Volkswagen CC – a real discovery of Detroit / A. Gubsky

The USA is one of the main markets for Volkswagen Group, so the entire management came to Detroit, including the chairman of the supervisory board Ferdinand Piech. He sat in the front row, did not go on stage and calmly talked to a colleague, not paying attention to the flashbulbs.

And the Volkswagen Passat CC appeared on the scene – a “four-door coupe”, the fashion for which was set by Mercedes-Benz. The CC turned out to be more elegant and dynamic than the usual Passat. The interior has a rear sofa for two, frameless side windows, and under the hood there are several options for gasoline and diesel engines from 160 to 300 hp. The Passat CC will appear in Europe in the second quarter of this year, and in North America – in the fourth. The CC will be delivered to Russia, but when, in what trim levels and at what prices, there is no decision yet.

BMW has two new models in Detroit: the X6 and a convertible based on the 1-series. BMW calls the X6 the forerunner of a new class of cars – the “crossover coupe”, although a similar car has long been produced by Infiniti – the FX.

The production version of the X6 is almost identical to the concept car shown in Frankfurt.

In Russia, sales of the X6 will begin in June 2008, with three engines to choose from: a twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine (407 hp) and a twin-turbocharged 6-cylinder engine (306 hp), and a 6-cylinder turbodiesel (235 hp). The base price for the 306 hp X6 is 2.5 million roubles.

The soft top of the 1 Series Convertible can be retracted and extended even at 40 km/h in 22 seconds.

Mercedes-Benz has shown a concept of a compact crossover based on the Mercedes C-class – GLK, a competitor to the BMW X3. The serial GLK will appear in the fall. It is trying its best to resemble its older brother – the massive GL. Fortunately, the GLK turned out to be much less brutal.

General Motors has several premieres at the domestic auto show. The sports version of the Cadillac CTS-V will be the first model of the "charged" Cadillac, which will be sold in Russia. We will also have a hybrid version of the Cadillac Escalade, but the start date of sales is unknown - GM needs to sort out all the formalities with suppliers of scarce batteries. The mid-size crossover Saab 9-4X, shown as a concept, will definitely become a serial one, will be produced in the USA and sold all over the world, GM Europe President Carl-Peter Foster told Vedomosti. The Saab 9-4X will be based on a new GM platform; the start date of serial production is not yet known.

Hyundai showed its first sedan with a V-shaped 8-cylinder engine in Detroit – Genesis. The description of the car begins like this: "Hyundai has created a competitor to the world's sports sedans..." Comparative indicators of Genesis and competitors are also given: Lexus GS, Infiniti M, Pontiac G8, Chrysler 300. According to the Koreans, the rear-wheel drive 375-horsepower Genesis, over 5 m long, wins against them in almost all indicators.

The concepts haven't changed.