever seen, or is it because this model has sold more units than just about any other vehicle around. This was the vehicle that started the entire push to SUVs, then went completely out of fashion (I'm not sure Ford even advertises the Explorer anywhere), and now everyone is excited about how amazing it will be when it gets updated. Gee, they've made the Explorer look like a crossover the same way GM cancelled the Envoy and brought out the Acadia. Goodbye traditional SUVs; hello crossover. That's where we are right now. What's really so surprising from Ford is how come it took them so long to finally get here? Pretty sure the Ford Edge has trounced the Explorer in 2007 sales and we don't see that changing much anytime soon. Does that mean the new Explorer (most are saying 2011) will have to slot in between the Edge and Flex? Kind of makes you wonder about where the Flex goes after it arrives. Anyone else see a problem with the Flex that might also be affecting the Jeep Commander? Strange times indeed.  Audi, 3:00 PM
--I normally don't spend a lot of time hanging around Audi but this year they put the V-12 diesel into the Audi R8, possibly the most fun car to drive on the planet. And the fact that this stunningly powerful engine is encased under see-through lean glass so that every envious eye can enjoy it as well is just icing on the cake. I love seeing an engine like a work of art, encased under glass, but probably wouldn't work so well with a pickup engine, especially one that occasionally has to plow through a mud bog every once and while. Off in a corner of the Audi stand was a display that showed how they're doing the urea injection into their exhaust stream to all but eliminate the NOx emissions. The system uses an additional storage tank, one that you fill up at the dealership that fills out of the same fuel filler port as the regular diesel fuel. In time, we can imagine how easy it would be to simply fill up with diesel and/or urea when you need to right at any fuelling station. Not sure about exact refilling life limits but from what regulators are looking for, we're hearing they want the urea to last for at least 3000 to 5000 miles (with normal use) before the tank needs to be filled. The Audi setup is the first we've seen and it looks elegantly simple, which tells us it just might work pretty well. With all the clean diesels we'll be seeing by 2010, you can bet we'll all be learning more about urea injection and its requirements. Unless, of course, you're someone like Honda who is able to get their NOx numbers below the requirements without the need for urea. Should be fun to watch what happens.  Jeep, 4:00 PM
--Finally got a chance to take a look at the new Jeep Renegade concept Chrysler showed earlier in the afternoon. Looks like a two-seat sand runner made to look like a sports coupe. Closest thing I can think of that could compete with it could be the Pontiac Solstice or Saturn Sky. As you might have guessed, I'm not a huge fan of Jeep designers playing with how to expand the brand beyond the typical Jeep comfort zone. I think we've played that tune (in the name of the Compass, Patriot, and even the Liberty) and it doesn't sound so hot. Clearly, the market is headed in a crossover/multi-functional direction but I'm not sure blind allegiance to all things green and eco-friendly is necessarily what Jeep needs. Almost by definition, these are vehicles designed to get you out into the backcountry to enjoy natural beauty. Diesel electrics seem to the most obvious way to go for the brand where the electric motors can act as quiet generators on camping trips and the diesel can offer astounding low-end torque for four wheeling. Hit your target with the first shot, then go ahead and fill in the gaps after that. The four-door Wrangler is only going to provide credibility for so long. Can't wait to see them get their act together, but not sure the new team knows what they want Jeep to be. I wish them luck. Random Thoughts
--I noticed that first three press conferences of this year's auto show were mostly about two new pickup trucks (Ford F-150 and Dodge Ram) and the Hummer HX. Of the three, it was the Hummer that had the best eco-friendly message with its flex-fuel V-6 and 6-speed tranny. How times have changed. However, it should be noted Dodge did announce they will include a 2-Mode Hybrid version with next year's Dodge Ram, but no commitment to production numbers was made. --With this introduction of the F-150, I wonder if there was any thought of trying to get the three big engines coming for the truck into the intro earlier. They've announced the V-6 EcoBoost (direct injection turbo) is going to sweep their entire line of cars and trucks, as well as the coming diesel, and we've continued to hear about the Boss 6.2-liter V-8 Hurricane motor. Why not offer at least one of them at intro instead of essentially providing a carryover powertrain lineup? Suppose it never hurts to play conservative. --I know I don't have any right talking about companies like Ferrari, Lamborghini, or Maserati, but nothing in those displays gave me the chills like the stretch Chrysler 300 Limo concept, complete with separated front seat (for the driver) and rear passenger area. Hugely impractical, it almost looked like a chopped 1930s Phaeton. The proportions of the vehicle, even when stretched several feet, looked great. Photos by Melissa Spiering
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