GM, Ford and Chrysler bring muscle to New York

The Detroit Three were anything but subtle this week in New York City. General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler formally unveiled seven new or significantly redesigned vehicles during four elaborate press conferences for the 2014 New York International Auto Show. Watch video

NEW YORK- The Detroit Three were anything but subtle this week in New York City.

General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler formally unveiled seven new or significantly redesigned vehicles during four elaborate press conferences for the 2014 New York International Auto Show.

"We're seeing a lot of new or upgraded product activity, even by auto show standards,” said Karl Brauer, Kelley Blue Book senior analyst. “It's clear automakers are feeling the pressure of this ultra competitive market and are pulling out all the stops for the last show of the season.”

The cars unveiled by the Detroit automakers were split between performance and small cars.

Leading the charge for the Detroit automakers was Chrysler, with press conferences on both press days of the show, unveiling two Dodge muscle cars and a new small Jeep.

Chrysler

The Auburn Hills-based automaker – owned by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles– came into the Big Apple with its petal to the metal. On Wednesday, Jeep CEO and President Mike Manley introduced the Renegade to North America with a rock climbing unveiling featuring the Trailhawk version of the small sport utility vehicle.

“It boasts a new attitude for flexibility, power and performance," Manley said during the unveiling. "You could say a new generation of vehicles for a new generation of drivers. It’s the best of what Jeep stands for.”

Manley also announced that Jeep is on track to top 1 million vehicles sold worldwide and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is close to announcing an official joint venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. that is expected to lead to building Jeeps in China.

Manley, during an interview with MLive following the unveiling, would not elaborate on any details, but confirmed he was referring to Guangzhou Auto, which Fiat and Chrysler officials signed an agreement with in January 2013.

“It’s just a complex negotiation discussion,” Manley said in response to what has been holding the joint venture back. Manley, who is heading to the 2014 Beijing International Motor Show following New York, did say announcing the joint venture at an auto show “would be the ideal place to do it.”

Then, on Thursday, Tim Kuniskis unveiled the refreshed 2015 Challenger and new 2015 Charger during an all-Dodge press conference that featured roars, muscle, laughter and centenarians.

Yes, centenarians – people over the age of 100 – helped the century-old brand introduce the two iconic vehicles.

“There’s only one Dodge and we’ve got a DNA that’s just not like the others,” said Kuniskis, Dodge brand CEO and president. “And like the centenarians featured in the opening video, it’s got a hundred years of attitude behind it. It’s a bit irreverent, sure. But it’s a brand that takes its performance seriously because performance has always been the core of our DNA.”

Dodge CEO and President Tim Kuniskis introduces the 2015 Dodge Challenger and Charger April 17 during a press conference at the 2014 New York International Auto Show. (Michael Wayland | MLive Detroit)

The centenarians were featured in the opening video, but they got the point across: Just because you’re a century old doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun.

Dodge celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, and Kuniskis wanted to make sure the 2015 Charger and Challenger continued Dodge's legacy of performance.

Dodge took different directions with the 2015 Challenger and Charger. While the Challenger is a throwback to its 1971 predecessor, the Charger features a more modern design in line with the brand’s overall lineup.

Ford

The Dearborn-based automaker touted the unveiling of its Focus sedan before the show started, but it was arguably the last thing on the media’s mind during the NYIAS.

For Ford, it was all about the Mustang and the iconic vehicle’s 50th anniversary. The company not only unveiled a 2015 Mustang 50 Year Limited Edition, but also put a 2015 Mustang atop the Empire State Building – essentially reenacting a stunt done with a prototype Mustang convertible in 1965 – and held a party on the 58th floor of the once tallest building in the world.

"Over the last 50 years, the passion has never faded," said Ford Chief Operating Officer Mark Fields during the vehicle's unveiling. "Mustang has literally become a cultural icon." Ford said it will only produce 1,964 of the special editions, which features anniversary badging, individual serial number plates, chrome highlights, louvered rear quarter-windows, cashmere-stitched, leather-wrapped steering wheel and other throwback features and design tributes.

Fields also gave the keynote during the opening ceremony of the NYIAS. He discussed the automaker’s future by first discussing its past – starting with the 1964 World’s Fair in New York.

Ford revealed the first Mustang to the public at the 1964 New York World's Fair on April 17.

Fields, a New York native, talked about how that event 50 years ago marked a key time for innovation – from Apple introducing a new computer to Ford creating the pony car segment with the Mustang – and how the same basic characteristics of innovation play a key role in successful companies today.

As for the Focus sedan, which it also unveiled, the vehicle features a more luxurious look in line with the Dearborn-based automaker’s new vehicle lineup, and also includes new safety and in-vehicle technology features.

Ford Executive Vice President and President of The Americas Joe Hinrichs was also a keynote speaker Tuesday during the 2014 Automotive Forum presented by J.D. Power and the National Automobile Dealers Association in connection to the NYIAS.

GM

GM, like its crosstown rivals went for muscle and small debuts. However, the Detroit-based automaker did not have any official press conference during the NYIAS. Instead, GM’s big day came Tuesday, with GM CEO Mary Barra keynoting the Automotive Forum conference, followed by the debuts of the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 convertible and Chevrolet Trax small SUV during a separate event later in the evening.

“No matter what performance means to you, Chevrolet has what you’re looking for,” said GM CEO Mary Barra during the event on the eve of the 2014 NYIAS. “Chevrolet has the performance you need. It comes from a portfolio that has been completely transformed.”

The Z06 took the stage with the roars of its all-new LT4 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine expected to deliver at least 625 horsepower and 635 pound-feet of torque (the same as the Z06 coupe).

This is the first Z06 convertible offered from the factory since 1963 when the Z06 option package was introduced for endurance racing. Records show only 199 Corvette orders with a Z06 package that year, including one convertible. “The big nasty has flipped its lid,” said Mark Reuss, GM executive vice president of global product development. “It has all the performance attributes of the Z06 coupe in a true open-air car.”

As for the Trax, it will be Chevrolet’s seventh small-vehicle launch in less than four years. During that time, the brand’s share of the small-, compact- and mini-car segments has more than tripled – up 221 percent.

Much of the media’s focus during the NYIAS, as it has been lately, was around Barra and GM’s recall crisis. During her keynote speech Wednesday, Barra updated the audience on GM’s recalls, which totaled nearly 7 million globally in the first quarter, and announced a new "Global Product Integrity" organization within its global product development to focus on vehicle safety.

GM also showed of its refreshed 2015 Chevrolet Cruze during the NYIAS, but did not have an official unveiling of the vehicle.

The 2015 Cruze takes styling cues from the 2014 Impala and Malibu. 

Designers updated many of the signature styling elements of the current generation, including the dual-port front fascia. The refreshed grilles, instead of the netted-look have horizontal lines across both.