Detroit Auto Show NAIAS 2023 reveals F GM STLA

DETROIT — Although ongoing negotiations between the Detroit Three automakers and the United Auto Workers union have overshadowed everything else in the industry, some companies used this year’s edition of the Detroit auto show to showcase new and revamped models on Wednesday.

Discussions over a new four-year contract have been tense, with the union threatening costly strikes if the two sides do not reach an agreement by 11:59pm AEDT Thursday night, when the current contract expires.

Given that background Given the challenges that car showrooms have faced since the outbreak of the Corona virus pandemic, it is not surprising that most car manufacturers chose not to reveal their latest models – or even attend the show at all. But there is still one all-new model, a redesign of GMC’s popular Acadia crossover, and significant updates to a few other vehicles revealed at the event. It is correctly called the North American International Auto Show

Here’s what CNBC saw on the show.

All-new: GMC Acadia 2024

The big new model unveiling at the show came as General Motors unveiled the completely redesigned 2024 GMC Acadia on Wednesday morning. The all-new Acadia remains a midsize crossover, but it’s larger than the outgoing model, with a muscular new look that’s more in line with its GMC siblings like the smaller Terrain Cross and the Sierra pickup truck.

The new Acadia will be powered exclusively by a new 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that delivers 328 horsepower and 326 pound-feet of torque – more than the outgoing model. Inside, there’s a standard 15-inch central touchscreen and a host of new safety and convenience technologies, including GM’s Super Cruise highway driver assistance system.

The increase in size of the Acadia is a correction of what GM executives saw as a mistake made with the previous model. The company downsized that vehicle, much to the dismay of existing owners and dealers, according to GMC President Duncan Aldred.

“It was a very easy decision for us to expand because we know customers want it, they value this space, and we believe that will lead to more success,” he said during a media event.

Production of the 2024 Acadia is expected to begin early next year at a plant located in central Michigan, and the vehicles are scheduled to arrive in dealer showrooms during the first quarter. General Motors has announced a third transformation of the plant to produce the Acadia and its sister Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave crossovers.

The Acadia is a big seller for GMC’s upscale brand, with just over 40,000 vehicles sold in the U.S. in the first half of 2023. Among the brand’s SUVs, only the large, truck-based Yukon sells more.

Big update: 2024 Ford F-150

Ford Motor Company didn’t do much at the show on Wednesday, but it wasn’t left out. The company unveiled the updated 2024 F-150 pickup truck lineup Tuesday night in front of a large crowd in downtown Detroit, near the showroom.

The revamped truck, a huge seller that is important to Ford’s profits, features updated engines and new interior and exterior designs. The latter includes a new tailgate that allows customers to access the car’s bed like a standard door in addition to the traditional drop-down tailgate.

The big news that night was that the company plans to double U.S. production of the hybrid version of the F-150 to roughly 20% of the trucks produced for the 2024 model year.

The hybrid plans follow Ford CEO Jim Farley’s statement in late July that the Detroit automaker would quadruple the company’s production of gas-electric hybrids as it continues to ramp up electric vehicle production — but at a slower pace than previously. Previously announced.

“I definitely think this hybrid, the PowerBoost hybrid, helps people transition to full electric power,” John Emmert, general manager of Ford Trucks, told CNBC in an interview. “Hybrid is a step towards electrification, and for some people right now electric is not the best solution for them.”

A new face: 2025 Cadillac CT5

GM also unveiled an updated version of the Cadillac CT5 sedan at the show on Wednesday morning. The CT5, the larger of Cadillac’s two remaining internal combustion sedans, will get a redesigned grille and a revamped interior, including a large new touchscreen, for the 2025 model year.

The updated CT5’s dashboard features the large 33-inch touchscreen found in other Cadillacs, giving drivers extensive customization options including navigation and entertainment services powered by Google. On the outside, the new front fascia includes a bolder grille inspired by modern Cadillac cars, and redesigned lighting.

“New advanced technologies enhance the driver’s personal connection in a sedan already known for its ride, comfort and technology,” said Alex MacDonald, CT5 chief engineer.

The rear-wheel-drive CT5 is highly regarded by critics for its sharp handling. But even though it’s Cadillac’s best-selling sedan, its sales trail those of most of the brand’s SUVs and crossovers.

GM sold about 10,000 CT5s in the United States in the first half of the year, nearly double the total of the smaller CT4 sedan. But it was far fewer than the nearly 21,000 sales of the luxury brand’s best-selling vehicle, the Escalade large SUV, during the same period.

Production of the updated CT5 will begin in the second quarter of 2024. GM said updates to the high-performance versions of the CT5, CT5-V and CT5-V Blackwing, will be shared at a later date.

Some timely updates: 2024 Jeep Gladiator

Stellantis has unveiled a slightly modified version of its Jeep Gladiator, a pickup truck based on the brand’s popular Wrangler. The Gladiator will get an updated version of the famous Jeep grille for the 2024 model year, in addition to an upgraded “infotainment” system with a touch screen and some new off-road features.

Not surprisingly, the new Gladiator’s grille is very similar to the revamped grille that the Wrangler itself will use on the 2024 model year. The two models are built side by side at the Jeep brand’s flagship plant in Toledo.

Inside, Stellantis has made its 12.3-inch touchscreen system — originally an upgrade option — standard, along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality. Buyers of the revamped Gladiator will also be able to choose new power seats that have been “tested to drive on water,” said senior vice president Jim Morrison, who leads the Jeep brand in North America.

“Combine all that with a folding windshield, three roof options, two different door options or removing the doors entirely, and the Gladiator is the only truck in the business that can celebrate this kind of outdoor freedom and still do real truck stuff,” Morrison said.

Newer “X” versions of the Gladiator’s Mojave and Rubicon models, which are more focused on off-roading, add a permanent transfer case and an integrated off-road camera, as well as steel bumpers at both ends. But Stellantis has discontinued the Gladiator’s optional diesel engine, leaving buyers with just one powertrain choice — a 285-hp 3.6-liter V-6. Unlike the Wrangler, the Gladiator is not offered in a hybrid version.

Gladiator sales represent only a small fraction of Wrangler sales — about 27,000 Gladiators versus more than 84,000 Wranglers in the first half of 2023 — but it remains an important, highly profitable product for Stellantis. The company said dealers can order the revamped truck now, and deliveries are expected to begin before the end of the year.