2014 New York Auto Show
Media Preview - Day 1
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By Larry Nutson
Senior Editor, New York Bureau
The Auto Channel
For Day 1 of media previews the weather was sunny but not too spring-like with the previous evening’s rain having turned to about an inch of snow. Large planters of yellow daffodils lining the streets contrasted with the white snow frozen to cars arriving from outlying areas of New York City. At the opening press breakfast the Nielson Global Automotive Advertising Awards recognized the best TV ads in Sales Event, Luxury Brand, Hispanic, and the Automotive Ad of the Year.
Keynote speaker Mark Fields, Ford’s COO, spoke about
Mustang’s 50th Anniversary and the Power of Innovation within the
auto industry. That evening we were hosted by Ford on the 58th floor of the
Empire State Building and invited to take in the view along with the new
2015 Mustang convertible displayed on the 86th floor observation deck,
exactly as it was done with the first Mustang.
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Along with the spring-y weather the overall industry mood is quite upbeat. Noteworthy is that this New York Auto Show preview drew the largest gathering ever of global automotive CEOs and Presidents.
Before getting to the new vehicle intros of the first
day, most significant for me was the appearance of the all-new 2015 Alfa Romeo
4C marking the return of Alfa to the U.S. Market. This mid-engine design,
carbon fiber monocoque construction, turbocharged engine coupe will appear
this summer.
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Toyota was first out of the shoot in the morning with
the introduction of the new 2015 Toyota Camry.
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Ford followed with its limited edition 50th anniversary
Mustang, of which only 1,964 units will be built.
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Hyundai revealed the all-new 2015 Sonata sedan and is
taking square aim at the midsize segment market.
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We saw actor Jon Hamm introduce the 2015 Mercedes-Benz
S63 AMG coupe.
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The BMW M4 convertible made its debut opening up the
world for many to top down high performance fun.
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The 2016 Audi A3 Sportback showing represents a bit of
mind changing after the new A3 sedan was introduced in response to many
customers who wanted the 4-door hatchback, or small wagon to some.
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Acura showed the next generation 2015 TLX sedan which
will continue to offer Precision All-Wheel Steer (P-AWS) technology
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Land Rover’s Discovery Concept turned heads with
its center-opening 4-doors or, coach doors as some call it.
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The 2015 Kia Sedona is all-new and crosses the line between a
minivan and a crossover but will surely be popular in the car-pooling set.
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Wrapping up the day was Mazda’s celebration of 25
years of the 2015 Miata MX-5 and the introduction of the limited edition 25th
anniversary model, of which only 100 will land on U.S. shore.
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General themes in the show continue what we saw a year ago, namely more luxury, comfort and safety features, as well as increased reduction in vehicle weight through lightweight materials. The ongoing effort for autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles is still very much a focus of the industry.
© Larry Nutson
