DETROIT – The North American International Auto Show media days may start Monday, but a number of high-profile brands made a splash on Sunday with reveals and news.
Two non-traditional names at the car-and-truck-centric Detroit auto show opened things up. Disney Pixar revealed new information about "Cars 3," including a new character and a life-size replica of "Lightning McQueen" that's sure to be crowd-pleaser for kids attending this year's public days, Jan. 14-22.
Google then took the stage with John Krafcik. CEO of the company's Waymo division, showing off a Chrysler Pacifica equipped with sensors for autonomous driving. Signs of progress? The cost of sensors is falling, and so is the amount of time it takes Waymo to log test miles. Krafcik said the goal is to bring autonomous driving technology to millions of people. It will start testing a fleet of minivans on public roads in California and Arizona next month.
General Motors and its CEO Mary Barra pulled back some mystique around the long-awaited GMC Terrain update, showing off the new model at a glitzy event at MOCAD in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood. See photos here.
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Ford gave a new look to the F-150, using the NFL playoff game between the Packers and Giants to show off the changes.
Kia revealed a new Stinger designed to take on BMW and Audi.
Volkswagen went far out with a Microbus concept, and down-to-earth with a stretched Tiguan heading to showrooms this year.
FCA stole some headlines announcing a $1 billion investment in Ohio and Michigan to build Jeep SUVs. The company says it will create 2,000 jobs.
The 2018 Mercedes-AMG GLA45 went live to the world. Road & Track says it's a subtle upgrade with flashy paint.
Detroit-based billionaire Dan Gilbert made some Detroit-centric headlines in a talk at Cobo Hall. He predicted cranes in the air this year building a new skyscraper and said he expected 10-15 more buildings 25 stories or higher within 5 to 7 years. He also introduced LuminoCity, a new light air project Downtown you may want to check out.