2014 Chicago Auto Show and Top Debuts

Feb 24, 2014 Michael Valentine Chicago Auto Show 0

Chicago Auto Show has remained one of the crucial auto shows in North America, thus it has become a remarkable converging point for automakers, admirers and buyers alike. First staged in 1901, the Chicago Auto Show, produced by Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA) is the largest auto show in North America. The 106th edition was held from 8 to 17 February 2014 at the McCormick Place Complex which offers a total of 2.7 million square feet of exhibit halls plus additional 700,000 square feet of meeting room.

At the venue, exhibitions included multiple world and North America introductions, complete range of imported and domestic passenger cars and trucks, sporty utility vehicles, and experimental or concept cars. Aside the nearly 1000 different vehicles on display, ranging from auto-related exhibits, competition vehicles, antique and collector cars, the highpoint of the show was the top debuts that electrified the complex.

Even though the show has ended, it opens a new vista for car enthusiasts and potential buyers. Here are some of the top winners based on accumulated points and there is no doubt that they speak to us more than any other car showcased. They include Volvo S60 Polestar (98 points), Subaru Legacy (28 points), Kia Soul EV (25 points), Nissan Frontier Diesel Concept (18 points) and BMW 740Ld xDrive (17 points). Note that this rating came from editors’ choice at autoblog based on how special they felt about the cars. We decide to share it because it’s in consonance with our top five. Kindly take a look and share your opinion on the kind of cars that catches your fancy especially debut cars.

1. 2015 Volvo S60/V60 Polestar

Volvo S60 sedan and V60 wagon will be hitting United State in limited quantities later this year. The beautiful V60 wagon exhibited in the Polestar-specific Rebel Blue with 20-inch wheels carries under its hood a 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine which generates 345 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque through a rear-based all-wheel-drive system. This is coupled with enhanced suspension, muscular brakes plus premium interior.

2. 2015 Subaru Legacy

2015 Subaru Legacy though not lovely as the coupe-like Legacy Concept, it’s one of the great Subaru products especially owing to its traditional appearance. It comes with both a 2.5-liter boxer-four and a 3.6-liter boxer-six estimated to achieve 36 mpg highway and according to Subaru, it remains the best-in-class for all-wheel-drive midsize sedans.

3. 2015 Kia Soul EV

The Kia Soul EV boasts of 81-kilowatt electric motor capable of generating 109 horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque which gives a powerful drag to the front wheels. At full charge, Soul EV, according to Kia is capable of 80 to 100 mile of driving.

4. Nissan Frontier Diesel Runner Concept

This truck is powered by a 2.8-liter turbodiesel inline-four engine coupled to ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission. It’s capable of 200 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque, thus it shares the same payload and towing capacity as V6-powered Frontier, though it has an increased, up to 35 percent, fuel economy and can achieve 30 miles per gallon highway.

5. 2014 BMW 740Ld xDrive

Finding has shown that in both the hatchback-less 328d xDrive sedan and 328d xDrive Wagon, the wagon managed to achieve 42 miles per gallon with an average speed of 62 miles per hour. At Chicago’s auto show, the aforementioned is perhaps not the dream wheel; the 740Ld xDrive sedan stands tall. There is no doubt that the 7 series is remarkable, the company’s 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six from the 535d as well as the X5 xDruve35d undoubtedly will be awesome in all wheels.