Hooniverse Asks: What news could surprise you at the NY Auto Show?

If you try to photgraph him from the front, he hits your camera with EMP. True story.
The NY International Auto Show is rolling into full swing for the automotive press. We’re not there, because we have better things to do (AKA no one invited us to tag along with them). So we won’t get to see the reveals in the metal, but the Internet brings all of that info to us anyway.
What could an automaker do at the NYIAS to surprise you? What if Dodge is working on an electric Hellcat? Maybe Mercedes is bringing back the Pagoda for the next generation SL-Class? Perhaps Oldsmobile is being revived to address the aging demographic that Buick is trying to abandon?
What would honestly surprise you at the NY Auto Show? 

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34 responses to “Hooniverse Asks: What news could surprise you at the NY Auto Show?”

  1. P161911 Avatar
    P161911

    GM putting the twin turbo LF4 V-6 in some more models. Maybe an Impala SS, a Buick GNX, an XT5-V, a Traverse SS.
    Someone reviving a long dead brand as something that isn’t an ugly kit car (the last 2 or 3 Avantis, that Packard thing based on the Ford Panther chassis.)
    A new American Bantam (something in between the size of a Smart car and a Fiat 500).
    A Packard as a sports sedan.
    Or just bring back some dead models:
    A Thunderbird and Lincoln Mk IX based on the Mustang. The Lincoln could even be a plug in hybrid.
    A Buick Wildcat based on the ATS or CTS-V platform.

    1. neight428 Avatar
      neight428

      That engine is just wasting away in Cadillac sedans that no one cares about. They could make Buicks that were worthy of a bit of premium treatment instead of being a blander/cheaper almost Acura.

    2. kogashiwa Avatar
      kogashiwa

      Lincoln Mk IX needs to happen. So does a proper big Cadillac coupe. Sadly both of these would be very big surprises.

  2. Mister Sterling Avatar
    Mister Sterling

    I will be there on Press Days, and the conferences are not looking as exciting as last year (Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, Lincoln Navigator, Demon, Buick Regal TourX). I have some quick, thoughts. I’ll be mildly surprised if:
    The new Acura RDX has a good looking front fascia.
    The Volkswagen T-Roc is on the floor.
    The Toyota Auris (Corolla hatchback) is there – already confirmed
    So yeah, the best new thing at the NY show might be a manual transmission, Euro spec Toyota hatchback? Maybe also the Hyundai Kona 1.6T. And I finally get to sit inside a JL Wrangler!

    1. Vairship Avatar
      Vairship

      The new Acura RDX has a good looking front fascia.
      To be honest, The Beak *has* been getting slightly less ugly lately. On the other hand, Honda grilles have been getting uglier, so I guess *someone* must have been re-assigned… http://st.motortrend.com/uploads/sites/5/2017/09/2018-Honda-Accord-Sport-2-0T-front-grille-03.jpg

  3. Fred Avatar
    Fred

    Acura shows off a new sport wagon. Actually anything new from Acura would be surprising.

    1. Vairship Avatar
      Vairship

      FCA bringing out a genuinely new Chrysler or Dodge would also surprise me.

  4. neight428 Avatar
    neight428

    The new Mustangs are pushing big dollars optioned out. Why not take one from the Bavarian playbook and have a Sportback/GranCoupe version. Call it a Falcon if you must not de-Bro the brand with four/five doors. It would be a Kia Stinger without the Kia Stigma!

    1. outback_ute Avatar
      outback_ute

      If not leveraging/sullying the Mustang name I wonder if it would be better placed as a Lincoln halo car?

      1. P161911 Avatar
        P161911

        Lincoln SVT? Lincoln Capri is the only Lincoln name that I can think of with any sort of performance/racing provenance.

        1. neight428 Avatar
          neight428

          oooh… call it the Cougar!

        2. outback_ute Avatar
          outback_ute

          I wasn’t thinking of positioning it as a performance car – Mark IX as kogashiwa suggested would be perfect. The Capri name is more associated with Mercury. I could also see a Thunderbird with a slightly longer wheelbase and squarer roof profile – give it a Bullet Bird (3rd gen) look. I don’t think Cougar would be a good idea, given how the meaning has changed since the 1960s. Either way the execution would be the key factor, given the ‘success’ of the last Thunderbird.

          1. JayP Avatar
            JayP

            Lincoln could have been the S550 ecoboost v6 variant Mustang wouldn’t get.

          2. neight428 Avatar
            neight428

            You’re probably right about a Cougar model name, I was thinking of the old product positioning, not what modern marketing would have to deal with in internet memes. The Lincoln LS was a stab in this direction, sort of.

          3. outback_ute Avatar
            outback_ute

            It would be entertaining if nothing else. They say the parodies of the McConaughey ads have been good for Lincoln sales, but I can’t imagine that potential Cougar buyers would want to live them on a daily basis.

  5. Jofes2 Avatar
    Jofes2

    Lada is taking on the American market with a new hard-top convertible!

  6. Maymar Avatar
    Maymar

    FCA phasing out any Ram over the 1500, to focus development on a thorough lineup of Rampage variants? A revised NSU Ro80? Nissan Leaf Nismo? Since P161911 bought up the LF4, a new GMC Syclone?
    I almost said Jeep Renegade Hellcat, but at this point, I think the only surprise would be that it wasn’t launched at the Easter Jeep Safari.

    1. P161911 Avatar
      P161911

      A GMC Terrain based Syclone with the LF4 and AWD. Sounds good to me!

      1. Maymar Avatar
        Maymar

        http://gmauthority.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/GMC-Syclone-Rendering-720×340.jpg
        I was thinking Colorado-based (since it already uses the NA 3.6), but considering the relative success of SQ5/X3M/GLC AMG/Macan, a Terrain Typhoon could work as well.

  7. Alff Avatar
    Alff

    Chrome bumpers are in.

    1. crank_case Avatar
      crank_case

      I dunno, you can already go mad with the Chrome on a VW Passat or Audi for those of dubious taste.

    2. GTXcellent Avatar
      GTXcellent

      and 14/15″ wheels and 70 series tires

  8. kogashiwa Avatar
    kogashiwa

    SAAB is back.

  9. crank_case Avatar
    crank_case

    Tesla naturally aspirated V8

    1. P161911 Avatar
      P161911

      Tesla hybrid with VW diesel power!

  10. 0A5599 Avatar
    0A5599

    None of the booth babes get hit on.

  11. P161911 Avatar
    P161911

    A big three player advertising a low load height/reach over for their full size 2WD trucks. It is ridiculous how tall the basic 2WD truck has gotten in the last 15 years or so.

  12. Citric Avatar
    Citric

    So far my biggest surprise is that the Cadillac XT4 is a Cadillac I think looks handsome. Remarkable since I think most of the current Cadillac lineup looks pretty awful (apart from the ATS, which instead looks bland) and it’s a compact crossover, not traditionally where you look for good styling. Yet here this thing is, managing to make the weird tall headlights look like they aren’t a massive mistake, looking nicely purposeful, having really well done tall taillights, having an interior that actually integrates the big screen for once, and generally being a pretty decent little car.
    Still hate how the Cadillac scrapped the wreath part of the wreath and crest, making the badge a whole lot of nothing, some of the detailing is messy – the fake vent beside the headlight was necessary to make the droopy bit look purposeful but it’s messy and a bit too obviously fake – and it’s an entire product category I don’t care about, but it’s the first time in a while there has been a new Cadillac and I don’t think it’s awful.

    1. outback_ute Avatar
      outback_ute

      The fake vent bit kind of spoils the effect doesn’t it. It seems they have it to balance the headlight part above. I would prefer to see them try an all-LED light that gets rid of the side part for just a vertical blade – that might be too radical though?

    2. caltemus Avatar
      caltemus

      I would be very surprised if anymore than 20 percent of the main grille is open. Typically when I’ve seen grille’s this large, they’re all solid plastic except for a few small, necessary air openings. The jeep renegade is the worst that I’ve seen so far, only half of 4 of the ‘7 slot grille’ are actually open

  13. Steve Scarpato Avatar
    Steve Scarpato

    Skoda announcing they are coming to the USA and Alfa will bring back the Brera just for us in America!

  14. AnamDuine Avatar
    AnamDuine

    The new Ranger / Bronco are introduced, and are instantly recognizable to any American as those models.

  15. anonymic Avatar
    anonymic

    BMW and Fiat discontinue the Mini and 500 lines because they’ve no fucking idea what Mini or Fiat 500 means.

    1. anonymic Avatar
      anonymic

      Also, current Fiat 500’s are shit quality as we expect, and as is evident from following any single one of them down the road for more than 30 seconds.