2017 Ford Escape
Ford revealed a refreshed 2017 Escape at a special event the night before the Los Angeles Auto Show. While the manufacturer calls this the fourth-generation of its best-selling crossover model, in truth, it’s a warming-over of the second gen introduced in 2012.
2017 Ford Escape
Ford seems most excited about the new tech that has migrated into the Escape. Among the tech highlights is SYNC Connect, which uses a modem built into the car to allow an Escape driver to remotely lock or unlock doors, check the fuel level, start the engine, and locate the car (good for those who frequently forget where we parked), all through a smartphone app.
2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia
Alfa Romeo kicked off the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 18 with what the company’s North American head Reid Bigland dubbed Alfa Romeo’s “triumphant return to the North American sedan market”: the Giulia.
2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia
With a pair of Ferrari engineers leading the Giulia’s development, the Quadrifoglio edition produces 505 hp from a 2.9L biturbo V6, delivered to the rear wheels via a six-speed Getrag manual gearbox, although Bigland hinted that an automatic with paddle shifters would also be made available.
2017 Fiat 124 Spyder
Facelift It Again, Tony. This is marinara sauce poured over a delicately crafted sushi roll and served up to us as haute Italian cuisine – it ain’t.
2017 Fiat 124 Spyder
However, this is more than merely a bloated Miata. Underneath the hood, Mazda’s revvy little Skyactiv four has been replaced by a turbocharged Fiat 1.4L. While you can expect everyone to complain that the new engine only makes 5 more hp than Mazda’s 155-hp naturally aspirated engine, it’s the 184 lb-ft of torque that’s the bigger story here. This is the same engine you get in the Fiat 500 Abarth, so you can expect good low-end power and some delightful backfiring. The gruntier forced-induction motor may be a nicer pairing for the six-speed automatic than Mazda’s four (as with the MX-5, a six-speed manual is also on offer).
2017 Infiniti QX30
So this is it, then. The first product to leave Infiniti’s assembly line in Sunderland, England after signing a deal with Daimler AG to co-develop select vehicles. The QX30 is a looker in its own right, standing as far apart from the GLA as Madonna does from Rosie O’Donell. It separates itself from the Q30 with a higher ride height and plastic cladding around the wheel wells. Otherwise, the two cars are very similar both in profile and stance, though the QX30 has a slightly wider rear track.
2017 Infiniti QX30
The QX30 benefits from Infiniti’s penchant for making unique-looking vehicles up and down the lineup; even the QX60, which is the one Infiniti model that deviates the least from its cousin in parent company Nissan’s stable – the Pathfinder – in the stylistic sense, has enough touches that clearly define it as an Infiniti.
2017 Lincoln MKZ
Lincoln showed the 2017 MKZ sedan, the first car to feature new front end styling inspired by the recent Continental Concept, which will soon migrate to the rest of the Lincoln lineup in an effort to give the brand a stronger identity and boost sales.
2017 Lincoln MKZ
The outgoing car’s 3.7L V6 is being replaced by a 3.0L direct-injected twin-turbo V6 good for 400 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque – increases of 100 hp(!) and 123 lb-ft(!!) over the old 3.7. We have to think it would have been easier to coax that kind of power from Ford’s existing 3.5L EcoBoost, but the new 3.0 will be exclusive to Lincoln, and that kind of differentiation from its parent company can only help.
2016 Honda Civic Coupe
While we Canadians have always had to turn to the coupe for our sporty Honda vibes since the ’05 SiR, the hatch is coming back, so the Coupe has some in-house competition in North America for the first time in a while.
2016 Honda Civic Coupe
Power comes from the same to engines the sedan has: a 2.0L naturally aspirated four (158 hp, 133 lb-ft of torque) and – for the first time in a showroom Civic – a 1.5L turbo four, good for 174 hp and 162 lb-ft. So until the Si arrives (it hasn’t quite been confirmed, but there were plenty of winks and nudges at the launch), that’s your sporty choice if you can live with the CVT – your only choice with the 1.5 for the time being. Sounds like a manual option is in the cards, though.
2016 Nissan Sentra
Fresh on the heels of a refreshed Altima sedan, Nissan’s next top-selling car, the Sentra compact, is getting a once over. So that means the 2016 Sentra will be getting the new face of Nissan, punctuated by the “V” grille and boomerang headlights, which can be specified with LED low-beams on the SR and SL trims.
2016 Nissan Sentra
At the rear, the taillights follow a similar “boomerang” theme. The SR and SL grades also get new 17-inch wheel choices. An optional 5.8-inch display screen mounted into the centre stack is now the hub for all your infotainment needs, including Siri compatibility which comes as standard on SV, SR and SL grades.
Volvo Concept 26
Volvo brought the future of Swedish autonomous motoring to the LA Show. Unlike many other manufacturers that are working with this tech, Volvo is starting from the inside, and working outwards. We often see the seats in Volvo models referred to as “chairs”, and that really is the case here. It can recline to let the driver relax as the car drives itself while the widescreen display and the iPad-like control pad turn the car into a mobile office.
2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class
The GLS crossover/SUV is the “German Suburban” replacement for the GL class. While the exterior treatment is a similar nip and tuck to the SL’s freshening, there’s a bit more technology behind the scenes, including a new nine-speed automatic that you can expect to start showing up in more 4Matic-equipped cars as time goes on.
2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class
Aside from that, the engine offerings continue unchanged, with the highway warrior 240 hp, 455 lb-ft GLS350 Bluetec being the thrifty choice, and the 550-hp GLS63 making sense to no one.
2016 Porsche 911 Targa 4S
For enthusiasts of high-speed, topless hijinks, Porsche unveiled the 911 Targa 4S.
2017 Acura NSX 
The Acura NSX boasts 573 hp from a hybrid powertrain.
2017 Acura NSX
The NSX has a turbocharged V6 and electric motor driving the rear wheels, and a pair of electric motors driving the fronts.
2017 Hyundai Elantra
The big news for Hyundai at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show was the debut of the redesigned, sixth-generation 2017 Hyundai Elantra. The latest version of Hyundai’s best-selling model gains 20 mm of length and 5 mm of height over the current model and has a distinct family resemblance to the Sonata.
2017 Hyundai Elantra
Power for most 2017 Elantra models comes from a new 2.0L Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine with multi-port injection, producing 147 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque. Transmission options include either a six-speed manual or a new six-speed automatic that Hyundai says is 4.4 percent more efficient than the previous automatic.
2017 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
In the city synonymous with plastic surgery, the 'Swanky Luxury' SL gets a fresh schnozz, one that gives the car a more cohesive design, and brings it into line with the S-class and redesigned C-Class.
2017 Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe
The new C63 AMG Coupe is without fear of exaggeration, one of the most wonderful machines on sale today. Flared out like a BMW M4, it’s powered by the same growling twin-turbo V8 that you get in the Mercedes-AMG GT-S, and it’s scrumptious to drive. Not just a straight-line car any more, it actually handles beautifully.
2017 Mazda CX-9
After updating all of its smaller vehicles with Kodo design language and Skyactiv engineering, the three-row, seven-seat CX-9 was long overdue to join Mazda’s more modern offerings. As its largest, priciest offering, the CX-9 is a crucial vehicle for Mazda’s success, especially in North America, whose appetite for SUVs shows no signs of slowing.
2017 Mazda CX-9
The CX-9 gets Mazda’s first Skyactiv-based turbocharged engine, the 2.5L turbo-four making 250 hp on premium fuel, 227 hp on regular, and 310 lb-ft regardless of fuel.
2016 Mitsubishi RVR
One of the brand’s strongest sellers, the RVR subcompact crossover gains the brand’s new ‘dynamic shield’ front end treatment, first seen on the Outlander that went on sale earlier this year; it’s better integrated here than on the larger Outlander, and gives the little RVR a more distinctive face – a good thing in a crowded segment.
2016 Mitsubishi RVR
New available features include power-folding side mirrors with integrated turn signals, wheel lip mouldings, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a new 18-inch wheel design. Inside, there’s a new steering wheel, and a 6.1-inch display audio system. The 2016 RVR will carry a starting MSRP of $19,998 when it goes on sale next February.
2017 Mitsubishi Mirage
Mitsu’s other “new” model is the 2017 Mirage, an update on a car that skipped 2016 while the manufacturer stretched the 2015 model year to ready this update. Mechanical changes are not extensive, but promise an improved drive: Mitsu says it has stiffened the front suspension and “optimized” shock tuning to improve handling and ride quality, and bigger brakes with upgraded brake pads should improve stopping power.
2017 Mitsubishi Mirage
What’s not new is the car’s three-cylinder engine; Mitsu doesn’t say anything about having added sound insulation, so we expect the same, um, 'enthusiastic' engine note we know from the outgoing car.
2016 Volkswagen Beetle Dune
Volkswagen has unveiled two variants of the Beetle. One is a jacked up, Baja-inspired version of the Bug. The other feels like the return of the 90s and reminds us of the Backstreet Boys in their prime, when oversized jean jackets were not a crime and Levi's were still all the rage.
2016 Volkswagen Beetle Dune
The Beetle Dune edition has very different origins inspired by the crazy, dusty, off-road dedicated Baja Bug. According to Joerg Sommer, Vice President Product Marketing and Strategy at Volkswagen of America Inc., “The new Dune successfully captures the iconic spirit of Baja Beetles, with a more rugged feel and amenities never before offered on the third-generation Beetle.”
2016 Volkswagen Beetle Denim Edition
The 2016 VW Beetle Denim edition is not literally clad in denim. The matte body color is reminiscent of a pair of jeans and actually looks pretty good. And if the blue wash doesn’t match your style, the Denim edition will also be available in Pure White. It has been designed as an homage to the 70s Jeans Bug, also following in the footsteps of the concept introduced in New York back in April. This time, we are looking at the final product and only 2,000 units of this version will be stitched up.
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