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NY Auto Show
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2001 Suzuki SX Concept
LEAP OF FAITH . Suzuki demonstrated to the New
York auto show press that, if you want real fireworks, you have to use
real fireworks. Suzuki motorcycle racing champ Travis
Pastrana leaped over Suzuki’s newest concept, the SX activity vehicle, while his
jump-off ramps went ablaze. Oh, the car itself, you ask? The SX is a
supercharged four-cylinder, 220-hp, all-wheel drive wagon, sort of a bad-ass
Pontiac Vibe. Suzuki’s very squarely aiming the SX concept at “active-lifestyle
women,” but the screaming-yellow brake calipers told a different story. A
production version of the SX is coming in the fall.

2002 Honda Civic Si
CIVIC LESSON. Honda’s not forgotten its most rabid fans.
Even if it’s not called a CRX, the latest edition of the Honda Civic Si should
be enough to appease the most discerning of zealots. The ’02 Si is a
British-built Civic three-door with “European styling, hatchback utility, and SI
performance,” according to Honda execs. Its 2.0-liter I-VTEC four-cylinder spins
out 160 hp. Aside from the hatch styling – it’s now the only three-door Civic
you can buy in the States -- you
can also spot the Si by its mesh grille, sport seats, and silver-faced gauges. A
nifty console-mounted gearshift is said to be inspired by rally racing. Honda is
pegging 0-60 mph runs at 7.5 seconds, is predicting five-star safety ratings,
and will make side airbags optional for the as-yet-unpriced Civic Si.

Carlos Ghosn 2001 New York Auto Show
HALFWAY HOME
. Nissan has already accomplished half of the goals it set out for itself
under the revival plan it unveiled in October 1999. That according to Nissan’s
Brazilian-born CEO, Carlos Ghosn. Ghosn and Nissan were honored by stock firm
Morgan Stanley for having the biggest improvement in its stock last year, the
automaker’s share price doubling since the Nissan Revival Plan was announced.
During a subsequent appearance at the New York Auto Show, Ghosn stressed that
Nissan is “not ready to cast off the image…as the underdog.” The worst danger,
he warned, is developing “a sense of complacency.”

2002 Nissan Altima
’02 ALTIMA BOWS.
Nissan has seen the light when it comes to true midsize sedans: the
’02 Altima is growing bigger and frankly, more interesting to look at. To build
the attractive new Altima, Nissan grew the car’s wheelbase to 110.2 inches, and
stretched it to 191.5 inches long. They say it’s bigger than the current Camry
and Accord inside, and by pegging the Audi A4 and VW Passat as some handling
benchmarks, have refashioned the anonymous compact into more of a driver’s car.
Two engines will be available: a 180-hp four-cylinder and a 240-hp six-cylinder
based on the current Maxima engine. A five-speed manual or a four-speed
automatic can be had. Four-wheel disc
brakes on all models and a V-6-equipped SE model with 215/55 rear tires tops the
model range. We’ll have a full report on the new Altima later this
summer.

2002 Mitsubishi Lancer O-Z Rally
MITSU’S QUINTUPLETS.
Not just one new product, but five from Mitsubishi at the New York
Show. The Diamante gets a light restyling and a new VRX model with a rear wing;
both the VRX and the standard car sport Mitsubishi’s new twin-grille nose
styling. The bigger news, says Mitsubishi, is the company’s new Lancer sedan, a
four-door economy sedan with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. The base model is
the ES, well equipped with air conditioning and a CD player; the LS gets a
four-speed automatic transmission and keyless entry. The O-Z Rally edition gets
special air dams, a black interior with white-faced gauges, and O-Z alloy wheels
for a hot-rod look.

2003 Hummer SUT Concept
A REAL HUMMER?
On the silver screen, Arnold Schwarzenegger has tackled all sorts of
villains. But perhaps his most amazing accomplishment was stopping traffic in
New York’s busy Times Square as he drove the prototype Hummer H2 SUT into the
ABC TV Studios. An avid Hummer fan—he has owned five at various
times—Schwarzenegger has been an unpaid advisor to the General Motors unit as
its developed Hummer’s second model. “I feel I’m part of the Hummer family,” the
Austrian superstar declared, “so I want to make sure the (H2) has the
ballsy-ness and ruggedness of the original H1.” GM believes it can sell 40,000
of the new Sport-Utility Trucks a year when it hits dealers next year. Hummer
officials insist the H2 will be notably more lavish and comfortable—without
giving up its class-leading off-road capabilities. Efforts are already underway,
sources confirmed, to develop an even smaller H3 model. Incidentally, while
Schwarzenegger wasn’t paid for his NY appearance, GM did donate $13 million to
the star’s favorite charity, the Inner-City Games.

Mercedes-Benz G-Class
OH, “G”.
The Mercedes-Benz Gelaendewagen, the German answer to the Hummer, will be
making its long-delayed American debut. Renamed the G-Class for U.S., it will go
up against a range of ultra-luxury sport-utes, such as the Lincoln Navigator and
even the Hummer. Indeed, Mercedes’ U.S. marketing chief, Ken Enders, pointedly
noted that Austrian native Schwarzenegger has “been seen” behind the wheel of a
G-Class on more than a few occasions. “All we can say to Arnie is, ‘you’ll be
back.’” (Mercedes used a video of its own star fan, musician Eric Clapton, to
build enthusiasm for the NY roll-out.) Equipped with a 5.0-liter, 300 horsepower
V-8, there will be no factory options for the loaded-up G-Class, other than
choice of exterior and interior colors. Priced at $72,500, Mercedes is looking
for a limited market of 1500 vehicles a year.

Lincoln MK9 Concept
GERRY’S GAME.
New Lincoln style guru Gerry McGovern says this MK9 coupe will presage
Lincolns to come, even if the brand doesn’t build another massive two-door coupe
that looks as if it could easily swallow a V-12 engine. Drawn from the heritage
of Lincolns from the 1940s to 1960s, the MK9 shares some elements with the
recent Ford Forty-Nine concept, including a cockpit split by a tall central
tunnel, invisible rails for the front seats, chrome-accented door panels and
clean, almost sparse sheetmetal detailing. While the greenhouse resembles
nothing less than a Mercedes-Benz CL-Class, the Lincoln’s massive 22-inch wheels
are as hot-rod as your uncle’s Continental.
MORE IN
STORE?
While the new Mk9 concept vehicle isn’t destined to reach Lincoln
showrooms, insiders promise that it will spawn a series of spin-offs, some of
which eventually might make it to market. While there seems to be little demand
for high-end coupes these days, an alternative might borrow from the ’61 Lincoln
and offer rear “suicide doors.” A well-placed Ford Motor Co. official also
hinted that he’d favor development of a four-door convertible for Lincoln—a
design theme that hasn’t been available in nearly half a century. Lincoln is
also eyeing the growing market for high-performance luxury products, such as the
BMW “M” cars and those built by Mercedes’ AMG subsidiary.
PRESS ON.
What if they gave a recession and nobody came? Despite all the
doom-and-gloom reports, car sales remain surprisingly strong, suggested Jim
Press, during the annual International Motor Press Assoc. breakfast. Senior VP
at Toyota, Press insisted the market will remain strong—unless the industry
itself fails to deal “responsibly” with social challenges posed by the
automobile. These include pollution and increasing congestion on the highways.
“We have to take responsibility for our mobility,” he declared. Press added his
belief that the fuel economy of the average automobile will increase by as much
as 10 miles per gallon before the decade is out.

2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible concept
SUNNY SIDE UP. As the
story goes, Chrysler public-relations staffers went to the art department just
four months ago looking for a New York concept. The PT Convertible is what they
got: a chop-topped, lowered PT Cruiser with a glass-windowed convertible top.
Chrysler design chief Trevor Creed noted that of all the various alternatives
shown to the Chrysler National Dealer Council, “this was their number one,
hands-down choice,” and he hinted that as a result, the Cruiser Convertible
could very well leapfrog other variants, such as the GT Cruiser. When could it
reach market with this or some other variant? “In the 2003-2004 timeframe. It’s
got to be in that timeframe to keep the excitement, keep the momentum going.”
Both he and Jim Schroer willingly acknowledged that you need to have new
variants during the lifecycle, or even a hot vehicle gets old and could
die.
AFFORDABLE
LUXURY.
While automotive aficionados have already gotten a preview of Jaguar’s
new X-Type sedan, the British automaker used the New York Auto Show to pull the
wraps off its aggressive pricing strategy. The base model X-Type, with a
2.5-liter V-6 engine, will go for $29,950, while the 3.0-liter V-6-equipped
model will start at $39,950. Executives from a number of competing carmakers
were closely watching the preview, and one later conceded the X-Type could make
a dent in his company’s own entry-luxury market share. Jaguar hopes to sell as
many as 15,000 X-Types this year, due to its late introduction, with volume
surging to 35,000 next year. The compact sports sedan segment is the fastest
growing niche in the U.S. market, noted Jaguar’s U.S. chief, Michael O’Driscoll,
now accounting for 40 percent of the overall luxury
market.

2002 Audi A4
HOWDY, AUDI
. Say hello to the new Audi A4. The sixth generation of the German marque’s
own entry model will debut in October, and should prove a surprise to longtime
fans. Audi’s U.S. President, Len Hunt, said the automaker put an emphasis on
improving ride quality and increasing interior space. But the new A4 also
introduces the first CVT, or Continuously Variable Transmission offered by a
luxury automaker. A CVT eliminates conventional step gears, constantly running
the engine at optimum speed. Audi officials insist it offers the fuel economy
and performance of a manual, with the smoothness of an automatic. It will be
mated, initially, to either a carryover, 170-horsepower 1.8-liter, turbocharged
in-line four, or an all-new, 220-hp 3.0-liter V-6. (Buyers will have a choice of
the “Multitronic” or a stick shift.) A CVT will be available only on the
front-drive A4, though a version for the A4 Quattro is under development. Look
for the CVT to become a mainstay for Audi, Hunt promised, largely replacing the
marque’s conventional automatic transmissions. Audi also announced it will offer
the OnStar system on all its 2002 models.
For more New York Auto Show
coverage, click here
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