MORE AT MOTORAMIC
Click for image galleryAcura ILXThe potential sleeper hit of the Chicago show. Acura's entry-luxury sedan is a Honda Civic underneath, but you'd never know it from the ILX's slick interior and shapely bodywork – it's a car that doesn't photograph all that well, but looks good in person or on the street. The front-drive ILX is notable for Acura's first application of Honda's hybrid system. It mates a 110-hp four-cylinder with a 23-hp electric motor for an estimated 35/38 mpg in city and highway. More drivers will choose the 150-hp, 2.0-liter model, with go-fast types aiming at the 201-hp, 2.4-liter engine from the Civic Si. An adaptive suspension and a gamut of luxury gizmos are available when the ILX goes on sale in spring, likely in the $25,000 to $29,000 range.
Click for image galleryHyundai Elantra Coupe and Elantra GTThe Elantra sedan is off to a strong start in the hyper-competitive compact class. Now, the 2012 North American Car of the Year adds a pair of perky offshoots: A sporty coupe and a cargo-friendly hatchback. Hyundai says the five-door Elantra GT is the lightest hatch in its class, helping it top 500 highway miles on a tank, and achieve 28/39 mpg in city and highway. A 148-hp, 1.8-liter engine comes with a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. Being a Hyundai, the GT is packed with features, including a new driver-selectable steering system and a driver's knee air bag. The Elantra Coupe offers the same engine and transmissions, but in a sleek, aerodynamic package that hits 40 highway mpg. The Coupe goes on sale this spring, the GT in summer, with both expected to start below $17,000.
Click for image galleryGMC AcadiaLong before GM went bankrupt, the Acadia helped plant the seeds of its showroom comeback: This smooth-handling, smartly designed crossover was the first in its class that could comfortably fit adults in the third row. And after posting its best-ever sales last year – five years after its introduction -- the 2013 Acadia is mildly reworked inside and out. A chiseled, upright grille is flanked by new LED running lights, with wraparound glass at the rear. The GMC keeps its 3.6-liter, 288-hp engine, but adds an updated version of its six-speed automatic. Inside, the Acadia adds GM's Intellilink infotainment system, with a Color Touch radio with capacitive touch controls. An industry-first center front air bag inflates between driver and passenger to position and safeguard them in severe side impacts. There's also French-stitched leather, red ambient lighting and available aluminum trim.
Click for image galleryVolkswagen Beetle TDIVolkswagen is leading diesel's American comeback, with strong-selling versions including the Jetta and Tennessee-built Passat that showed us as much as 50 mpg in highway testing. Now the handsomely redesigned, more-manly Beetle gets the diesel treatment, with VW estimating just 29/39 mpg in city and highway. Yet loyalists know that VW's 2.0-liter, 140-hp turbo diesel can whip its federal mileage estimates in the real world -- in contrast to gas-powered compacts that tout 40 mpg but often fall short. And with 236 pound-feet of torque, driven through a six-speed manual or dual-clutch DSG automatic transmission, this Beetle should be no slug when it comes to passing power. The TDI adds its own 17-inch alloy wheels and chrome details, with a top-shelf version featuring Fender premium audio and touch-screen navigation. The Beetle TDI hits showrooms this summer; figure around $23,000 to start.
Click for image galleryKia Track'ster ConceptThe brand that brought you the hip-hop hamsters continues its run of adventurous rides with the Track'ster Concept. Based on the boxy Soul, the all-wheel-drive Kia coupe has a bulldog stance and attitude to spare, with a 250-horsepower turbo four, a hot orange roof and details in carbon fiber and machined aluminum. Behind its two gray-leather racing seats, the Kia adopts a rally-style quick release for its spare tire, and a tray that swallows racing helmets and other track gear. A showroom version is a huge long shot, but as a styling lark from Kia's California design studio – and a possible inspiration for future models – the Track'ster is a winner.
Ram Laramie LimitedThis being Chicago, there's got be at least one tailgating, tail-kicking pickup truck. This year's monster entry is the Ram Laramie Limited, a range-topper with everything to satisfy the classiest cowboy, urban or otherwise. Rolling into dealerships later this year, likely in the mid-$40,000s, the Ram is tastefully fitted with chrome accents, body-colored bumpers and 20-inch aluminum wheels. Inside, a cattle drive's worth of stitched leather plays off piano-black trim, Berber floor mats, ambient lighting, unique gauges and all the toys, including navigation and a heated steering wheel. The Laramie Limited will be offered in 1500 and heavy-duty 2500 HD and 3500 HD versions, the latter clearly designed for trail bosses, not hired hands.
73 comments