U.S. automakers are looking impress NYIAS attendees this year with a mix of utility vehicles and muscle cars.
Among the dozens of new vehicle debuts coming to the New York International Auto Show, American automakers have plenty to brag about this year.
Like their foreign counterparts, they cover the crossover and sport-utility market like a swarm of locusts with luxury performance iterations to lower-priced, well-appointed smaller models that will still turn heads during this year’s event.
However, while the foreign makers have also sprinkled a smattering to speed with some sports cars and supercars, one maker has provided the American counterbalance: brute force muscle that certainly taps into the patriotism that always garners attention. That said, there will be more surprises to come during this year’s show.
Cadillac CT5
2020 Cadillac CT5
Like key competitors, Caddy has been putting a lot of emphasis on SUVs and CUVs, the XT4 debuting at the NYIAS a year ago. But the brand remains “very much committed to sedans,” says Cadillac President Steve Carlisle, something it plans to prove with the new CT5. Set to replace the CTS line, it is being billed as a true “driver’s car.”
Dodge Challenger and Charger Stars & Stripes Edition
Celebrating the men and women who serve in the U.S. armed forces, the Stars & Stripes Edition is really an appearance package available on a number of different versions of the Dodge brand’s two muscle cars, including the Challenger R/T Scat Pack and Charger Scat Pack, the Challenger and Charger R/T, and the Challenger and Charger GT RWD. Along with stars-and-stripe decals are 20×9 black wheels.
Ford Escape
The wildly popular compact crossover is back in new form and it’s a lot more sleek and aero than the outgoing Ford Escape. That’s no surprise, as the Detroit automaker hopes Escape will win over buyers it could otherwise lose by dropping sedans like the Focus. Ford product development chief Hau Thai-Tang has told TheDetroitBureau.com it is also developing a true, off-road version of the new Escape.
Ford EcoBoost High-Performance Mustang
When it comes to the long-lived Ford pony car, there are no anemic Mustangs. And the automaker is taking things up another notch when it comes to the “base” four-cylinder model. The new EcoBoost High-Performance edition uses a specially upgraded version of the turbocharged 2.3-liter engine making 330 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque. It also borrows a number of features, like brakes, from the Mustang GT.
Lincoln Corsair
Like cross-town rival, Cadillac, Lincoln is struggling to rebuild its once-formidable reputation, with an emphasis on new SUVs the big Aviator that debuted in New York last year. Corsair replaces the compact Lincoln MKC – while adopting a more distinctive name, the brand abandoning its flirtation with an alphanumeric nomenclature. Though small, Corsair is expected to be loaded with upscale features.