Does America need a party wagon with clamshell doors or a sports car with a power-boosting flywheel contraption in place of the passenger seat?
That car makers are wooing consumers with show cars that pose such fanciful notions is one more indicator that the auto industry’s depression is starting to lift. The show cars will be on display when the North American International Auto Show opens in Detroit Saturday.
Auto makers spend millions of dollars on the design and engineering of their concept cars, and pay close attention to how consumers and the media react. While many concept cars remain show pieces, car makers have responded to enthusiasm for show cars by putting more realistic versions into production.
• Ford Vertrek
The Vertrek concept is Ford’s proposal for a vehicle to replace the boxy Escape compact crossover. The Escape embodied Detroit’s old view of crossovers: They should look like gas-thirsty sport utility vehicles so customers don’t feel wimpy driving what’s really a bulked up compact car. The Vertrek represents the new view: Aerodynamic styling sends a message that the vehicle is fuel efficient and hip. The concept offers “stop-start” technology that shuts down the engine at stoplights to save gas.
• Hyundai Curb
Korean auto maker Hyundai Motor Co. is keeping competitors up at night with its string of expressive new models. Drawing on design talent from studios in California, Europe and Korea, Hyundai has transformed its midsize Sonata sedan from a knock-off of the Toyota Camry into an eye-catching styling leader in the segment. The Hyundai Curb concept, a product of the company’s California design shop, reflects Hyundai’s desire to grab a piece of the urban club-wagon market pioneered by a Toyota Motor Corp. car, the Scion xB. The Curb concept is compact, but uses clamshell doors to create the feeling of a spacious playroom on wheels.
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