Go figure.
Hundreds of cars, trucks, sport-utility vehicles and vans have been assembled here to give the media a peek at new styles and advanced technology headed for the nation’s showrooms, yet a Bug stole the show.
Yup, a Bug and a German Bug at that. The 1998 rendition of Volkswagen’s famed Beetle, which startled and captivated the press when unveiled here as Concept 1 four years ago, is now only weeks away from showrooms.
Though it looks very much like the original–an inverted bathtub on wheels–it’s a completely modernized contemporary version of its namesake, Volkswagen takes pains to point out.
Volkswagen calls it “a ray of sunny originality in an all-too-serious car market.”
The 1998 version differs from the original in that the 2-liter, 115-horsepower 4-cylinder engine is upfront, not in the rear, and it’s front-wheel, not rear-wheel, drive. The 2-liter with standard 5-speed (4-speed automatic optional) is rated at 23 m.p.g. city/29 m.p.g. highway. A 1.9-liter, 90-h.p. turbo, injected diesel boasting 48 m.p.g. highway mileage is optional.
The ’99 differs, as well, in that it is loaded with comfort and convenience features, a dramatic departure from the Bug, which considered such things as heat, air and a fuel gauge luxuries.
The new model comes with air conditioning, a pollen and odor filter for the cabin, AM/FM stereo with six speakers and optional compact-disc player, beverage holders, alarm system, halogen headlamps, four-wheel disc brakes and power door locks.
Also, power steering, 16-inch all-season radials, lighted vanity mirrors, carpeted floor mats, remote fuel filler and hatchback releases, power mirrors, tinted glass, heated side mirrors and door storage nets.
Also, color-keyed and dent-resistant fenders and bumpers, color-keyed mirrors and door handles, front and rear headrests, trunk lock hidden behind a chrome VW logo, fuel gauge, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, daytime running lamps, dual air bags, front seat-mounted side-impact air bags and a dash-mounted bud vase.
With a galvanized body, it comes with a 12-year warranty against corrosion.
VW also said dealers will perform all scheduled maintenance on the new Beetle at no charge for two years or 24,000 miles as well as provide roadside assistance for two years with no mileage limits.
Options include anti-lock brakes, alloy wheels, cruise control, leather seats, fog lamps, heated seats and power windows.
While the original was a no-frills, basic-transportation machine, the new version is an “upmarket, lifestyle vehicle, a highly emotional car to experience the fun of driving again,” said Clive Warrilow, president of Volkswagen of America.
The new Beetle is built on a 98.9-inch wheelbase and is 161.1 inches long. It will be available in four non-metallic colors–white, red, black and yellow–and four metallic ones–silver, green, and light and dark blue.
Utility sport?: No need to fear that sport-utility vehicles are a fad, as evidenced by a couple of concepts unveiled here, the Buick Signia (Cars, Jan. 8) and the Jeep Jeepster from Chrysler.
Just as the Lexus RX300 is a sport-ute/Lexus ES300 sedan hybrid that looks more like a wagon than a truck, so too are other novel approaches to SUVs starting to emerge.
Signia is a sport-ute sedan built off the Park Avenue. It is powered by a 3.8-liter, 240-horsepower, supercharged V-6 and its front-wheel-drive converts to all-wheel-drive when speed sensors in each wheel hub detect the need for enhanced traction.
Jeepster is a sport-ute sports car. It’s what Chrysler is calling a “crossover” rather than a hybrid.
Mike Moore, Chrysler’s chief designer for the interior/exterior of its Jeep products, calls it a “what if” exercise.
“What if you could have the power and excitement of a sports car coupled with the capability and rugged go-anywhere nature of a Jeep Wrangler, competent and fun to drive on fast, twisty blacktop roads as it would be on the Rubicon Trail.”
Originally code named “Grizzly,” Jeepster has an adjustable suspension that can raise or lower the vehicle by four inches– raising it for off-roading, bringing down the center of gravity for more performance and aggressive on-road maneuverability.
The four-wheel-drive 2+2 Jeepster comes with the all-new 4.7-liter, 275-h.p. V-8, same power plant that will be offered in the redesigned Jeep Grand Cherokee coming out for 1999.
Like the Plymouth Prowler, the Jeepster sits lower in the front and higher in the rear for a bold look of forward motion. Headlamps and taillamps are round. A soft-cover top that slips back as it did on last year’s Jeep Icon concept car hides a roll cage.
The dash houses a navigational system that uses global positioning satellite system. There’s also an altimeter, grade and roll indicator and exterior temperature sensor.
Seats are made from the same weather-resistant leather as hiking boots and feature four-point safety belts secured with a center clasp.
Jeepster sits on 19-inch-extended mobility tires that will maintain their shape on- or off-road even after a flat for 50 miles at speeds up to 55 m.p.h. Built on a 106-inch wheelbase, it is only 147 inches long.
Timeless concept: The concept Chronos is a look at what could be a new flagship for Chrysler, an amalgamation of previous luxury concepts–the 300, Atlantic, Thunderbolt and Phaeton–with the best features of each.
In keeping with Chrysler’s design scheme of recent years, the wheels are pushed out to the corners, but the cabin is moved slightly back rather than the cab-forward approach. The look calls to mind designs of the ’50s, and Jack Crain, Chrysler design studio chief, says it was inspired by the 1953 Chrysler D’Elegance concept vehicle.
Chronos features a long, low hood, short deck and steeply raked windshield. The rear-wheel-drive Chronos is powered by a 6-liter, 350-h.p. V-10 engine.
A unique feature coming from the automaker that first made ashtrays an option is a humidor in the center console with humistat and lighter.
Chronos is built on a substantially long 131-inch wheelbase and is 205.4 inches long overall.
Alternate fuelish: General Motors’ exhibit of advanced technology cars included the EV-1 electric car with a nickel-metal-hydride battery pack (instead of lead-acid batteries) that doubles driving range to 160 miles before the need to recharge an S-10 pickup truck with the same upgraded batteries; a hybrid with electric motor and gas turbine generator; a hybrid with electric motor and direct-injection diesel engine; a hydrogen fuel-cell-powered concept; and a 1-liter, 3-cylinder, turbocharged, natural-gas engine.
“We plan to have a hybrid electric vehicle by 2001 and a fuel-cell electric by 2004 or sooner,” GM Chairman Jack Smith said.
But Smith cautioned that bringing advanced-technology vehicles to market depends on having an infrastructure in place to dispense the power source (similar to gas stations where you could get electricity or hydrogen), being able to build the vehicles at a cost that would make them affordable and having consumers accept them.
