2016 Detroit Auto Show: The Other Reveals: Comments

[William Maley]

Detroit is turning out to be a somewhat busy show with introductions seemingly every moment. But alas, we (Drew and myself) can't be at all of the press conferences. So this will be a summary of the other vehicles we didn't get the chance to see when they were revealed. We'll be updating this as the day goes on.

 

Audi had two big showings for Detroit. First was the North American introduction of A4. When it goes on sale in the spring, it will come with a turbocharged 2.0L with 252 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. A seven-speed dual clutch automatic routes power to either the front or all four wheels via the optional quattro system. Pricing starts at $38,250 with a $950 destination charge.

 

There will also be A4 wagon for the U.S. in the form of the A4 Allroad. The Allroad sets itself apart from the standard A4 with an increase of 1.3 inches in overall ground clearance, skid plates, flared out fenders, and a set of roof rails. For European markets, there will be a range of gas and diesel engines ranging from 150 to 272 horsepower. No word on what the U.S. will get, but it would be safe to assume the turbo 2.0L from the A4. The A4 Allroad arrives in European dealers this summer, with the U.S. following sometime after.

 

Then there was the h-tron concept. Looking somewhat similar to the e-tron quattro concept from last year, the h-tron features a 110 kW fuel cell powertrain with an electric motor on each axle. There is also a battery can add an additional 100 kW temporarily. Audi says the concept has a theoretical 0-60 MPH time of seven seconds and a range of 373 miles.

 

Ford made some big headlines this morning with the reveal of the 2017 Fusion and Raptor. We'll start with the Fusion. As we saw in spy shots last week, Ford did some minor changes to the Fusion's exterior with a new grille and headlights being the big changes. Inside, a new rotary gear shift and SYNC 3 come as standard. The Fusion Hybrid and Energi get new software which is expected to improve efficiency, though Ford isn't saying how much.

 

But the big news is the introduction of two new trims; Sport and Platinum. Sport is rumored high-performance Fusion with a twin-turbo 2.7L V6 delivering 325 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque. All-wheel drive will come standard. Meanwhile, the Platinum trim sits above the Titanium and boasts a new grille, nineteen-inch wheels, and cocoa and Venetian leathers.

 

The 2017 Fusion arrives at dealers this summer.

 

Also making its debut for Ford was the Raptor Supercrew. The Supercrew is mostly the same as the standard extended cab model except in wheelbase. The Supercrew is about a foot longer to make room for the extra rear doors. The Raptor also boasts a Terrain Management System which allows the driver to choose from six different modes for various environments.

 

Ford is still keeping quiet on performance figures and pricing till the launch which is expected to happen in the fall.

 

Infiniti came next with the 2017 Q60 Coupe. As spy shots revealed last month, the production version of the Q60 keeps many of the design cues found on the concept from last year. Two engines will be on offer.

• 2.0L Turbocharged, Direct-Injected Four-Cylinder with 208 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque.
• 3.0L Twin-Turbo V6 with 300 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque or 400 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque.
  

Either engine comes with only a seven-speed automatic (sorry manual fans).

 

Infiniti's second-generation Direct Adaptive Steering system is optional on V6 models. Standard for V6 models is Infiniti's Rack Electronic Power Steering system that increase the effort to turn the wheel in cornering. Four-cylinder models stick with a speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion setup.

 

The Q60 Coupe arrives at dealers this summer.

 

You can follow all of our reports from the 2016 Detroit Auto Show here.

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[G. David Felt]

Interesting, but glad you guys covered what you did and did not waste time on these.

[William Maley]

Interesting, but glad you guys covered what you did and did not waste time on these.

 

Actually we did want to cover the Q60 Coupe. We'll likely do that tommrrow.

[ccap41]

So the "sport" Fusion never got an ST badge? Man, Ford needs to sort that crap out if you ask me.. 

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

So the "sport" Fusion never got an ST badge? Man, Ford needs to sort that crap out if you ask me.. 

 

Sport Edge, Sport Fusion, Sport Explorer and maybe soon, Sport Escape.

 

Looks nicely sorted to me.

It appears that 325hp in a Fusion is not worthy of a Ford Performance branded badge.  Needs more than that I guess.

[ccap41]

So the "sport" Fusion never got an ST badge? Man, Ford needs to sort that crap out if you ask me..

 

Sport Edge, Sport Fusion, Sport Explorer and maybe soon, Sport Escape.

 

Looks nicely sorted to me.

It appears that 325hp in a Fusion is not worthy of a Ford Performance branded badge.  Needs more than that I guess.

Good point. I hadn't realized that I guess.