The North American International Auto Show revealed big trends in the auto industry. Here are the top five things you should know if you missed the auto show:
1. Glimpse of the Future
Infiniti, Kia, Volkswagen, Nissan, Audi, Mini, Volvo, Honda, and others showed concepts – experimental cars that test design ideas and new technology. Toyota’s FT-1 reflects company’s desire to shed its reputation and build cars the make your heart pound. Honda’s FCEV tests the design limits for Honda’s new fuel cell cars. The presence of so many concepts is positive because it shows that companies are doing well enough to invest in dream cars.
2. Let’s Make a Deal
Analysts are projecting car sales between 16 million and 16.5 million this year. This is a return to pre-recession levels. However, the issue is that a lot of the demand comes from people who held on to their cars through the recession and now need new ones. Therefore, this may not prove to be a lasting market.
3. Everyone’s an Engineer
There is a lot of new talk regarding what cars are made of. Much of this sprouted from the use of aluminum in the body of Ford’s new F-150 pickup truck. More discussion of materials, their properties, their cost, their benefits, and their drawbacks should be expected in the future.
4. Bigger is Better
The new discussion of materials has led to the debunking of the theory that cars will have to get smaller to meet gas mileage requirements. Vehicles have been getting bigger over the past few years, while maintaining good mileage, as per federal regulations. This trend is expected to continue.
5. Zoom, Zoom
The recent increase in discretionary income in America has revealed a growing appetite among consumers for fast, maneuverable cars. Automakers are definitely working to meet this need. Chevrolet unveiled two race-worthy versions of the Corvette and Lexus showed its 450-horsepower RC F.
This information is worth everyone’s attention. Where can I find out more?