4/21/09

Auto Show New York 2009 Review Part 1

Went to my first auto show in 4 years and i forgot how critical comfortable shoes are! This auto show had the spectre of a bankrupt auto industry hanging on life support. The tension was thick as thousands of spectators looked at cars they mostly would not be able to afford anytime soon.

The theme of the show was "hey look at me, I'm fuel efficient now!" It seems every major car company was calling out some kind of fuel efficient hybrid of some kind. Perhaps the biggest surprise for me was how Hyundai was making a big push to be the Samsung of the auto industry to GM's Sony. It is making major improvements in styling while remaining value orientated. However, it does seem to be trying to reposition itself into more than a competant import car comparable but cheaper than a Japanese car. Even their concept car was one of the better ones out there with its gull wing doors.

I was surprised with the Hyundai Genesis and Genesis Coupe. I had never seen it before and it is definitely making a run to take market share from Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. The second big surprise was how determined Ford was to have a significant presence at the show. They had their "booth" very close to the entrance as to guarantee that they would not be skipped over by the many attendees. One of the Ford cars at the show was in my opinion poorly thought out though it did photograph nicely.



NY Auto Show 2009 Slideshow

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