DETROIT — From sports cars to pickups, auto brands set the future direction of their design during new-model reveals at the North American International Auto Show here.
The design trend was on long, low, swoopy cars and brawny trucks. Unlike past years, fuel economy was no longer a prime topic. Rather, the focus was on bringing more technology and safety to cars.
From dozens of introductions, three stood out:
• Lexus LC 500. Toyota's premium Lexus brand thinks it has an emotionally styled, powerful coupe that will bring the curious into showrooms for a look. With its 467-horsepower V-8 engine, it will compete against the likes of Jaguar F-Type and Mercedes-Benz SL.
• Buick Avista. Buick has another design hit on its hands, following a similar concept effort last year. Avista is a 2+2 coupe with clean lines and a 3-liter, 400-horsepower turbocharged engine. “The Avista embodies the dynamic soul of Buick,” says Duncan Aldred, Buick's marketing chief.
• Honda Ridgeline. Honda redesigned its midsize pickup with looks and features that will put it into consideration with serious truck lovers, not just speciality buyers. The five-seat, four-door Ridgeline offers unibody construction with 3.5-liter, six-cylinder engine. Honda said the vehicle's payload capacity would approach 1,600 pounds.
Contributing: Greg Gardner, Detroit Free Press; Nathan Bomey
