It might lack the gravitas of other events such as Geneva, Paris and Frankfurt, yet the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show, which just opened its doors for the public, packs some very important debuts, not just for North America, but global ones, too.
Take, for example, the long-awaited, and successfully kept under wraps until the last moment, 124 Spider. Yes, it’s based on the MX-5 platform and, yes, the interior is carried over almost unchanged, but it does get a turbocharged engine and it makes for a credible addition to Fiat’s line-up that currently consists mostly of 500 spin offs.
The Italians brought the Giulia along too, and even though it’s going to be a while until it goes on sale, at least they did announce the core versions that will be available in the US.
One would expect American brands to have a strong presence, but it is the Asians who rule the show. Honda’s all-new Civic Coupe and Clarity Fuel Cell, Infiniti’s QX30 compact crossover and Q30 hatch, Mazda’s CX-9 large crossover, Hyundai’s sixth-gen Elantra are the most important production car debuts. Even in concepts, the two that stand out are the new Subaru Impreza and the Scion C-HR.
There’s no denying that the Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac XT5, Ford Escape facelift and Lincoln MKZ (oh, that copycat grille…) won’t go unnoticed, but clearly, local brands are waiting for Detroit to make an impact.
As for the Europeans, apart from Fiat, only Mercedes, Mini and (get this) Lamborghini bothered to launch something truly new.
Actually, that’s not entirely true as Land Rover chose the City of Angels to launch the Evoque Convertible, an open-top version of its successful premium SUV. A wise move indeed: if it can’t make it in sunny, convertible-worshiping California, it won’t make it anywhere, so its dealers better start spreading the news…
Photo Gallery
