An American revolution at the New York Auto Show 04/25/2011
The New York International Auto Show has captured the attention of the automotive press over the past few days, and while automakers from around the world were in attendance, much of the coverage will be centered around the upcoming plans for Detroit's Big Three. It's no secret that the economic downturn hit Chrysler, GM and Ford pretty hard, so all of them have new models on the horizon that are designed to help them bounce back.
Chrysler 200 S Convertible
Perhaps no company needs a turnaround as badly as Chrysler, and the 200 appears to be the model to do it. Chrysler filed for bankruptcy and was bailed out by the government, but has since been bought by Fiat and is planning a revival. The 200 is a shining example of that, as it's a major redesign of the company's Sebring, which was the butt of many jokes both inside and outside the industry. Thanks to a little engineering handiwork and an epic Super Bowl commercial with Eminem, the 200 looks to be a success for the automaker - and a convertible version is coming in the near future.
Chevrolet Malibu
The Malibu is the workhorse of the GM lineup, the dependable midsize sedan that always sells quite a few units. The new version of the Malibu looks like it will continue that trend, with increased fuel economy and sharper styling. The coup de grace, however, is a nifty storage bin located in the center console - the car's computer screen pops out to reveal it. Very cool.
Ford Taurus
One could argue Ford's revival happened over the past few years, as the company was able to avoid a bailout and new models like the Fiesta, Focus and Fusion have sold very well. Now it's the old Ford Taurus' turn to get the company's modern touches, with some aggressive styling, fuel economy, and the company's SYNC computer system.