Acura Precision Concept (above)
Vehicle type: Luxury sport sedan
Engine: This is a design study; Acura isn’t giving engine specs.
Who designed it: Acura’s California design studio under the direction of Dave Marek, the brand’s global creative director, with Michelle Christensen, principal exterior designer, and John Norman, principal interior designer
What’s cool: Styling — a long, low hood, sweptback cabin and wild, aggressively flaring rear fenders. Designers also dumped the much maligned “beak” grille. Inside, sensors scan each occupant upon entry and tailor such features as maps and audio for an ultrapersonalized ride.
Will it be built? In some form, yes. Marek promises that this concept “literally will shape the direction of all future Acura products.” Expect some elements, such as the new grille, to appear as early as this year.
Show reaction: Definitely a big improvement on the front fascia. And the sexy new looks put Acura on a badly needed fresh path that further distances the brand from Honda. But skepticism lingers over how much of the show car will make it to the streets.
Buick Avista
Vehicle type: 2+2 coupe
Engine: 3.0-liter, 400-hp twin-turbo V-6
Who designed it: Team led by Bryan Nesbitt, executive director of global Buick design
What’s cool: Aromatherapy, “halo” effect on edges of headlights and taillights, built on a rear-wheel-drive Camaro-based platform
Will it be built? Unlikely, given China’s ambivalence to coupes
Show reaction: Lots of oohs and aahs, and awarded best concept by EyesOn Design
Vehicle type: Hydrogen fuel cell crossover
Powertrain: Hydrogen fuel cell, electric motors
Who designed it: Design chief Marc Lichte and Audi’s design team
What’s cool: 600 km of zero-emission range, 147 hp with a 0-to-100 km.h time of less than 7 seconds, autonomous driving in stop-and-go traffic
Will it be built? In a way, maybe. Audi CEO Rupert Stadler says he “wouldn’t say no” to expanding Audi’s crossover lineup to include a Q4 and Q6. This concept shows elements of what a Q6, slotting between the Q5 midsize and Q7 large crossovers, might look like.
Show reaction: Positive overall. Audiences have come to expect this kind of design execution from Audi of late, though choosing a hydrogen fuel cell as the concept’s powertrain was confusing for some, given Audi’s recent emphasis on electric vehicles.
Volkswagen Tiguan GTE Active Concept
Vehicle type: Plug-in hybrid off-road crossover
Powertrain: Front and rear electric motors paired with a 148-hp turbocharged, direct-injection gasoline engine
Who designed it: Marco Pavone, VW’s exterior design lead
What’s cool: Big, knobby tires and extra ground clearance for off-road capability with 20 miles of zero-emission range, selectable all-wheel-drive modes for different terrains and drive modes to manage energy and performance
Will it be built? Volkswagen plans to build the Tiguan GTE plug-in hybrid but its prospects of being sold in the U.S. are virtually nil.
Show reaction: Mixed. The underlying idea resonated, but at a time when VW desperately needs a good-news product story to shift the narrative away from its diesel violations, it instead showed a one-off that won’t help U.S. sales.
Kia Telluride
Vehicle type: Full-size crossover
Powertrain: Plug-in hybrid combines a 3.5-liter V-6 with a 130-hp electric motor to deliver 400 hp
Who designed it: Tom Kearns, chief designer at Kia Design Center America
What’s cool: 3-D-printed interior trim components, digital displays along the interior walls and a pair of fold-flat captain’s chairs modeled after business-class seats on an airplane
Will it be built? Probably, but without so many futuristic bells and whistles. A 3-row, 7-seat crossover larger than the Sorento could easily share underpinnings with a planned crossover from Hyundai’s Genesis luxury brand.
Show reaction: People mobbed the Telluride to take turns sitting in its cushy rear seats, leaving Kia’s other debut, the freshened Forte compact car, comparatively lonely.
