There are always ten or a dozen great new cars to see at a major auto show. And that’s the case even at an event such as this year’s New York International Auto Show, which took on a cost-conscious air.
Some automakers downsized their booths, used cheaper carpeting, or spent less on after-hours booze for visiting writers and analysts. (Less but not none, fortunately.) GM’s booth, for instance, is carpet with cars perched on top and not much else. If there was a theme of the show it was: look downsized, look green, look energy-efficient, look buyable. Even if the first thing you see walking in the door is the Rolls-Royce display (photo above).
One of GM’s highlights, for instance, was a midsize SUV, the GMC Terrain, with a grille big enough for a Peterbilt and a little-bitty four-cylinder engine. The show director urged visitors to get out there and “touch the models,” but with few booth babes on site, they apparently meant the cars. You might also take comfort in knowing the president of the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association said, “There’s never been a better time to buy a car.” Here’s my take on the top mainstream cars (we’ve got a separate report on the top green cars) of the New York International Auto Show, which runs through Sunday, April 19, at the Javits Center in Manhattan. And don’t miss Brian Heater’s PCMag NYAIS photoblog.
