As the motoring season kicks into gear and manufacturers are left to examine the broken pieces of Geneva to see who fares best, we decided to take a look at the next blockbuster event in the form of the New York Motor Show.
Arguably the most prestigious motoring show, Genevas favourite china was smashed by a flurry of supercars including offerings from Lamborghini, Porsche and two from Koenigsegg. A shot of adrennalin for next year's Geneva which could fast-gain a reputation as a supercar showcase. New York could perhaps go much the same, although many of the natives eyes will be on the latest releases from popular marques Cadillac and Chevrolet who each have their own treats to serve-up.
A little closer to home, the Jaguar XF will undergo an all-new reveal and with all the pomp and circumstance that surrounded the XEs release (it was airlifted across the River Thames sunset) we expect the British prestige brand to really push the boat out on their most updated vehicle. Its styling is expect to borrow many features from the XE and mpg has been rumoured to be over 70mpg.
Its goodbye ML, hello GLE as the new face-lifted model is rebadged and revamped to create a vehicle more appealing to the mass market particularly those living on packed urban streets. We dont know nearly as much about this as we do some of New Yorks other leading lights as it's primed to make its official debut at the show.
We've seen a little more of the new Kia Optima - although only in the sportspace concept form - but its likely to take many design cues from the original model which was seriously popular across the pond. Here it endured more of a mediocre performance; with it's design not luring the British market. However, popularity in Britain didn't dent it's overall success and it's sales figures speak for itself - the Optima is a very popular car and we can't be the only ones with our fingers-crossed that the fourth-generation model makes its way to these shores.
The X5 hybrid from BMW will, without a shadow of a doubt, be available in the UK. The German manufacturer has blended rugged design features with a hybrid engine to make for a mean combination. Even better is the BMW badge adorning the glossy bonnet, so rest-assured the X5 xDrive 40e will be showcasing the best in luxury and comfort. The 2.0-litre petrol engine will work in parallel with an electric motor to produce 309bhp, 350Nm of torque and make 0-62mph attainable in an impressive 6.8 seconds. Battling the Q7 and a number of established giants, the X5 hybrid has a fight on it's hands but New York could offer the most important springboard yet. Read more about the X5 Hybrid reveal.
Mitsubishi were somewhat stuck-in-the-mud during the early 2000s, with their wheels spinning and no end in sight it looked like the manufacturer might sink altogether. However, the addition of a plug-in electric engine to the Outlander has revitalized the Japanese manufacturer who have manoeuvred their way out of a sticky situation. The original PHEV Concept was seen in Paris late last year, and while nothing is concrete, it looks highly likely well be seeing a production version in the big-apple.
The Sports Series from McLaren is a reveal not to be sniffed at. McLaren are likely to unveil atleast one showstopper and the vehicle could well be the empire state of the show. As yet, the new Sports Series is a closely guarded secret and we know very little other than that it will toe a similar line to the 650S and 675L that make up the Super-Series, although initial reports suggest it will be a little less powerful. Have a look at the teaser below:
Weve cherry-picked what looks to be some of New Yorks most exciting vehicles but we expect there to be a flurry of activity in the run-up to the show as many other manufacturers scramble to make their latest release known. And of course, there will be a few surprises along the road thrown in for good measure. If you think weve missed anything significant out here, let us know via social media.
