This past week The Eastern Echo got a chance to get an early peek at the North American International Auto Show, which takes place every year at the Cobo Center in Detroit.
The NAIAS had four days last week set aside for press, media, executives and car enthusiasts to get familiar with the new models and concepts from the world’s leading car companies.
The public show spans from Jan. 19-27. Check out www.NAIAS.com to purchase tickets or for chances to win tickets for you and a friend. Tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for children ages 7-12 and seniors 65 and older and children 6 and under get in free.
Although I hadn’t been to the NAIAS in years, not much has changed besides the cars and the technology. Each company has their own section for viewing their cars with stunning visual merchandising.
Over at Mini, there was the illusion that one of their cars was driving up a wall. I asked a representative why he thought Mini was marketable to college students.
“Mini is highly customizable in it’s appearance,” he said. “It has a great appeal towards the college crowd.”
Mini allows its driver to customize the look of the car’s colors with the interior and exterior panels.
The Mercedes Benz display made me feel as though I was in a
beautiful cave looking at exquisite rare gems and crystals coming from the ground and walls. Their lineup of cars, as always, was impressive.
The Benz that stood out for me was the yellow SLS AMG GT coupe with gullwing doors. This special division performance sports car starts at just under $200,000.
Another good college student car was the Ford Fiesta SE. I had never paid much attention to this car before on the roads, but decided to delve deeper into the model on display. A product specialist at Ford gave me the rundown on what made the Fiesta that perfect Ford model for the young scholar.
Optional coupe or sedan five-door styles of the Fiesta come equipped with Sirius radio and SYNC technology. It boasts seven airbags; one is called the knee bolster airbag, which would guard your legs against a front-end collision.
The most important feature of the Ford Fiesta SE is the impressive 40-mpg highway. With gas fluctuating in the $3 range, getting those miles to the gallon is sure to make you and your wallet better friends.
Over at Land Rover, the four-wheel drive luxury lineup was coupled with Jaguar, its parent company. The vehicle that caught my attention was the Range Rover Evoque. The two-door compact was displayed in a striking, rich red hue. A full-glass panoramic roof gave this model true appeal.
The interior was also very alluring with black and red contrast seats and a corresponding dashboard with a fine red topstitch. Both seats had one-touch adjustment controls that made getting in and out of the spacious backseat a breeze.
With a price tag on this model around the $45,000 range, I could see myself in the Range Rover Evoque once I land that amazing post-grad career.
My one true long-distance love affair came in the form of the 4-Series coupe concept from BMW, which was unveiled at the NAIAS.
Ever since high school BMW has been a luxurious dream of mine, and that dream came to life on a turntable in the middle of the German carmakers stage.
The 4-Series is a new edition to BMW’s numbered series line, given such prestige because of its dynamism and presence over its 3-Series predecessor. It sits lower and wider and has larger air intakes and a larger wheelbase that gives the roofline a more streamed and fluid look. Interior-wise, the braided leather detailing and cognac-colored seat and dash gave breathtaking appeal
from afar.
I take great pride in saying I represent and come from a city with so much history and tradition; despite the unfortunate events of recent past, Detroit continues to overcome adversity and shine bright like a diamond.
