Japan's leading carmakers will unveil some of their most advanced new models in Detroit next month, but they are scaling back their presence in acknowledgment of the hard times facing the auto industry.
In contrast with previous years, the chief executives of the three biggest Japanese automakers will not attend the North American International Auto Show even though their companies are among the top six players in the U.S. auto market.
Toyota Motor Corp. confirmed earlier this week that CEO Katsuaki Watanabe had canceled plans to travel to Detroit.
Previously Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. said their chief executives would not attend.
The companies did not give reasons, but officials say they expect the crush of reporters covering the Detroit show will focus almost exclusively on the industry downturn and the U.S. automakers' difficulties.
While Japan's automakers are struggling too, with Toyota and Honda revealing that they are losing money in the second half of the Japanese fiscal year, they have cash reserves to help them withstand a downturn.
"What's possibly happening now is that, out of respect for the Big Three, they don't want to upstage anything right now," said Joseph Serra, senior co-chairman of the NAIAS and president of Grand Blanc-based Serra Automotive Inc.
"These are unusual times right now," said Serra, who owns Japanese as well as domestic-brand dealerships.
Toyota and Honda still plan to unveil two of their most important new models in Detroit -- the next-generation Toyota Prius, and a re-conceived Honda Insight hybrid. Compared with the original quirky two-seater, the new Insight is more versatile and seats five.
But Honda said it would not hold a news conference to present the vehicle.
"In consideration of the difficult and challenging business environment that is impacting the entire automotive industry, Honda will forgo a traditional product unveiling," said Honda spokesman David Iida.
He said Insight cars would be on display and Honda executives and engineers would be available to talk to reporters about them.
Toyota is not hosting a party this year, as it usually does on the first day of the press preview. But it is holding Lexus and Toyota news conferences to introduce a new Lexus hybrid built on the same platform as the Prius, and a concept for an affordable Toyota-brand electric city car.
Despite the gloomy atmosphere in the industry, the show's organizers expect to host more world premieres than they did last year though with "perhaps a little less glitz and glamour," Serra said.
Organizers expect the number of exhibitors to rise, too, despite high-profile defections from Suzuki, Mitsubishi and Nissan.
Nissan created a stir in November when it said it would not have a presence at the Detroit show because it was conserving cash.
The weakness of the North American market that has devastated the domestic automakers also has hurt Japan's carmakers, which rely on the U.S. market for a big share of their earnings.
In a sign of the new trends in the global industry, fledgling Chinese automakers are taking advantage of the openings on the main floor. At past shows, they were relegated to the basement or the corridors outside the main hall.
Among the show's highlights, Chevrolet will introduce the 2010 Equinox compact crossover and Kia will display a concept vehicle that it has not described but is derived from its new Kia Soul.
GM will display three vehicles that made their world debut in Paris in October -- the 2010 Cadillac CTS sport wagon, the Chevrolet Cruze small car and the Chevrolet Orlando concept.
The Cruze, a five-passenger subcompact, will go on sale first in Europe in March. The American version, to be built in Lordstown, Ohio, will be rolled out later, as a replacement for the Chevrolet Cobalt.
Ford Motor Co. will show the mid-size Ford Taurus sedan, a key vehicle in their car lineup, and the Lincoln MKT, the Lincoln brand's version of the Ford Flex crossover.
Chrysler will show a concept for an electric vehicle but has disclosed no other details, while Daimler AG's Smart carmaker will display the electric ForTwo that it unveiled in Paris.
Source: The Detroit News
In contrast with previous years, the chief executives of the three biggest Japanese automakers will not attend the North American International Auto Show even though their companies are among the top six players in the U.S. auto market.
Toyota Motor Corp. confirmed earlier this week that CEO Katsuaki Watanabe had canceled plans to travel to Detroit.
Previously Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. said their chief executives would not attend.
The companies did not give reasons, but officials say they expect the crush of reporters covering the Detroit show will focus almost exclusively on the industry downturn and the U.S. automakers' difficulties.
While Japan's automakers are struggling too, with Toyota and Honda revealing that they are losing money in the second half of the Japanese fiscal year, they have cash reserves to help them withstand a downturn.
"What's possibly happening now is that, out of respect for the Big Three, they don't want to upstage anything right now," said Joseph Serra, senior co-chairman of the NAIAS and president of Grand Blanc-based Serra Automotive Inc.
"These are unusual times right now," said Serra, who owns Japanese as well as domestic-brand dealerships.
Toyota and Honda still plan to unveil two of their most important new models in Detroit -- the next-generation Toyota Prius, and a re-conceived Honda Insight hybrid. Compared with the original quirky two-seater, the new Insight is more versatile and seats five.
But Honda said it would not hold a news conference to present the vehicle.
"In consideration of the difficult and challenging business environment that is impacting the entire automotive industry, Honda will forgo a traditional product unveiling," said Honda spokesman David Iida.
He said Insight cars would be on display and Honda executives and engineers would be available to talk to reporters about them.
Toyota is not hosting a party this year, as it usually does on the first day of the press preview. But it is holding Lexus and Toyota news conferences to introduce a new Lexus hybrid built on the same platform as the Prius, and a concept for an affordable Toyota-brand electric city car.
Despite the gloomy atmosphere in the industry, the show's organizers expect to host more world premieres than they did last year though with "perhaps a little less glitz and glamour," Serra said.
Organizers expect the number of exhibitors to rise, too, despite high-profile defections from Suzuki, Mitsubishi and Nissan.
Nissan created a stir in November when it said it would not have a presence at the Detroit show because it was conserving cash.
The weakness of the North American market that has devastated the domestic automakers also has hurt Japan's carmakers, which rely on the U.S. market for a big share of their earnings.
In a sign of the new trends in the global industry, fledgling Chinese automakers are taking advantage of the openings on the main floor. At past shows, they were relegated to the basement or the corridors outside the main hall.
Among the show's highlights, Chevrolet will introduce the 2010 Equinox compact crossover and Kia will display a concept vehicle that it has not described but is derived from its new Kia Soul.
GM will display three vehicles that made their world debut in Paris in October -- the 2010 Cadillac CTS sport wagon, the Chevrolet Cruze small car and the Chevrolet Orlando concept.
The Cruze, a five-passenger subcompact, will go on sale first in Europe in March. The American version, to be built in Lordstown, Ohio, will be rolled out later, as a replacement for the Chevrolet Cobalt.
Ford Motor Co. will show the mid-size Ford Taurus sedan, a key vehicle in their car lineup, and the Lincoln MKT, the Lincoln brand's version of the Ford Flex crossover.
Chrysler will show a concept for an electric vehicle but has disclosed no other details, while Daimler AG's Smart carmaker will display the electric ForTwo that it unveiled in Paris.
Source: The Detroit News
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