The 2002 Detroit Auto Show - January 2002
January 2002 brings us the eventful Detroit Motor Show. Arguably one of the top two shows for concept cars and new car launches alike. According to our previews, it will be business as usual in 2002.
As I write, the most interesting concept car on show will be the Saab 9-3X. Saab showed the 9X at the Frankfurt Show earlier this year, but the 9-3X is more likely to reach production given the increasing market for SUVs around the world. Not that the 9-3X is a SUV according to Saab. It is referred to as a "cross-over coupe". There has been a continuous stream of this sort of concept over the past year. When will one finally go to production?
The 9-3X looks very much like a Saab, and may well lead the marque to higher sales, as the regular Saab cars are very much an acquired taste. Interestingly, Saab has announced that there will be at least one new concept or product each year for the next six. Will the 9-3X be one of the new products?
If it does, it may well find itself up against its Swedish counterpart, the all-new Volvo XC90. Also due to be revealed to the public in Detroit, the first ever Volvo SUV will be launched in the UK at the 2002 Birmingham Motor Show. I don't think that Saab regard this as a real competitor though. It has up to seven seats for instance. It is based on the 'Adventure Concept Car', and is obviously a Volvo, with that large grille and the pronounced shoulders.
The only technical details we have so far is that it will be offered with a choice of two turbocharged engines - the advanced D5 diesel (163bhp) and the T6 (petrol - 272bhp). The car has been developed on the S80 platform, hence the larger than average seating capacity. As would be expected, it will be choc-full with the latest safety features from the Swedish company. Interesting, yes, but no rival for the mighty new Range Rover, getting its important US debut at the same show.
Not that these cars are direct competitors of course. The (mighty) Ford Motor Company owns both marques after all. Between them, they cover a significant proportion of the burgeoning (yes, still) SUV market. Earlier, we featured the new Range Rover, and more details have since come to light. The US market is one of the Range Rover's largest. We hope, but doubt that Land Rover will show or even refer to the new baby Range Rover due out in 2003. This is to be a smaller, sportier car, but with strong links to the Range Rover brand rather than Land Rover.
Maserati have chosen Detroit to debut the logical evolution of their coupe. It gains the fabulous 4.2-litre engine bestowed upon the Spyder this year. They have renamed the car the 4200 GT to suit, which in our opinion is a tad lame next to the model names such as Quattroporte etc. Still, the car is a good'un. To date, the only downside we can see is the change from the radical LED boomerang-shaped rear lights to the more conventional units given to the Spyder. Pity.
Just click on the thumbnails to view a high-resolution image.
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