After a strong year for car and truck sales, automakers have a flood of new models in the works to woo buyers in 2015.
Here are some of the vehicles expected to debut over the next 12 months:
• Acura NSX: Designed, developed and built in the USA, this all-wheel drive hybrid super car is the heart of Acura’s plan to become a leading luxury brand. The two-seat NSX will be one of the most eagerly watched introductions at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
• Cadillac SRX: The SRX crossover was an immediate hit when Cadillac introduced it, but the handsome five-seater has grown old. Cadillac needs a new model with the latest features and improved fuel economy to cash in on the boom in luxury SUVs.
• Chevrolet Cruze: By far the best small car Chevrolet has built, the current Cruze’s features and fuel economy gave the brand its first legitimate competitor for the best from Japan, Korea and Germany.
• Honda HR-V: Honda’s entry in the hot subcompact SUV market, the HR-V could win the brand new buyers, thanks to slick looks and one of the larger engines in the segment. “It’s going to get a lot of attention,” Brinley said. “We’ll be talking about small crossovers all year.”
• Hyundai Tucson: Hyundai’s smaller SUV will grow slightly larger in 2015 to make room for — you guessed it — a future subcompact crossover. That will push it closer in size to the Santa Fe, potentially creating a traffic jam on Hyundai dealership floors.
• Jaguar XE: Jaguar’s first compact sedan launches the British brand into direct competition with aggressive sport sedans like the BMW 3-series and Cadillac ATS. It’s a tough market, but success is vital to Jag’s global growth plan. An expected all-wheel drive model could help.
• Jeep Renegade: Developed primarily for sale in Europe, China and other regions, the subcompact Renegade’s appeal in the U.S. is unknown, but Jeep could use an appealing entry-level model. A lot will depend on whether the Renegade delivers on Fiat Chrysler’s promise of serious off-road capability.
• Lexus RX: Like the similar-sized Cadillac SRX, the RX is one of the older five-seat midsize luxury SUVs on the market. It’s also the best-seller in its segment, and the vehicle other automakers gear themselves up to compete with.
• Lincoln MKX: Ford’s luxury brand is basking in the warm response to the smaller MKC SUV it launched in 2014. The five-seat MKX needs to make a big impression to maintain that momentum and compete with the replacements for the SRX and RX.
• Mazda MX-5: Mazda might still exist without the affordable little roadster also known as the Miata, but its “Zoom-zoom” claims to be a brand for enthusiasts would ring hollow. The curvy new model boasts a 50/50 weight distribution for handling and a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.
• Nissan Titan: Nissan was the first Japanese automaker to build a full-size pickup, but the Titan has never met sales targets. At one point, Nissan nearly quit Titan development all together to use a truck developed by Chrysler’s Ram division. When that deal fell apart, Nissan doubled down on the Titan, developing the 2016 Titan that will debut at January’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
• Toyota Tacoma: The midsize Tacoma pickup is one of Toyota’s core models, with as avid and loyal a following as the Camry or Corolla. The 2016 model debuting at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit faces unexpectedly strong competition from the new Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickups.
• Volvo XC90: The XC90 was one of the most popular European SUVs when it debuted, but it’s been on the market too long, with too few updates. Volvo product development slowed to a crawl when Ford sold the Swedish brand to a Chinese company during the Great Recession.
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