{"id":23124,"date":"2018-11-28T13:54:51","date_gmt":"2018-11-28T17:54:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=23124"},"modified":"2018-11-28T13:54:51","modified_gmt":"2018-11-28T17:54:51","slug":"la-auto-show-preview-big-suvs-jeep-gladiator-pickup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2018\/11\/la-auto-show-preview-big-suvs-jeep-gladiator-pickup","title":{"rendered":"LA Auto show preview: Big SUVs, Jeep Gladiator pickup"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2018\/11\/23\/PDTN\/7c1bc45b-3a62-43a8-9c65-32a007d91be7-P90326027_highRes_the-first-ever-bmw-x.jpg?width=534&amp;height=401&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"P90326027 Highres The First Ever Bmw X\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable-p-1 p-text\"><em>Los Angeles \u2014<\/em>\u00a0The Los Angeles Auto Show has traditionally favored introductions of environmentally conscious electric cars and\u00a0luxury chariots, given the Golden State\u2019s reputation for green regulation and greenback-spending high-rollers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable-p-2 p-text\">But with America\u2019s obsession with SUVs unabated, this year\u2019s extravaganza looks to be one of the premier mainstream exhibits of the North American season. It\u00a0is brimming with meat-and-potatoes reveals to suit every American taste.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The meatiest debut of all Wednesday is\u00a0the Jeep Gladiator pickup.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">This wildly anticipated\u00a0truck will do battle in the reinvigorated midsize pickup segment. The segment includes SUV-based entries like the unibody Honda Ridgeline,\u00a0as well as body-on-frame\u00a0Detroit iron like the Chevy Colorado and Ford Ranger. The Jeep is definitely\u00a0of the latter variety.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Pictures\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jeepgladiatorforum.com\/this-is-it-2020-jeep-gladiator-pickup-truck-revealed\/\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">leaked ahead of Gladiator&#8217;s LA debut<\/a>\u00a0show a vehicle that closely hews to the legendary Wrangler rock-kicker&#8217;s\u00a0DNA: Familiar upright face with round headlights and seven-slot grille. Sahara and Rubicon trims. Folding front windshield and removable roof A choice of 3.6-liter V-6 or 3.0-liter diesel powerplants. Locking differential for climbing Mt. Rushmore. The works.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">LA&#8217;s playbill is expected to be dominated by other sport-utility\u00a0debuts: the production version of the\u00a0three-row Lincoln Aviator, Honda&#8217;s new Passport, Hyundai\u2019s first-ever three-row SUV,\u00a0BMW&#8217;s X7 three-row mega-crossover, as well as new versions of the Fiat 500X and Kia Soul.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Staying true to LA&#8217;s past, Audi is expected to show\u00a0a speedy, new e-tron electric concept during media reveals,\u00a0and hometown favorite Tesla will make a rare show appearance. Premium carmaker Volvo boasts &#8220;it will show nothing,&#8221; choosing instead to promote its\u00a0subscription service\u00a0for upscale customers.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-RXPTL9ti7RM\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2018\/11\/23\/PDTN\/7cfa721f-14a2-4b87-a685-e1ac98e55913-Large-34730-HyundaiAnnouncesNameofAll-New2020FlagshipSUVHyundaiPalisade.jpg?width=540&amp;height=405&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Hyundai Palisade teaser\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2018\/11\/23\/PDTN\/7cfa721f-14a2-4b87-a685-e1ac98e55913-Large-34730-HyundaiAnnouncesNameofAll-New2020FlagshipSUVHyundaiPalisade.jpg\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2018\/11\/23\/PDTN\/7cfa721f-14a2-4b87-a685-e1ac98e55913-Large-34730-HyundaiAnnouncesNameofAll-New2020FlagshipSUVHyundaiPalisade.jpg?width=500&amp;height=154\" \/>Hyundai Palisade teaser\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Hyundai)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">At a time when traditional auto shows are under pressure as carmakers find independent venues to introduce new vehicles (Detroit, Paris and Geneva have all lost exhibitors), Los Angeles has emerged as a must-attend show.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">&#8220;Auto shows aren&#8217;t going away, there are just fewer of them,&#8221; said\u00a0LA-based auto analyst Karl Brauer\u00a0of Kelley Blue Book. &#8220;With the decline of Chicago and automaker pullouts in Detroit, we are down to two major (North American) shows. Every brand wants to sell in LA and New York.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">With California and New York state combining for 40 percent of luxury U.S.\u00a0auto sales, LA and its New York City\u00a0counterpart in March have always been the go-to forums for premium auto debuts. With BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Porsche, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Maserati and Ferrari all having departed Motown, LA is essential to foreign automakers to market their latest wares.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Hollywood celebs gotta spend their millions, so the show will feature exotic new\u00a0toys \u2014 from Mercedes AMG track-weapons\u00a0to a topless\u00a0BMW 8-series.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Significantly, Porsche is expected to make the world debut of its latest, iconic 911 sports car\u00a0\u2014 not in Germany,\u00a0but\u00a0here in LA. The Porsche may be the best-selling sports car in Germany, but California<a href=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/story\/opinion\/columnists\/henry-payne\/2016\/01\/23\/payne-qauto-good-ol-days-right-now-porsche\/79215958\/\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">\u00a0accounts for a quarter of its U.S. sales<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Volvo&#8217;s novel &#8220;This is not a car&#8221; display is a statement about automakers transitioning to subscription and autonomous service. &#8220;Volvo Cars will show a number of interactive demonstrations of connectivity services, such as in-car delivery, car sharing, its vision for autonomous driving &#8230; and the car subscription service Care by Volvo,&#8221; the company said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Still, the number of mainstream vehicle debuts are\u00a0eye-opening. Consumers have a voracious appetite for SUVs and manufacturers are trying to keep up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">&#8220;Automakers are still working in reaction to the shift to SUVs from sedans,&#8221; said\u00a0IHS auto analyst Stephanie Brinley. &#8220;That process is still ongoing.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-RXPTL9sYGug\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2018\/11\/23\/PDTN\/dc190aba-981e-4dc6-906e-c3db9c971baa-2019_Beetle_Convertible_Final_Edition-Large-9028.jpg?width=540&amp;height=405&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"VW Beetle Final Edition\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2018\/11\/23\/PDTN\/dc190aba-981e-4dc6-906e-c3db9c971baa-2019_Beetle_Convertible_Final_Edition-Large-9028.jpg\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2018\/11\/23\/PDTN\/dc190aba-981e-4dc6-906e-c3db9c971baa-2019_Beetle_Convertible_Final_Edition-Large-9028.jpg?width=500&amp;height=333\" \/>VW Beetle Final Edition\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: VW)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">A parade of three-row SUVs will bow in LA including first-ever big ute offerings from Hyundai (the Palisade),\u00a0BMW (the X7, which makes its production debut)\u00a0and Lincoln, whose Aviator SUV\u00a0will spread its three rows over a crossover unibody instead of its stylish big brother&#8217;s\u00a0Ford F-150 truck frame.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Speaking of three-row utes, Honda is adding\u00a0fourth SUV in its lineup \u2014 the Passport,\u00a0a shortened, two-row version of its popular three-row Pilot. If the name Passport sounds familiar, that&#8217;s because Honda sold a rebadged Isuzu Rodeo under that name from 1993 through\u00a02002.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">&#8220;The Passport is really cool and it speaks to the idea that you can&#8217;t have enough crossovers,&#8221; says KBB&#8217;s Brauer. &#8220;It&#8217;s more proof that SUVs are critical to automakers. A lack of success in the SUV market will make or break an automaker. The Palisade, for example, is critical to Hyundai because\u00a0they have been too sedan-dependent.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The granola crowd will still get plenty to\u00a0munch on, including Audi&#8217;s sleek GT concept, a battery-powered Kia Soul\u00a0and a rumored Mitsubishi EV concept. But electrics are no longer just a Left Coast thing. Governments across the globe are mandating them, and Tesla&#8217;s Model 3 EV\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.clickondetroit.com\/automotive\/tesla-model-3-is-bestselling-american-luxury-car\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">is the best-selling luxury vehicle in America<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">&#8220;EVs are just part of the world now,&#8221; said Brinley. &#8220;They are part of the automotive landscape\u00a0\u2014 not just for the California\u00a0market anymore.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-RXPTL9su70U\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2018\/11\/26\/PDTN\/eca95616-7b38-4bdc-b60a-0b3216fa42c9-829210glada.jpg?width=540&amp;height=405&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Jeep showed a concept version of the Gladiator pickup at the 2005 Detroit auto show. Leaked spy photos show that the production version to be shown this week is not appreciably different, except for a more current grille.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2018\/11\/26\/PDTN\/eca95616-7b38-4bdc-b60a-0b3216fa42c9-829210glada.jpg\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2018\/11\/26\/PDTN\/eca95616-7b38-4bdc-b60a-0b3216fa42c9-829210glada.jpg?width=500&amp;height=332\" \/>Jeep showed a concept version of the Gladiator pickup at the 2005 Detroit auto show. Leaked spy photos show that the production version to be shown this week is not appreciably different, except for a more current grille.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: FCA)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\">Despite\u00a0the flood of SUVs in LA and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/laautoshow.com\/press_releases\/more-than-60-debut-vehicles-now-confirmed-for-la-auto-shows-automobility-la-in-november\/\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">60 vehicle debuts<\/a>, she is not convinced\u00a0that the show is stealing from Detroit. She says the Motor City will still be the site of important\u00a0global reveals, given the presence of major automakers like General Motors, Ford, Fiat Chrysler, Volkswagen, Toyota and Honda. Indeed, she said that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/automobilityla.com\/vehicle-debuts\/\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">many of of LA&#8217;s luxury offerings<\/a>\u00a0first debuted in non-show venues.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">&#8220;The Audi e-tron crossover debuted to media in San Francisco,&#8221; she said. &#8220;And\u00a0the BMW Z4 M40i Roadster we first saw\u00a0at the Pebble Beach Concours.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The sexy Roadster will be welcome eye-candy to those looking for something other than a five-door SUV. Mazda is expected to show its remade Mazda 3 compact, based on a stunning Kai concept at last year&#8217;s show that made onlookers weak in the knees.<\/p>\n<div class=\"partner-outstream\">Toyota will update its funky-looking Prius. And LA will be the VW Beetle&#8217;s swan song. With production ending for the world&#8217;s most famous bug, look for the &#8220;Final Edition&#8221; trim.<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>LA Show schedule<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>Where:<\/strong>\u00a0Los Angeles\u00a0Convention Center<br \/>\n<strong>When:<\/strong><br \/>\nToday through Thursday:\u00a0&#8220;Automobility LA&#8221; technology conference<br \/>\nWednesday and Thursday: New-car reveals to media<br \/>\nWednesday:\u00a0North American Car of the Year finalists announced<br \/>\nThursday: Green Car Awards<br \/>\nFriday through Dec.\u00a09: Show open\u00a0to the public<br \/>\n<strong>Schedule and ticket information:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/automobilityla.com\/schedule\/\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">https:\/\/automobilityla.com\/schedule<\/a>\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Los Angeles \u2014\u00a0The Los Angeles Auto Show has traditionally favored introductions of environmentally conscious electric cars and\u00a0luxury chariots, given the Golden State\u2019s reputation for green regulation and greenback-spending high-rollers. But with America\u2019s obsession with SUVs unabated, this year\u2019s extravaganza looks to be one of the premier mainstream exhibits of the North American season. It\u00a0is brimming [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23124"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23124"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23124\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}