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It sure is exciting to watch a new Acura NSX or Ford GT roar onto a stage. And high-performance versions of such existing models as the Cadillac CTS-V can get some adrenaline pumping, too. But what about ordinary vehicles that are bought everyday by regular folks? People who won't be dropping $150,000 for a two-seater this year. Those were far away from the spotlight.
I saw just a few: the Audi Q3, Buick Cascada, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, and Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen. But none of those are big players in a 17-million-vehicle-a-year market. These models won't sell more than 100,000 cars between them. But there was no news from either the midsized sedan or the small-SUV arenas—two huge classes.
About the only vehicle intro that came close to a mainstream model was the Toyota Tacoma pickup. The Tacoma was long overdue for an update, with the automaker benefiting from limited competition for years. But with the redesigned Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon twins, Toyota couldn't leave the long-running Tacoma unchanged any longer.
New model introductions are now phased all throughout the year and do not always coincide with a major auto show. But most shows—Detroit, LA, New York—usually bring out at least some major players. At Detroit this year, they went AWOL.
While there may not have been much for the average American driveway, at least there were ample fun cars to dream about…
—Gabe Shenhar
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