Many of the impressive new cars and trucks displayed at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit are not quite yet available in dealer showrooms—but some are worth the wait of a few more months.
Nissan Versa Note. Small cars tend to be affordable and fuel-efficient, but their lack of interior space can be a drawback. That’s one reason the Honda Fit has been a top seller in this category—its 20.6 cubic feet of cargo space is the roomiest in its class. That will change when the new 2014 Nissan Versa Note reaches the market. The Note’s 21.4 cubic feet of cargo space will become the new best in class, and its fold-flat rear seats will make that space especially accessible. The Note’s base price of $13,990—around $1,500 less than the base model Fit—is another point in its favor. The Note is more stylish than the Versa hatchback that it replaces in Nissan’s lineup, and there will be several impressive technology upgrades available for buyers willing to pay for the option packages.
Example: Nissan’s Around View Monitor system, which gives the driver a complete look around the car at a glance, will be offered on the Note. It’s the first time such a system has been offered in a car in this price range. Pricing for this option has not yet been announced.
The Note’s 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine produces 109 horsepower (hp). Nissan says that the car will deliver an impressive 31 miles per gallon (mpg) city/40 highway.
Availability: Summer 2013.
Mercedes CLA. This new compact sports sedan is expected to start at around $30,000, well below the German luxury automaker’s usual sticker prices. Prior efforts by high-end automakers to sell cars in the sub-$35,000 price range generally failed because the entry-level vehicles did not deliver the level of quality that car buyers expect from luxury automakers. Mercedes appears to have learned from those mistakes—the CLA looks and feels legitimately high-quality inside and out. Fuel-efficiency data is not yet available for the CLA, but the car is expected to require premium unleaded fuel.
Availability: Due out in September.
Also: BMW 320i. This compact sports sedan is the latest addition to the BMW 3-series lineup. Like the Mercedes CLA, it will provide the quality buyers expect from a luxury automaker inside and out for a price that’s low by BMW standards—the 320i will start at $33,445. However, at 180 hp it might seem a bit underpowered to drivers familiar with other 3-series sedans. The 328i, one step up in the 3-series lineup, provides 60 hp more. The 320i, officially a late addition to the 2013 model year, is expected to reach dealerships in late spring.
Chevrolet Corvette. Completely redesigned for 2014 and with the legendary Stingray name reattached, this new Corvette will be lighter and more powerful than any prior Corvette. Even the base model will be equipped with a 6.2-liter 450-hp V-8 that is capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 miles per hour (mph) in less than four seconds. Yet despite that power, Chevrolet says that the 2014 model will be more fuel-efficient than the 2013 Corvette’s 26 mpg on the highway. (Official EPA fuel-economy figures are not yet available.)
The new Corvette Stingray is attractively styled, too, and more angular than the Corvettes of old.
The most significant improvement Chevrolet has made to this latest Corvette is its interior-build quality. Prior Corvettes often were criticized for seeming cheap inside, but this one has an attractive and well-constructed interior that finally should allow the Corvette to become a legitimate competitor to imports such as the Porsche 911 and Audi R8.
Prices have not yet been announced, but the base model is likely to start in the high $50,000s.
Availability: Expected to reach dealerships in the third quarter of 2013.
Plug-in hybrids can run entirely on electricity during short trips, then switch seamlessly to gas engines when the batteries run down on longer journeys.
The result can be tremendous fuel efficiency…and steep sticker prices.
Cadillac ELR gives car buyers enough car to truly justify its price, even though that price is expected to start at more than $50,000 (less the $7,500 federal tax credit available on plug-in hybrids).
The ELR is a beautiful car to look at, with the well-appointed, well-constructed interior that you would expect from Cadillac. It likely will be fun to drive, too. Cadillac says that the ELR will be capable of traveling 35 miles on electric power alone and will have more than 300 miles full driving range with a single tank of gas. Its battery will recharge in around 4.5 hours with a 240-volt outlet.
Availability: Early 2014.
Many Americans who remember the loud, underpowered diesel engines of the 1980s continue to avoid diesel vehicles. It’s time to give them another look. Today’s diesels are quiet, powerful and capable of delivering significantly better mileage than conventional gas engines. As long as there are gas stations in your area that sell diesel, there’s really no reason not to consider a diesel.
Jeep Grand Cherokee will be one of a growing list of vehicles offered with a diesel-engine option starting in the 2014 model year. Its 240-hp 3-liter diesel V-6 is expected to deliver 21 mpg city/30 highway, compared with 17 mpg city/25 highway for the gasoline-powered V-6 Grand Cherokee. (However, diesel fuel tends to cost more per gallon than unleaded regular, cutting into the savings.) The interior quality and overall refinement of the Grand Cherokee have been improving steadily in recent years. Pricing has not yet been announced.
Availability: First half of 2013.
