This year’s L.A. show won’t quite be the green-car showcase it’s been in years past. It’s almost a catch-up event for carmakers scrambling to get out the remaining 2013 new models–while teasing the 2014 new cars, crossovers, and trucks just around the corner.
The Los Angeles Auto Show opens to the media on Wednesday, November 28th, and to the public that weekend. We’ll be on hand to report from the Los Angeles Convention Center floor, so make sure you’re in touch with us every way possible–by bookmarking our auto show pages on The Car Connection, Motor Authority, and Green Car Reports; by following us on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram; and by staying in touch with the latest news on Twitter @carconnection @therealma @greencarreports.
Honda took flak for the 2012 Civic, its lackluster styling and performance and especially, its cut-rate interior. A fix is in the works, and the 2013 Civic will be on display at L.A., and on sale the same day. The new Civic gets an Accord-like restyle, and more safety equipment, more features, and some performance improvements to be announced at the show.
2013 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible
The latest VW Beetle’s gone a long way to sharpening up its iconic image. Will the Convertible model soften it back up a little? The new fabric power top will lower or raise itself in about 10 seconds, while pop-up rollover bars will protect passengers. Engine choices will include the 170-horsepower in-line five; the 140-hp turbodiesel four; and the 200-hp turbo four. All will come with six-speed transmissions, either manual or automatic or dual-clutch. The turbodiesel will score about 41 miles per gallon on the highway, VW promises.
A reinvented Subaru Forester is coming to America in the 2014 model year, and its appeal to pragmatic buyers seems to be unchanged. It’s powered by a new flat-four engine with 170 hp, but a new turbo model will make 250 hp. Transmissions will be either a six-speed manual or a CVT with manual shift modes; all-wheel drive will be standard. The Forester’s grown only slightly wider and longer, but rear-seat leg room is said to be better than before–as are features and safety gear, which now include smartphone integration and a rearview camera.
Kia’s new compact-car lineup gets renewed next year with the introduction of the 2014 Forte sedan. Its U.S. debut is set for the L.A. show, but the Forte’s already on sale in other markets, where its bolder grille and stronger character lines show off the next styling theme for the brand. The 2014 Forte is said to be longer, lower and wider than the outgoing model, which should promise more space inside, and will once again come in the choice of sedan, coupe and hatch body styles.
