The LA Auto Show is not only large, but in 2011, it was hard to keep track of all the significant introductions. The first day there is a news conference scheduled almost every half hour and mobs of journalists and camera crews move from display to display to watch the presentations and eat the free food. I thought Jaguar Land Rover Group had the best food, followed by BMW. But Nissan thrilled crowds with its grilled cheese and ice cream food trucks.
The second day had fewer introductions – mostly the exotics. However, there are some manufacturers who don’t bother to show up until the show opens to the public. For example, there was no Ferrari or Maserati display during press preview. Fisker Automotive was M.I.A. Also, many standard models (with no major changes) don’t show up until the second day of press preview. Honda didn’t bother putting an Accord or Odyssey minivan on the floor until after the big news which was the introduction of the all-new 2012 CR-V.
I missed the Green Car of the Year award that was presented to the 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas. It beat out the Ford Focus Electric, the Mitsubishi MiEV, the Toyota Prius v and the VW Passat TDI. The Civic NG doesn’t look any different from the standard Civic sedan – in other words, it’s terminally dull and would get lost in the sea of mediocrity of bland subcompact appliances. So I apologize in advance for walking right by it in the Honda display. As Rick Perry would say: Oops!
I had a busy second day, so I’m putting up more galleries of cool new and refreshed products for the 2012 and 2013 model year.
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- The 2012 Acura TSX wagon is a dolled-up version of the European Honda Accord wagon.
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- The interior of the 2012 Acura TSX wagon is comfortable and well-optioned for the price. It has Acura’s excellent infotainment-navigation system.
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- This lonely 2012 Acura TSX wagon was sitting all by itself to the back of the Acura display. It’s too bad because it’s my favorite Acura.
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- The 2012 Audi S6 has the same engine found in the S7 – a TSFI (direct fuel injection, twin scroll turbo) 4.0L V8 with 420 hp 406 lb-ft torque. It’s mated to Audi’s 7-speed S tronic dual clutch unit.
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- The 2012 Audi S6 carries on the typical high quality of Audi interiors.
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- 2012 BMW 640i Cabriolet – front.
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- 2012 BMW 640i Cabriolet – rear
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- 2012 BMW 650i Coupe – front.
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- 2012 BMW 650i Coupe – rear.
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- The mesh grille on the 2012 Cadillac CTS-V (V is for Velocity) has a purposeful look. You know it’s no ordinary CTS. This wagon packs a 6.2L Eaton-supercharged V8 with 556 hp, and, at a $63,215, it’s a relative bargain.
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- The interior of the 2012 Cadillac CTS-V wagon is nicely appointed. There is no difference in the front cabin from other CTS-V models (the sedan and coupe).
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- My favorite iteration of the Cadillac CTS is this CTS-V wagon. It’s a rare beast; but I commend Cadillac for having the balls to produce it.
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- The 2012 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 packs 638 hp from its 6.2L LS9 supercharged V8 engine. Base MSRP is $111,525
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- The interior of the 2012 Corvette ZR1 still leaves much to be desired. It’s functional, but kind of drab for the price.
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- 2012 Chevy Corvette ZR1 rear. You can see the expensive carbon fiber parts like the roof panel.
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- 2012 Chevy Corvette ZR1 side
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- The Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes are awesome on this 2012 Chevy Corvette ZR1.
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- Chevy shows a charging station for the 2012 Volt.
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- The Chevy Volt interior has few changes for the 2012 model year.
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- To go with the “urban” theme for the 2012 Chrysler 300S, the “beats by dr. dre” sound system can probably deafen you.
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- As with any minivan, the cavernous interior can carry lots of people and stuff. Chrysler’s proprietary Stow-n-Go seats that disappear into the floor are still industry leading.
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- The 2012 Chrysler Town and Country. The designers and engineers have really upgraded the flagship minivan for 2012.
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- The red and green Gucci stripe incorporated into the canvas top of this 2012 Fiat 500C is quite distinctive.
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- 2012 Fiat 500C Gucci edition interior. Is this a future kitsch classic?
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- 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth in silver. I like this silver exterior with red leather combination.
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- 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth information card. The big news is the 1.4L Multiair turbo engine witha healthy 160 hp and 170 lb-ft torque. It won’t beat the MINI Cooper S, but it has its own style.
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- I like the red leather sports seats in this 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth.
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- 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth – side.
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- This 2012 Fiat 500 Titanium was customized by MOPAR (Chrysler’s aftermarket parts and performance division).
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- I tried for a close up of the 2012 Ford Escape’s badge, but lighting in these convention spaces is horrible for photography. The top trim Escape is Titanium and this one has Ford’s Eco Boost turbo four engine.
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- There’s little news for the 2012 Honda Accord. This red Coupe looked nice with all the other red in the display. A new Accord should be out by this time next year.
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- The 2012 Honda CR-V has plenty of cargo space and while the back seats are tight for tall alults like me, they work well for kids and dogs.
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- I’m still not a fan of Honda’s corporate grille. I didn’t like it on the Accord CrossTour and I’m not a fan of it here. However, I don’t hate it and I could live with it. The headlights are incorporated well into the design.
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- The 2012 Honda CR-V’s cabin is well ordered, with clear gauges and easy to use controls. The navigation screen looks like a bit of a reach for the driver. The two-tone scheme looks good too.
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- The 2012 Honda CR-V has much nicer interior plastics than its platform cousin, the Civic.
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- I had a chance to look more closely at Honda’s new 2012 CR-V after the crowds died down on the 2nd day. I still think the rear looks awkward.
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- 2012 Hyunda Equus. You won’t see a Hyundai badge anywhere, only the Equus badge on the front and back. This top-line Ultimate edition is $65,750 – $30,000 less than a Mercedes.
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- Hyundai’s flagship, the 2012 Equus, is a direct clone of a Mercedes S-Class. It’s a pretty good one too, given its base MSRP of $58,750.
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- The interior of the 2012 Hyundai Equus is luxurious and the rear occupants are pampered with their own power seats, a foot rest, individual climate controls and the large flat screen shown here.
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- 2012 Hyundai Equus rear. Hyundai’s flagship sedan bears more than a passing resemblance to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
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- Koreans love to be driven in their cars as the ultimate sign of wealth (like the Chinese). The Equus Ulitmate’s rear seats are indulgent.
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- 2012 Hyundai Genesis Coupe – front. It’s one of the few affordable rear drive coupes in the market. It will never be a Mustang when it comes to image, but it appeals to many performance buyers looking for something different.
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- 2012 Hyundai Genesis Coupe – interior.
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- 2012 Hyundai Genesis Coupe – rear.
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- The 2012 Hyundai Genesis Sedan gets several upgrades as well as these cool new headlights with LED accents.
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- 2012 Infiniti G37 Coupe – IPL (Infiniti Performance Line) edition. Front
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- 2012 Infiniti G37 Coupe IPL edition – rear
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- 2012 Infiniti M35h is a low volume car to begin with, but I don’t think it’s caught on in the market yet. It’s one of the few rear-drive hybrids available. It starts at a lofty $53,700.
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- Like all Infiniti M-cars, the interior of the M35h is a lovely place to spend time.
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- 2012 Infiniti M35h rear. The “h” is one of the only ways to tell this M from other Ms.
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- The 2012 Jaguar FX-R continues with Jag’s plan to make an R version of all its cars. This one starts at $82,000.
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- It’s nice for the manufacturers to include tombstones that give product information for their cars. Here’s the one for the 2012 Jaguar XFR.
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- The 2012 Jaguar XKR-S Convertible is lovely for $137,125.
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- The 2012 Jaguar XKR-S Convertible has a quad exhaust and a rear spoiler to keep it glued to the road.
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- The 2012 Jaguar XKR-S convertible looks good from any angle. The XK is aging and it should be replaced in a year or two.
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- 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid. It’s a handsome alternative to a Toyota Camry Hybrid.
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- The base MSRP for the 2012 Kia Rio SX 5-door is $17,700, including a 1.6L gas direct inject engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission.
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- The interior of the 2012 Kia Rio SX doesn’t feel too cheap or entry level. It’s a nice upgrade for Kia’s entry level model.
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- The 2012 Kia Rio is all new for 2012 and it’s vastly better than the previous model. This is the top-line Rio SX 5-door.
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- The 2012 Kia Soul ! center console. Note it includes automatic climate control and a sophisticated infotainment system with navigation and Sirius TrafficLink.
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- The 2012 Kia Soul ! has a base MSRP of $19,600. The fully-loaded model here was $23,200 including $750 destination, the $2,500 premium package and auto-dimming rear view mirror with compass and HomeLink. It’s very well equipped for the price.
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- The two-tone leather interior of the 2012 Kia Soul ! has nice contrast and an upscale feel. It’s part of the $2,500 premium package.
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- More detail on the 2012 Kia Soul ! This knob adjusts the color of the ambient lights inside the cabin.
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- I liked the Moss paint on this 2012 Kia Soul ! (yes, the exclamation point is the model designation).
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- 2012 Kia Soul ! steering wheel detail. It’s a teriffic wheel for an entry-level CUV.
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- This is the interior of the Michelle Wie Kia Soul. If you thought the outside was a dream for a 10 year old girl, the inside will seal the deal. In back, it had two custom golf bags that match the pink and blue cartoon theme.
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- The Kia Soul, inspired by Michelle Wie, by West Coast Customs. Michelle Wie is a professional golf prodigy. She’s amazing to watch. But I’m not quite sure why this Kia has the kiddie theme.
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- The 2013 Audi S7 Sportsback rear sports the S badge as well as four exhaust tips.
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- The 2013 Audi S7 Sportsback ditches the old Lamborghini V10 in favor of a new Audi 4.0L V8 with a twin-scroll turbo pumping out 420 hp and 406 lb-ft torque. It’s mated to Audi’s 7-speed S tronic dual clutch automatic transmission.
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- The interior of the 2013 Audi A7 Sportsback is, as usual, packed with sumptious materials and fantastic build quality.
Todd Bianco's ACarIsNotARefrigerator.com Blog 