2018 Detroit Auto Show Press Preview Wrap-up - Horsepower, Technology and Safety

Products, power and politics all took center stage as Press Preview wrapped up three days of industry-defining announcements and global debuts. With new product and technology reveals from automakers, an active supplier community, and autonomous vehicle start-ups and innovators, Press Preview provided the global media with a deep dive into the entire mobility ecosystem.

Here’s a look at some highlights from today’s final Press Preview day and an 11th-hour announcement from Ford last evening:

* Jeep introduces 2^nd generation Jeep Cherokee: Jeep debuted the second-generation version of its mid-size Jeep Cherokee with a redesigned front end, a new engine and new technology. The new version softens and modernizes the look of the polarizing nose with slanted headlights that defined the Cherokee nameplate that was reintroduced in 2013.

The 2019 Cherokee also comes equipped with either an all-new 2.0-liter direct-injection turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine with 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque or a 3.2-liter Pentastar V-6, delivering 271 horsepower and 239 pound-feet of torque and towing capability of 4,500 pounds.

*Ford teases Mustang GT500 with 700-plus horsepower: Ford demonstrated the auto industry’s horsepower wars are far from over. During a show floor media reception yesterday, it announced a new Mustang Shelby® GT500 is scheduled to arrive in 2019. The automaker said the Mustang Shelby GT will have more than 700 horsepower, making it twice as powerful as the original 1967 Mustang performance model.

*POLITICO – Autonomous vehicle legislation stresses safety and innovation: A panel of legislators and industry leaders sponsored by POLITICO debated the need for new regulations that strike the right balance between allowing automakers to develop innovative autonomous vehicles and making safety the top priority.

“We better allow some of this technology to move forward and create a space for innovation,” Sen. Gary Peters, D–Michigan, who noted Michigan and the U.S. are competing against other global regions for leadership on autonomous vehicle development.

U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-Michigan, agreed with Peters that safety needs to be a top priority and predicted consumers – especially the elderly and others who need more mobility options – will embrace autonomous vehicles when they are introduced to the mass market.

IndyCar shows new race car: Racing team owner Roger Penske along with Indy legend Mario Andretti and Penske’s 2017 championship driver Josef Newgarden were among those who gathered to reveal a new race car for the Verizon IndyCar Series.

This year, a new universal aerodynamic kit must be attached to the chassis and used by all competitors. Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman & Company, the parent of INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, said the universal kit is the result of more than two years of discussion, design, simulation and testing.

*American Center for Mobility gains support from Subaru: The American Center for Mobility (ACM), the 500-acre driverless car proving ground in Ypsilanti, Mich., gained an additional $2 million in support from Subaru of America Inc. The new sponsorship was announced by Michigan leaders and industry experts today at NAIAS.

ACM is a non-profit testing and product development facility for future mobility. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder emphasized the importance of the center, which is made possible by public and private sector support.

President and CEO of ACM John Maddox said, “…ACM is on the leading edge of getting self-driving cars safely on the world’s highways and roads.”