2017 Chicago Auto Show Wrap-up

LEARN MORE: 2017 Chicago Auto Show Complete Press Pass Coverage

2017 Chicago Auto Show Wrap-up; The largest automotive exhibition in North America

By Thom Cannell, Michigan Bureau
and Larry Nutson, Chicago Bureau
The Auto Channel

The Chicago Auto show bills itself as the most attended auto show in North America, and the largest as it now covers 1.2 million square feet. It’s also a great show for potential new car buyers and that was reflected in the number of special editions announced at the show: cars, trucks, and CUVs that we’ve seen, but with different trim and accessories.

True news at auto shows has become increasingly rare; Chicago was no exception. That doesn’t mean it isn’t, or wasn’t fun and worthwhile.

Prior to official opening, Nissan launched it’s Midnight Edition vehicles, Murano, Rogue, Pathfinder, Maxima, Sentra and Altima with special features like black wheels, black spoiler, black mirror caps and available special floor mats and additional equipment added by model. The company says they deliver up to $1300 of extras for cost that vary from $490 for the modestly changed Sentra SR, to $1195 for Pathfinder and Murano which include Midnight 20” wheels.

Thursday morning Ralph Gilles, FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) design chief led off the annual Midwest Automotive Media Association breakfast for show officials, auto dealers, public relations professionals and journalists. Two comments were of special interest, that FCA has made only one concept vehicle since 2008, the Portal Concept for advanced mobility, and that there could be a Fiat truck in the offing, the Fiat Toro popular in South America. The later comment was swiftly “explained” as merely reflecting the great interest shown in South America. Hmmm.

Hyundai brought a new Elantra model to follow Eco and Sport, the GT. This is a hatchback built in Korea in two versions, one with a direct injected 2.0-liter motor, the other a 1.6-liter turbo. Either has a standard 8” touch screen, advanced Hyundai BlueLink features that include the ability for your Amazon Alexa device to start the car, and 6-speed manual or dual-clutch transmissions.

Elantra GT has the latest corporate styling, multilink rear suspension, larger brake rotors inside 18” wheels on some models, and full LED lighting: tail lights, DRL, and headlights.

Nissan brought more news, the final part of their truck puzzle, the king cab. Previously Nissan had delivered the Titan XD with Cummins diesel followed by a gasoline XD, both with crew cabs. That was followed by their half-ton Titan in crew cab and single cab, so the king cab has been long awaited. Their lineup is complete (for now) and covers 85% of the market, according to the company. Why the long time before delivering the popular single and king cabs? According to Fred Diaz vice president and general manager of light trucks and commercial vehicles, it was to ensure a slow rollout to dealers in order to prevent unforeseen problems tarnishing the brand.

Titan XD and Titan king cabs use clamshell doors that open 170°, offer a choice of no rear seat for the commercial market or fold-up rear seat and rear area tie-downs. That brings seating capacity up to six, with a 6.5-foot bed for all king cab models: S, SV and PRO-4X.

Nissan also brought two trucks that fall into the concept arena though they are available; all the extra parts, like a 2” and 4” lift kit are available from Nissan Genuine Parts. Items like the LED replacement grill or laser-carved light support bar are not—yet. Oh, they brought the RPM Productions NV Cargo 4x4. While originally a rough-and-tumble off road project, don’t be surprised if Nissan doesn’t make something like it available at their commercial truck dealers.

Toyota also brought special models to Chicago, the Tundra TRD, Sport Sequoia TRD Sport, and RAV4 Adventure. All are modifications to existing vehicles; trim packages. The Sequoia features: Black accented wheels, grille and mirrors, smoked taillights, and TRD Sport badging. Similarly, the Tundra TRD Sport includes: color-keyed mirrors, bumpers and hood scoop; a mesh grille, smoked LED headlights, and TRD Sport graphics.

The RAV4 Adventure accents the popular CUV with enlarged black over-fenders and black 18-inch wheels. Headlight, grille, roof rails and mirrors are darkened and lower body guards are contrasted in gray. The package adds roof rails, while the interior adds carbon fiber-like finishes, a power outlet, cargo mats, and of course “Adventure” badging.

Ram Truck brought a limited edition Ram 1500, the Ram 1500 Copper Sport. Painted an exclusive Copper Pearl outside, the interior uses accent stitching and color matched anodized trim.

Elsewhere Dodge unveiled its high-performance 2018 Dodge Durango SRT - the brand's fastest SUV in its class. The powerful three-row sport utility vehicle - called the "Dodge Charger of the full-size SUV segment" - touts a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 engine that delivers 475 horsepower, 470 lb.-ft. of torque and features an 8,600-lb. towing capacity. The National Hot Rod Association certified SUV is capable of 0-60 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds and has a quarter-mile time of just 12.9 seconds.

Ford introduced their all-new full-sized Expedition SUV a few days in advance of the show. While it is similar in appearance, it is completely new and includes the corporate shift to an all-aluminum body on a full-sized steel frame. Expedition includes new connectivity features like wireless charging, Wi-Fi hotspot, upgraded audio with SYNC3 now adding Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, four 12-volt power outlets and 6 USB chargers plus a 110-volt outlet. The premium audio system in Expedition is from Bang & Olufsen, the 12-speaker B&O Play.

As a full-sized SUV, Expedition seats eight with the third row in use and the third row folds flat with the push of a single button. Width between wheelwells fits a standard 4’x8’ piece of sheet goods.

Expedition’s new 10-speed transmission offers multiple settings to offer better management of torque at the driven wheel. These include normal, sport, tow/haul, eco for better fuel mileage, grass/gravel/snow for loose surfaces, sand for low traction surfaces, and mud/rut to deal with uneven surfaces.

Tim Kuniskis, Head of Passenger Cars, Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, FCA North America spoke about the wheelchair-modified minivan, “The all-new Chrysler Pacifica is proving to be a lot of things to a lot of people, and now equipped with the BraunAbility technology, it is also the perfect tool to help our customers gain freedom to stay active in their everyday lives.”

The BraunAbility Chrysler Pacifica is, according to FCA, The most spacious wheelchair-accessible vehicle in the industry. BraunAbility adds patent-pending AccessAbility™ technology. As you can see in our photo, this adds an aerospace-inspired sliding door extension and the industry’s widest side-entry ramp. The modifications expand interior cabin space and maximize space for obstruction-free maneuverability for all sizes and types of wheelchairs.

At the 2015 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas, Chevrolet introduced the concept Red Line vehicles, all designed in-house. In Chicago, Chevy fleshed out the line with nine production variants: Cruze LT in sedan and hatchback , Malibu LT, Camaro LT/SS both coupe and convertible, Trax LT, Equinox LT, Traverse Premier, Colorado LT and Silverado Double Cab LT Z71, Crew Cab LTZ Z71.

With so many vehicles, listing each feature would be an endless task. So, in general there’s satin graphite painted mirror caps and larger wheels, the wheels hash marked in red. Red accents are the Red Line’s signature, of course. There are red fog light bezels on some, performance additions like lowered suspension and bigger brakes on some, and dark taillamps on others. Oh, don’t forget the custom floor and cargo mats, red bowtie logos and black grille.

Chrysler's Mopar parts division is celebrating its 80th anniversary with a limited edition run of hand-painted customized 2017 Dodge Challengers that incorporate many Mopar speed parts. The Mopar '17 Dodge Challenger comes in one of two color schemes, an understated Pitch Black/Billet Silver combination, or a striking Pitch Black/Contusion Blue two-tone. They are building 80 cars in each color scheme, to honor Mopar's 80th. Details like the "392" fender badging are hand painted and for the purists, the 485 HP Mopar Challenger is only offered with a six-speed manual.

The new Outlander Sport trim package from Mitsubishi made its debut with black-painted wheels and black mirror caps. The new Outlander Sport also gets Limited Edition badging, foglights, red stitching accents on the interior, and a multimedia system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

The 2017 Chicago Auto Show has nearly 1,000 vehicles from approximately 40 exhibitors for car shoppers to see and feel. The show featured two additional indoor test tracks this year, swelling the total number of indoor riding opportunities for attendees to five. Returning were Camp Jeep, Fiat Chrysler Automobile’s multi-brand track and Toyota's RAV4 & Highlander Experience. New for 2017 is a Ram proving ground and Mercedes-Benz' "Iron Schöckl." Named after a mountain in Austria, it features the Mercedes-Benz G-Class climbing and descending a 45-degree incline. Not for the faint of heart.

© 2017