Chicago Auto Show's Mission: Stoke Patchy Consumer Interest
By Michelle Krebs February 10, 2010After a January of piddly auto sales propped up mainly by fleet buyers didn't deliver any 
momentum from December's strong selling, slightly nervous automakers hoping 2010 will be a solid rebound year are looking to the Chicago auto show -- said to still be the nation's leading show in terms of bringing patrons through the turnstiles -- to stoke up winter interest.
Nobody's expecting any blowout introductions, but the Chicago show's slate of new-vehicle intros runs a wide gamut. Unveilings begin Wednesday, the first press day.
Most titillating for industry watchers is Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.'s late-in-the-game decision to return to the Chicago show. Nissan skipped the Detroit and Chicago auto shows in 2009 and came up missing again at the Detroit show last month.
Some have suggested Nissan was prompted to set up shop at the Chicago show after Toyota Motor Corp., barraged by bad press from its highly publicized recalls, seems to be leaving a gaping opportunity for rivals to woo disenchanted Toyota intenders.
Whatever the case, Nissan's highlight at the Chicago show is a limited edition of the 370Z sport coupe commemorating the nameplate's 40th anniversary. The car looks special enough, although the commemorative Z, ill-advisedly, offers no power upgrade for the 332-horsepower 3.7-liter V6.
Ford Motor Co. owned last month's Detroit auto show and seemingly plans to keep the ball rolling with a significant roster of Chicago-show rollouts, led by the smoking 2011 Shelby GT500.
The GT500 talk will revolve around the aluminum-block 5.4-liter V8 that's a revision of the previous-gen GT500's engine -- even before Ford really has had a chance to jabber much about the all-new 5-liter V-8 that's going in the "mainstream" Mustang GT for 2011. The Shelby's revised version of the good 'ol supercharged V8 is good for 550 horsepower, a 10-hp boost.
A little more relevant for most is the opportunity to see Ford's first U.S.-market use of its Ecoboost (turbocharged and direct-injected) four-cylinder: the smaller Boost is going in the restyled and revised 2011 version of the Flex crossover, a vehicle desperately in need of better fuel economy than delivered by its current slurping 3.5-liter V6.
And Ford is showing off an all-electric version of the Transit Connect commercial van. Not something your neighbor is going to want, but perfect for enviro-conscious contractors of any stripe, but particularly those showing up for remodeling at Ed Begley's place.
After a string of new models with dubious styling directions, Honda Motor Co. Ltd. definitely could use a winner. Or at least not a loser. Up for consideration at the Chicago show will be a concept version of the coming 2011 Odyssey minivan.
Styling is never a flashpoint for the minivan market, so nothing risky is coming -- but at least minivans are tough to mess up too badly, so Honda might "win" with the new Odyssey just because it isn't Crosstour or CR-Z freaky. With arch-rival Toyota fresh in the market with a new Sienna, Honda needs the Odyssey to score, even if the concept's prospects as an excitement tool are nil.
Just to show General Motors Co. doesn't have the franchise on intriguing plug-in electric cars, Kia is unveiling the Ray concept. Although the swoopy, designed-in-America Ray reputedly is a hybrid (meaning an internal-combustion engine shares the duty of propelling the car) and GM Chevrolet Volt technically is not, the early battleground likely is going to be about battery-only driving range, so cars like the Ray, Volt and Toyota's plug-in Prius all may wind up competing -- at least in consumers' minds. -- Bill Visnic, Senior Editor
Photos by automakers
Nissan 370Z anniversary edition
Ford Shelby GT500
Ford Transit Connect
Sketch of Kia Ray
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