With CES 2016 in the books and the Detroit Auto Show in full swing, 2016 is already off to a great start for those tracking the auto industry. There will be many new rides released over the next 11 months, but there are 5 cars in particular that I believe deserve more attention than the rest. Each one has an important role to play in its company’s future, and each vehicle’s success could have ripple effects on the industry as a whole.
1. Chevrolet Bolt EV
Announced at CES 2016, the Bolt EV is GM’s first fully battery electric mass production car since the EV-1 in the late 1990s. As their only BEV currently, GM needs to make sure this car is a homerun with consumers. Its 200-mile range is great, and its design is attractive and forward-looking. Personally, I am a fan and hope to get behind the wheel after it launches at the end of 2016. The Bolt EV represents a big departure for an established automaker like GM, but it looks like it could be a winner. Depending on how well consumers respond, expect to see more battery electric vehicles being released by GM in the next several years.
2. Tesla Model X
To be fair, the Model X was launched in October of 2015, but only a few hundred have been delivered to customers to date. It is the company’s 2nd mass-production vehicle after the Model S, and is their first SUV. Tesla hopes to double their annual sales once production meets full capacity, but that is also dependent upon consumers wanting a large battery electric vehicle. Thus far, consumer and journalist reviews have been very positive, with many consumers posting content online showing the high towing capacity of the Model X as well as its innovative features. Since the Model X is still a newly-released vehicle, it is an important one to watch in 2016 and could potentially bring Tesla’s 3rd vehicle to market even faster.
3. Faraday Future’s potential 1st production car
If you follow me on Twitter (@j_w_scott), you may have seen some of my live-tweeting during Faraday Future’s CES 2016 vehicle concept launch on January 4th. The FFZERO1, their non-production battery electric race car, is an embodiment of the technologies Faraday Future is currently developing and intend to release in their upcoming production vehicles. It is still unknown what Faraday Future’s first mass-market vehicle will be, but given all the recent press surrounding the company - as well as its vast amount of funding – Faraday Future could end up being a major influence on the auto industry as a whole. Keep an eye on FF, as it is called for short, because much is yet to come.
4. Chrysler Pacifica
This was a very surprising curveball to come out of the Detroit Auto Show this week. The Pacifica replaces the Town & Country as Chrysler’s minivan, a segment the company created back in the 1980s. With this generation, it has entirely leapfrogged the competition. The Pacifica’s top trim level is a hybrid with an estimated 80 MPGe city rating, and a 30-mile all-electric range when the batteries are fully charged. Considering this segment of the market had yet to see a competitive hybrid option, FCA took that fact and ran with it. It also is an attractive design, and I bet consumers will react very positively. My expectation is that sales numbers for the plug-in hybrid version will be much higher than predicted and if so, I would also expect to see the plug-in powertrain come up on other Chrysler products.
5. Lincoln Continental
For a long time, Lincoln has lacked a strong direction and cohesive design philosophy, but the upcoming Continental is supposed to change all of that. By resurrecting an iconic Lincoln name, the company is starting anew and this car is supposed to set the benchmark for what is to come from the brand. There is a great deal of pressure riding on the Continental, including the future of the Lincoln brand. Lincoln’s design team has made it nearly identical to the concept, making it a great entrant into the competitive landscape.
Obviously, this list could be a lot longer. What would be your Top 5?
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