Early list of 2013 L.A. Auto Show debuts announced
Though the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show won’t open its doors until a few days before you’ve tucked into some turkey and stuffing, automakers are already lining up to announce their plans.
Show organizers announced Wednesday that BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Porsche, Subaru and Volkswagen were among the brands that had major world debuts planned for the show.
The auto show will host press days on Nov. 20 and 21 and will open its doors to the general public on Nov. 22, a week before Thanksgiving. Last year’s show drew just under 900,000 people and 4000 media outlets from 50 countries, organizers said.
“As the first major North American show of the season, Los Angeles sets the tone for 2014, and we expect that automakers will pull out all the stops to excite new-car buyers,†said Terri Toennies, general manager of the L.A. show.
Among the vehicles already planned for a world debut in L.A. is Porsche’s all-new Macan compact SUV crossover. California is Porsche’s biggest market, and the automaker has used previous L.A. Auto Shows to make other major debuts for the brand.
The Macan will be Porsche’s cheapest offering and will slot below the larger Cayenne in the company’s SUV lineup. It’s loosely based on the Audi Q5 and is expected to be a volume seller that generates plenty of cash for Porsche.
Mini has confirmed it will have a global introduction at the L.A. show. While the company hasn’t officially confirmed which model that would be, it’s widely expected that the automaker will debut an all-new Mini Cooper.
Chevrolet will likely have on display its all-new Suburban and Tahoe SUVs that are due out in the coming months. Other rumored debuts for the L.A. Auto Show include the Cadillac ATS Coupe, the Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG. Organizers said more than 50 vehicles will have their world or North American debut at the Los Angeles show.
Many of the vehicles debuting at Germany’s Frankfurt Auto Show in September will also be shown in L.A.
In addition to new models being unveiled, the auto show will host a Connected Car Expo. Key figures from Google, MIT, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, OnStar and Sprint will be on hand to discuss “the future of mobility,†show organizers said.
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