North American International Auto Show 2016: European OEMs

Despite absences, European OEMs showcase new technology to indicate future direction

2016/02/04

Summary
Daimler highlights "dream cars" with E-Class, SLC-Class and two convertibles
VW shows green vehicle concepts with Tiguan GTE Active and Audi h-tron quattro
BMW emphasizes performance with M2 coupe and X4 M40i crossover
Volvo continues brand resurgence by unveiling flagship S90 sedan
Porsche sets benchmarks for refined power with 911 Turbo and 911 Turbo S

Summary

Crowds in Audi's exhibit

The 2016 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) was held from January 11 through January 24, 2016, with the show being open to the public starting January 16. A total of 815,575 visitors attended the public show, setting a thirteen-year record.

Several brands that were present at previous Detroit shows were absent this year. Jaguar, Land Rover, Mini, Bentley, Maserati, and Rolls-Royce all did not participate in this year's show. In spite of this, European OEMs unveiled numerous models featuring technology that indicated the future direction of their brands.

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class hinted at the future of autonomous cars, as the first production vehicle to be licensed for autonomous testing in Nevada. Similarly, Volvo's S90 is the first vehicle to come standard with semi-autonomous technology. Volkswagen continued to reform its image after the diesel emissions scandal with the Volkswagen Tiguan GTE Active Concept plug-in hybrid and the Audi h-tron quattro concept FCV. Both BMW and Porsche showcased performance vehicles with models such as the M2 Coupe, and 911 Turbo.

This report is the second of three reports which focus on the vehicles displayed at the 2016 North American International Auto Show. This report will focus on models showcased by European OEMs including BMW, Daimler, Porsche, Volkswagen, and Volvo. The first report, which focused on U.S. models, has already been released. A third report detailing Asian OEMs will be released at a later date.

Related reports:
North American International Auto Show 2016
U.S. automakers show model variety for both new and old segments

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