2013 Detroit Auto Show Brings Heat to the Motor City

No, we’re not talking about the Miami Heat, or a showing of the excellent 1995 Michael Mann film starring Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino, when we say that the annual 2013 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) is bringing heat to Detroit. We’re talking about the hottest new cars, trucks, and SUVs on the market, which will be rolling into dealership showrooms near you within the next year or two.

Traditionally, the Detroit Auto Show is the most important one in North America in terms of news and product debuts, if not physical size. Each January, auto manufacturers from around the world descend upon Detroit to unveil their latest models, and the Autobytel team is on the ground in the Motor City to gather all the news, filter the noise, and tell you what you need to know.

Let’s get started.

2013 Detroit Auto Show Brings Heat to the Motor City: Acura

Acura reveals the MDX Concept at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, providing a good look at what the redesigned 2014 Acura MDX will look like when it goes on sale later this year.

Expect the new 2014 MDX to offer 7-passenger seating and a choice between front- and all-wheel drive. A new, more fuel-efficient V-6 engine is standard, and the MDX could receive the same Sport Hybrid Super Handling All-Wheel Drive powertrain bound for the 2014 RLX sedan as an option. Likely upgrades include AcuraLink cloud-based smartphone integration technology, a high-fidelity audio system, and numerous new safety features.

2013 Detroit Auto Show Brings Heat to the Motor City: Audi

Audi unveils four new performance models in Detroit. The 2014 Audi SQ5 is a sport-tuned version of the popular Q5, equipped with a supercharged, 354-horsepower, 3.0-liter V-6 engine and a torque-vectoring Quattro all-wheel-drive system. Acceleration to 60 mph takes 5.3 seconds, according to Audi.

The 2014 Audi RS5 Cabriolet is a convertible version of the recently introduced RS5 Coupe. It offers the same high-revving, 450-horsepower, 4.2-liter V-8 engine and performance-tweaked version of Quattro, combined with a convertible top that folds in 15 seconds and leaves a sizable trunk for top-down road trips. Audi says that 60 mph arrives in 4.9 seconds.

The new 2014 Audi RS7 takes the recently launched S7 to the next level of performance. Taking a no-holds-barred approach, the new 2014 RS7 is stocked with a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 generating 560 horsepower and 553 lb.-ft. of ground-pounding torque starting at just 1,750 rpm. No wonder, then, that Audi says the RS7 accelerates to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds and can reach 189 mph.

Finally, Audi shows the updated 2014 Audi R8 in Detroit. Minor styling updates are overshadowed by a new 7-speed S-tronic automated double-clutch transmission and the arrival of a lighter-weight, 550-horsepower R8 V10 Plus 5.2 Coupe that screams to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds and hits 198 mph.

2013 Detroit Auto Show Brings Heat to the Motor City: BMW

Want a new 2013 BMW 3 Series with a $3,400 discount? Sure you do. And now you can get one in the form of the new 320i model, which joins the lineup this spring. The new BMW 320i is equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine mustering 180 horsepower and 200 lb-ft. of torque. The idea here is a lower price tag in exchange for acceleration to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds, because fuel economy numbers are about the same as the 328i.

The BMW Concept 4 Series Coupe is, for all intents and purposes, the new 2014 BMW 4 Series Coupe. The new 4 Series Coupe replaces the 3 Series Coupe, which is discontinued, but will share its powertrains with the 3 Series Sedan. That means buyers will choose between a 428i, a 435i, and eventually, a performance-tuned M4.

Speaking of M models, the 2014 BMW M6 Gran Coupe turned up in Detroit. Highlights include a twin-turbocharged, 560-horsepower, 4.4-liter V-8 engine, a 7-speed M Double Clutch Transmission (M-DCT), and model-specific mechanical, cosmetic, and equipment upgrades. It accelerates to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds, beginning this June.

BMW also displayed the 2014 BMW Z4 in the Motor City. The major change is the introduction of a new entry-level model called the Z4 sDrive18i, which is equipped with a turbocharged, 156-horsepower, 4-cylinder engine. Additional changes amount to freshened styling, new wheels, new colors, and expanded BMW ConnectedDrive services.

2013 Detroit Auto Show Brings Heat to the Motor City: Cadillac

The 2014 Cadillac ELR is built on the same platform as the Chevrolet Volt, employing an electric drive motor powered by a rechargeable battery pack and equipped with a gasoline engine that serves as a generator when the battery charge is depleted. The new 2014 ELR seats 4 people, and is draped in Cadillac’s now familiar Art & Science bodywork.

2013 Detroit Auto Show Brings Heat to the Motor City: Chevrolet

Chevrolet introduced two significant vehicles in Detroit. The redesigned 2014 Corvette Stingray launched with a new direct-injected 6.2-liter LT1 V-8 engine generating an estimated 450 horsepower and 450 lb.-ft. of torque. That’s good for acceleration to 60 mph in less than four seconds, according to Chevy, and the engine’s Active Fuel Management system provides 26 mpg on the highway. Check out our video preview of the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette C7 Stingray.

That same V-8 engine is offered in the redesigned 2014 Chevy Silverado 1500, which is also available with a new 4.3-liter V-6 and a new 5.3-liter V-8. A 6-speed automatic is standard, and the new Silverado is equipped with upgraded brakes, electric steering, a stiffer suspension, improved aerodynamics, a quieter cab, new safety features, and better technology than ever.

2013 Detroit Auto Show Brings Heat to the Motor City: Dodge

The 2013 Dodge Dart GT was widely expected to arrive as the previously announced, range-topping Dart R/T. The new Dart GT is based on the Dart Limited, adding unique exterior details, a sport suspension, bigger wheels and tires, and a more powerful 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine with a conventional 6-speed automatic transmission. Inside, premium leather, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and more make the Dart GT’s $1,000 price premium over the Dart Limited look like a tremendous bargain.

Dodge also introduced three new Blacktop Edition models in Detroit: Durango Blacktop, Grand Caravan Blacktop, and Journey Blacktop. Blacktop trim adds what Dodge calls a “sinister” appearance, as if a minivan isn’t already somebody’s idea of a nightmare. Dark grilles, headlight bezels, and wheels are the common Blacktop package elements.

2013 Detroit Auto Show Brings Heat to the Motor City: Fiat

After introducing a slew of new models in Los Angeles last fall, Fiat brings a couple of 500-based design concept vehicles to Detroit. The 500 Cattiva Design Concept is based on the 500 Turbo model, and features a copper-colored paint job with black accents. Inside, a Beats Audio premium sound system complements leather sport seats and a matte black dashboard.

The FIAT 500 Abarth Tenebra Design Concept is painted matte gray with black chrome accents, and is equipped with gloss black lighting bezels, gloss gray mirror caps, and unique 16-inch Hyper Black lightweight aluminum wheels. A giant gloss gray scorpion decal is applied to the roof. Inside, the Tenebra Design Concept features black leather, gray contrast stitching, matte-finish carbon fiber trim, and a Beats Audio system.

2013 Detroit Auto Show Brings Heat to the Motor City: Ford

Ford stole some of Chevy’s thunder by showing the Atlas Concept in Detroit, which gives pickup truck buyers an idea of what’s in store for the next-generation 2015 Ford F-150. Ford is widely expected to employ intensive amounts of aluminum in the redesigned 2015 F-150 in an effort to lighten the truck to improve fuel economy, and to strengthen the truck to ensure payload and towing capabilities.

Less excitement was to be had in association with the debut of the 2014 Ford Transit full-size van, the long-overdue replacement for the ancient E-Series. The Transit is a global product, offered in three roof heights, three body lengths, and with a choice between three powertrains. Ford says the largest 2014 Transit carries almost 496 cu.-ft. of cargo – as much as two E-Series Vans.

A redesigned 2014 Ford Transit Connect cargo van also debuted in Detroit, a small commercial van designed for use in urban areas or by smaller businesses. Maximum cargo volume measures 130 cu.-ft., and the Transit Connect offers a choice between two 4-cylinder engines.

2013 Detroit Auto Show Brings Heat to the Motor City: GMC

Anything that can be said about the redesigned 2014 GMC Sierra also applies to the new 2014 Chevy Silverado. Under the GMC’s unique sheetmetal it is the same truck as the Chevrolet, powered by the same engines, and equipped with the same features. Trim level designations and packaging are slightly different to help position the Sierra as a slightly more upscale pickup.

2013 Detroit Auto Show Brings Heat to the Motor City: Honda

Honda thinks there is room beneath the popular CR-V for a smaller, less expensive crossover suv, one similar in concept to the Nissan Juke or Subaru XV Crosstrek, and the company plans to introduce one in 2014. The Honda Urban SUV shown in Detroit is a preview of that new model, which will share a platform with the Honda Fit, and offers a Magic Seat design, HondaLink technology, and a fuel-efficient Earth Dreams powertrain.