A Few Surprises Left at Detroit

Detroit--Proving that not everything can be found on the Internet, Cadillac pulled off a neat trick yesterday at the North American International Auto Show: It unveiled a concept car that hadn't already been leaked or previewed. Granted, there had been rumors of a coupe version of their well-received CTS sport sedan. But after announcing the Provoq concept SUV and the CTS-V factory hot rod, GM design chief Ed Wellburn casually mentioned a last launch--like Steve Jobs at MacWorld. Out drove the surprise coupe, of which not a single photo, detail, or technical spec had made its way into cyberspace.

Surprise # 2: Fisker Automotive unveiled an investment by respected Silicon Valley venture-capital firm Kleiner Perkins, as well as its Karma luxury hybrid-electric sports sedan. The car, a non-running display model, is clearly elegant. But company officials declined to specify the engine, the batteries, the detailed performance specs, or even who would build the car for them--much of that remains to be settled. Meanwhile the company is taking $1,000 and $5,000 deposits on the quoted price of $80,000 for a claimed delivery date of Q4-2009.

Chrysler's three electric-drive concept vehicles weren't surprises--they had appeared online--but the component set underneath them was. Each concept targets the needs of a specific customer, using a different mix from a common set of electric, hybrid, or fuel-cell building blocks. For customers seeking "stylish green" off-roading, the two-seater Jeep Renegade offers 40 miles of electric range, with batteries recharged by a small diesel thereafter. The battery-powered Dodge Zeo small sport-wagon is for drivers who value performance and "wind in the hair" speed, with 250 miles of all-electric range. And the egg-shaped Chrysler EcoVoyager--for customers seeking "understated elegance and simplicity"--took the company's Nineties cab-forward design to a whole new dimension, powered by a fuel-cell and more batteries.

No surprise here: Five Chinese carmakers exhibited, more than ever before. Not a one committed to launching in the U.S. market, perhaps reflecting a new reality in approaching the world's most competitive car market. The cars on display were better assembled than last year's models, but the interior quality and durability still needs a great deal of work. On the other hand, none of the companies has been making cars for more than 10 years--so they're learning quickly.

Perhaps the most audacious of the group was BYD Auto, from a battery company that claims to supply 65% of the world's nickel-cadmium batteries and 30% of the lithium-ion mobile-phone batteries. The company showed a hybrid-electric sedan with a claimed electric range of 60 miles, which it said would be offered for sale in small numbers--in China only--by the end of the year. The car is unlikely to meet U.S. standards for crash safety, emissions control and durability, but if it happens, it would still be a significant achievement. Time will tell...

One final surprise was the arrival of the ultra-speedy press conference. At Detroit, each automaker gets a 25-minute window to present, followed by 10 minutes for the media herd to move to the next event. That's how they get 32 scheduled events in two days--not including the receptions, dinners, parties, and private events.

On Monday, both Lincoln and Toyota took less than 15 minutes from the opening lights to the closing, "Please join us on stage to see this exciting new vehicle." Whether they'd chopped out portions of their program at the last minute, or simply said what they needed to say and then quit, more than one journalist gave silent thanks for that extra 10 minutes.

--by John Voelcker