DETROIT — Automakers from around the world are planning to reveal at least 40 never-before-seen cars and trucks at the North American International Auto Show.
The show begins Friday with a preview for the media.
An additional five new vehicles will be shown for the first time in North America.
“All of the automakers realize they have to bring the biggest and best reveals to this show,” said Scott LaRiche, co-chairman of the auto show.
LaRiche said one of the Detroit show’s biggest selling points is the volume of media it attracts from around the world, which is why the automakers send their top executives to debut some of their most important vehicles in Detroit.
Automakers ranging from Nissan to Mercedes-Benz to Toyota are promising show organizers that they are going to debut new models that are crucial to their brands.
Nissan, LaRiche said, has told show organizers it will debut a vehicle “that is going to redefine its brand.”
Nissan is planning to reveal an all-new Titan pickup with an optional diesel engine. Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn also recently talked about work on a new battery that would be “game-changing” for electric vehicles such as the Leaf, by doubling its range.
Also, Guangzhou Auto will be the first Chinese automaker to reveal a new vehicle at the Detroit show in several years. Guangzhou’s decision to return to the Detroit show and reveal a vehicle it doesn’t even plan to sell in North America shows the benefits of a growing relationship between Michigan and China.
Two high-profile brands of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles – Ferrari and Maserati – will have displays on the show floor this year.
Every year, the North American International Auto Show brings about 5,000 journalists and automotive analysts to town, as well as top executives. Public days, which start Jan. 17, draw tens of thousands of visitors each day.
David Sowerby, an economist and portfolio manager for Loomis Sayles &Co., estimated that last year’s show generated an economic impact of $375 million for the region.
“It’s like having a Super Bowl here every single year,” LaRiche said.
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