The Top Five Cars at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show

Mon, 1/29/2018 - 9:01 pm by Kirsten Rincon

The 2016 Detroit Auto Show offered a lot of exciting new production models and concept vehicles, with most of them being sport cars and sedans, taking the spotlight from the few SUVs and trucks that were unveiled there.

The highlights include several luxury sedans and coupes, loaded with high-tech safety and connectivity features, with some them even being equipped with advanced self-driving features. Here are the top five cars unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show:

2017 Infiniti Q60

This is probably the most noteworthy sports coupe from this year’s show. The 2017 Infiniti Q60 is a great looking car with amazing performance, albeit not comparable to the performance offered by similar BMW or Mercedes-Benz models.

The base version is powered by a 3.7-liter twin-turbo V6 engine, delivering 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. Analysts say that the 2017 model features many improvements over its predecessor, both in terms of performance and interior comfort, making the all-new Q60 one of the most anticipated coupes at the moment.

2017 Volvo S90

The latest generation Volvo S90 deserves to be mentioned mostly because of its innovative self-driving tech that gives us a great insight into what autonomous cars might be capable of in the future.

It comes with “Pilot Assist”, a system that allows the car to drive itself on highways while traveling at speeds of up to 80 mph. On top of that, the 2017 S90 can detect and recognize various obstacles on its own, including pedestrians, cyclists and large animals, which is a truly unique capability and sets the sedan apart from its competition.

Acura Precision Concept

Of all the concepts that were unveiled at the show, the Acura Precision left the best impression. It showcases various technologies and features that will highly likely find their place in future sedans built by Acura.

The four-door sedan features a “diamond pentagon” grille, with minimalistic LED headlights manufactured using 3D-printing technology. The cabin looks pretty futuristic, featuring a curved LCD screen above a cantilever center console, in addition to several floating elements.

Chrysler Pacifica

Even though most of the stars at the show are sedans and coupes, there is one minivan that is worth mentioning. The Chrysler Pacifica looks seems much more exciting and cooler than your typical minivan, with a stylish design and a modern cabin that makes you forget why minivans are usually associated with words like “boring” and “ugly”.

Chrysler will offer two versions of the 2017 Pacifica: a gasoline-powered one, and a plug-in hybrid. The hybrid will have a fuel economy rated at 80 MPGe, and it will take about two hours to fully recharge.

Inside, it has lots of high-tech features that make for a great riding experience, such as the Garmin navigation system, and LCD screens in the front seatbacks. Also, it comes with various advanced safety features, including adaptive cruise control and auto parking.

2017 Genesis G90

Finally, there is the first model of the luxury car lineup that was recently introduced by Hyundai. The South Korean automaker decided to create a separate luxury vehicle brand, named after the Hyundai Genesis sedan, and the G90 is the first vehicle that will be sold under this brand.

It is available with either a V6 or a V8 engine, with both of them coupled with an 8-speed automatic transmission, delivering a power output of 365 hp and 420 hp, respectively. The G90 is a pretty important vehicle as it is supposed to show the world how capable Hyundai is of competing against the world’s leading luxury brands, including Lexus, Infiniti, and the German car brand trio of Audi, Mercedes-Benz and BMW.