Chicago Auto Show: 2nd life for Ford Fusion, Hyundai Accent

The visual impact of two cars in the Chicago Auto Show blows the mind away. One is the Ford Fusion and the other is the Hyundai Accent. There are a lot of stunning cars at the auto show but we will focus on those that have a chance of coming to India. Even if the cars themselves are not launched, India will surely see design cues from the US permeating new vehicle in the country. A walk around the gigantic McCormick Place where the auto show is hosted needs more than a day if you want to do justice to each and every car. The sheer number of cars can overwhelm the human mind. Ford Love at first sight for me was the Ford Fusion. The Fusion seems to be in motion when standing still. The best part of the car is the front grille, taken straight out of the Aston Martin. In case you don’t know, the Aston Martin is James Bond’s car with a licence to thrill. The back of the Fusion too is visually pleasing with the design lines merging perfectly to the tail lights. Additionally the profile of the car has to look of a sports coupe, which is the new design language for sedans. Ford Fusion is the car to watch as its design elements will be seen in other Ford vehicles. [caption id=“attachment_212653” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“The Ford Fusion seems to be in motion when standing still. The best part of the car is the front grille, taken straight out of the Aston Martin.”] [/caption] The newly-launched Ford Fiesta in India does have some design elements of Fusion, but the latter is huge evolution over the Fiesta. The Fiesta is a fun car to drive and has been in production in the US for some time. One of the vehicles that Ford does not sell in India but has a great design is the Ford Escape. The vehicle is categorised as a sport utility vehicle (SUV) similar to the Honda CR-V. Since Honda has an SUV in the market for some time, it may not be long before Ford launches the Escape. The 2013 Escape is offered with two engines, the 1.6 litre 173 HP and the 2 litre 237 HP. Escapes are known for their firm ride and fun factor. This is a small five-seat SUV unlike the Ford Endeavor sold in India. A quick note on the Endeavor, as it is due for a redesign some time soon. It still has the old-world box on wheels look and could soon look more like the Ford Explorer which underwent a redesign recently. Hyundai The Koreans have been on the leading edge of design for some years now. Two of the vehicles on display at the auto show, the Sante Fe and the Sonata, have already been launched in India. But the one to look ahead to is the Accent. The model which debuted at the auto show has a 1.6 litre power plant delivering 138 horse power (136 PS) and 123 lb of torque. The current Accent has a 1.5 litre engine with an output of 95 PS. The show stealer in the Hyundai display was the Equus. Targeted to compete with the likes of the Mercedes Benz S class and BMW 7 series, the Equus is in a class of its own, at least as far as interior comforts go. The extended leg support for rear passengers is a feature that truly pampers. It has a cooler between the rear seats to chill that bubbly which can be sipped while getting a massage. The Equus is powered by a 5-litre V8 engine that unleashes 429 horses and 376 lb of torque to the rear wheels. Mated to a six-speed automatic transmission the car provides a cushy ride. So Hyundai should get the Equus to Indian shores ASAP. Watch slideshow [fpgallery id=367] Honda and Toyota The leading Japanese car makers did not have much excitement. Honda did not have any new debut vehicles in Chicago and off late the company has lost its racing edge. It turns out high quality but unimpressive cars. Toyota did have the new Camry, which could soon be launched in India. The Camry, as usual, is a very capable car and comes with three power train choices of 2.5 litre 178 HP, 3.5 litre V6 for 268HP and a Hybrid with a 2.5 litre engine. The popular Prius will now come in three versions, Prius C, a plug in Prius and a larger Prius V. Toyota has also launched a RAV electric vehicle running on lithium metal-ion battery to develop 150 HP. A fully charged electric RAV can go 160 km, but there are no announced plans for an India launch. However, the vehicles that Honda and Toyota need to launch in India are their Odyssey and Sienna respectively. These spacious seven-seaters are family favourites in the US and would do very well in India. One of the interesting features of the Odyssey is the magic third row seat that completely sinks into the floor, creating a huge cargo area. This author has owned an Odyssey for 10 years and fully benefited from its practicality and versatility. The time is ripe for these two favourite mini vans to enter India. Just to give a perspective, these mini vans are like the Toyota Innova, only much bigger and more powerful. Scion Scion is not a known brand in India. But it’s owned by Toyota and has some very interesting cars. We will look at just one and the most interesting. Toyota and Subaru collaborated to develop a stunning sports car named FR-S. Subaru will also sell the same car badged as BR-Z. The FR-S is powered by a 2 litre boxster engine generating 200 HP. It will have six-speed manual or optional six-speed automatic transmission. Boxster engines have pistons moving horizontally instead of vertically, and also give a low centre of gravity to improve driving performance. It’s not clear if the vehicle will be launched in India, but the county needs a fun car that’s not expensive like the Porsches and BMWs. Volkswagen The company displayed the Beetle, Beetle TDI and Jetta Hybrid as debut vehicles at the auto show. The Beetles now come in 2.5 litre five cylinder, 2 litre turbo and 2 litre TDI turbo. The car has also undergone a redesign, making it look cuter with more raked back headlights and different tail light treatment. The Jetta hybrid looks just like the Jetta sold in India, but it has a 1.4 litre turbo charged engine mated to a 27 HP electric motor to increase fuel efficiency. The pure electric mode is used to move from a stationary position to reduce fuel consumption and then the gasoline engine takes over. Porsche How can one forget the Porsche, especially the Carrera 911. For 2012, the 911 has wide arched fenders for its wider front track, new headlights, larger air intakes. The rear has wider spoiler and sleek LED taillights. The most powerful 3.8 litre, 6-cylinder boxster engine produces a whopping 530 HP and 516 LB of torque. That is a whole lot of power for the freeways of US, let alone India. Conclusion There were many more vehicles on display, but we selected the ones that stood out in the crowd. Watch this space and we may have some driving impressions in the near future. George Albert is Editor, www.capturetrends.com

Chicago Auto Show: 2nd life for Ford Fusion, Hyundai Accent

Which of the beauties unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show will make it to India? Our man in Chicago give his assessment.

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