Rolling out the newest models
By Ed Garsten
Associated Press
NEW YORK — Another auto show, and dozens of more plans by automakers to try to lure buyers.
Associated Press
Among them:
Chrysler's executive vice president, Jim Schroer, introduced the 2003 PT Turbo, left, and the 2004 Pacifica in New York yesterday. The Turbo pumps out 215 hp and will be available with either a 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transaxle. The Pacifica, set to go on sale early next year, is part of a new vehicle category dubbed Sports Tourer.
• General Motors Corp. is bringing back the GTO, the muscle car of the 1960s.
The GTO will be built by GM's Australian unit, Holden, and will be based on the Holden Monaro coupe, Vice Chairman Robert Lutz said yesterday.
The Monaro "shares that V8 heritage and a brawny, muscular stance with the classic GTO and it will make a fine flagship for Pontiac," Lutz said during the New York Auto International Show.
Lutz said the number of vehicles to be produced depends on how many Holden can build. The new GTO will be available in the 2004 model year.
• The popular Chrysler PT Cruiser.
Add a fifth version to the lineup of the PT Turbo, to the Flame, the Woodie, Dream Cruiser Series 1 and convertible.
The Chrysler Group of DaimlerChrysler AG says it will begin selling the turbocharged version of the PT Cruiser this fall.
The PT Turbo has a 215-horsepower engine and comes with a standard, heavy-duty, five-speed manual transmission, but a four-speed automatic model equipped with AutoStick, which allows manual shifts sans clutch pedal, also will be available.
• Saturn aims for younger buyers.
Associated Press
Saturn said it is adding a new small car to invigorate its product line and appeal to young budget-minded buyers who tend to gravitate toward entry-level Japanese or South Korean compact cars.
The 2003 Saturn ION Quad Coupe, aimed at the young and budget-conscious, was one of the new cars introduced yesterday at the International Auto Show in New York City.
The ION follows General Motors Corp.'s introduction of Saturn's original S-Series almost 12 years ago as the answer to low-priced, youth-oriented imports.
"ION is probably better than a worthy replacement for the S-Series," said Jim Hall of the automotive consulting firm AutoPacific.
The small-car segment represents 14 percent of the passenger car market, with about 30 percent of sales to first-time buyers, said Jill Lajdziak, Saturn vice president of sales, service and marketing.
Perhaps the most dramatic difference is the instrument cluster, which has been moved to the center of the vehicle from the traditional spot behind the steering wheel.
For Saturn, the ION represents another important brick toward rebuilding its aging product line. The process began with the introduction of the VUE sport utility vehicle last December, followed by a complete restyling of the mid-sized L-Series.
"The novelty of Saturn is 11 years old. It's not novel anymore," Hall said.
The sedan will be available in the fourth quarter of this year and the coupe goes on sale in the first quarter of 2003. Pricing has not yet been announced.
• Toyota launches its Scion brand, aimed at younger buyers.
The first two Scion vehicles will reach the marketplace in June 2003. One of them will closely resemble the bbX concept vehicle shown yesterday. The other will be introduced at next year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The vehicles will carry sticker prices less than $18,000 and will be sold only in California during the first eight months because of limited volume. After that, they'll gradually be available in other regions of the United States.
Within a year, a third model will be launched. The automaker hopes to sell 100,000 a year by 2005.
• Mitsubishi's new small SUV, the Outlander.
The Outlander is one of a growing number of crossover vehicles that meld the ruggedness, storage capacity and off-road capability of a truck-based sport utility vehicle with the ride and handling comforts of a car-based vehicle.
A 2.4-liter, 16-valve, in-line, four-cylinder engine provides 140 horsepower. It's mated to a four-speed Sportronic transmission that can operate in fully automatic mode but also can provide clutchless shifts.
The Outlander will be available with either all-wheel or front-wheel drive.
• A Nissan SUV
It might seem a little intimidating to glance in the rearview mirror and see the 2003 Nissan Murano Urban SUV bearing down.
The Murano, named for the islands in the Venetian lagoon, is a crossover vehicle blending the stature, agility and storage capabilities of a sport utility vehicle with the comforts of a sedan.
Its interior is designed to be functional and comfortable. A large center console that can accommodate a laptop computer or purse is one of several storage compartments; the rear seats recline; and a lightweight rear hatch is designed for easier opening and closing.
