Automobility LA Had Something for Everyone

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Automobility LA, the Los Angeles auto show, is a festival of trucks, large SUVs, hybrids and EVs, with the occasional sedan mixed in. After two days of media previews, it’s easy to see where the vehicle market is going.

Jeep rolled out its new Gladiator while Hyundai and BMW presented their large Palisade (seen above) and X7 large SUVs, respectively. Honda reintroduced the mid-size Passport SUV while Rover brought back the Discovery, making it the biggest offering from the brand. Elsewhere, Kia gave its boxy Soul a good refresh while it showed off an off-road equipped Telluride SUV.

While the Wednesday media preview went from 7am’s Beetles and breakfast, with food trucks and a gathering of all-vintage VW Beetles, to Hyundai’s traditional late-day gathering at Hotel Figueroa, replete with entertainment from Alanis Morisette, the flog of walking from one display to another and trying to digest the latest offerings.

Because it was difficult to get close to hear what was being said, thanks to a single-day roster of 17 functions starting at 7am and concluding well past 5pm, this writer elected to do a photo display for coverage, along with a few news tidbits. See the following photos for those snatches of intriguing information!

Yes, there were concept vehicles shown at this Los Angeles gathering, including Audi’s Tesla-fighting e-tron GT 4-door coupe, with luscious lines and Audi’s sure-to-be-great range for this machine, which boasts 590HP output from the coupe. It’ll share about 60 percent componentry with Porsche’s Taycan all-electric SUV. By 2025, Audi expects about 30 percent of its product volume to be all-electric.

At the same time Porsche talked about Taycan, it also showed off the latest 911 Carrera S at the show, a vehicle which, while retaining the 911’s core visuals, also looks and feels more like a modern car, relying on electronics throughout the vehicle.

Porsche is touting its electric and hybrid models because of the CO2 volume throughout the world. It’s being responsible on one hand and pleasing its core customer base on the other. Will Porsche go driverless? The company says that it will always require a driver. That’s good news.

VW showed off its I.D. R prominently on the stand, as this electric prototype was the overall winner at this year’s Pikes Peak hillclimb and was named Race Car of the Year.

It also brought a Buzz cargo van to show how the chase vehicle might be equipped to follow such a beast to more than 14,000 feet above sea level.

Also on the VW stand: an electric cargo bike.

Volvo, on the other hand, didn’t have a single car on display for its Wednesday press conference. Instead it focused - a year after initiating subscription services for its vehicles, joining traditional sales and leasing services - on its affiliations with technology companies like Google and Amazon. It did relent and bring various S60 sedans to the floor on Thursday.

Both Chevrolet and Ford showed off their full line of trucks and SUVs, including the new Chevy Silverado; Chevrolet also displayed all the cars it’s about to stop producing, as plans for this show predated any announcement of plant closings and product eliminations.

There was a nice display for Chevy’s Bolt EV and Ford’s GT, opposite ends of the vehicular spectrum.

Mercedes-Benz focused on its larger SUVS and its beautiful AMG products.

Lincoln rolled out a new gigantic Aviator SUV with a grille the size of Rhode Island. Kia refreshed its Soul box for 2020, offered in gasoline, hybrid and plug-in hybrid options.

Mitsubishi had a trick concept vehicle, while Mazda refreshed its Mazda3, moving the handsome compact sedan/hatchback offering upmarket with a revised exterior and comprehensive interior upgrades.

Hyundai’s large Palisade SUV marked that brand’s first foray into the 7-seater jungle; it will be available at mid-year. Even though Hyundai called it mid-size, it’s a brute, offering plenty of technology and cargo space.

Hyundai also stuffed its redrawn Veloster coupe in a corner, including an N version that will be completely sporting-oriented and will offer a three-pedal, shift-for-yourself, rev-matching experience.

The biggest deal on Thursday, which featured monsoon-style rain in downtown Los Angeles, was Galpin Autosports’ reveal of a limited edition Steve McQueen Bullitt Mustang. Chad McQueen, the actor’s son, was on hand for the Mustang’s first showing. r-minEach one will come with a signed print of a soon-to-be-auctioned artwork depicting both the 1968 and 2018 Bullitt Mustangs with McQueen in the driver’s seat.

Also on Thursday, Honda’s Insight sedan was named Green Car of the Year.