Same old war, only now it’s time for a new set of weapons with the Oct. 1 launch of the 2004 model year.
Having battled the last several months using cash incentives as ammunition to rid themselves of ’03s, it’s time for industry combatants to unveil new models to win over buyers.
The domestics prepare an assault on the imports’ dominance in cars by adding machines such as the Chrysler Crossfire two-seat coupe, Cadillac XLR two-seat roadster and Chevrolet Malibu sedan.
The imports prepare an assault on the domestics’ dominance in trucks and sport-utility vehicles by adding machines such as the Toyota Tundra Double Cab and aptly named Nissan Titan full-size pickups and Nissan Armada SUV.
And domestics and imports prepare an assault on each other for dominance in the minivan market, domestics with the Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey, imports with the Nissan Quest and Toyota Sienna.
Here’s how the battle shapes up for ’04:
Acura
Acura has two new sedans, both based on the Honda Accord. The TSX (Transportation, April 20) arrived first, powered by a 2.4-liter, 200-h.p. 4-cylinder. The redesigned TL comes this fall with a 270-h.p. 3.2-liter V-6.
Audi
The new A8L again has aluminum body panels on an aluminum space frame, plus permanent all-wheel-drive.
BMW
BMW will double its sport-utility offerings in the U.S. next spring when it introduces the X3, a smaller, less-expensive companion to the X5.
The 5-Series adopts some styling cues from the larger 7-Series and comes in 6-cylinder and V-8 versions.
BMW plans to resurrect the 6-Series coupe in the spring.
Cadillac
The product renaissance continues with the addition of the $76,200 XLR roadster with retractable hardtop (Transportation, Sept. 7) to compete against the Mercedes-Benz roadster and SRX luxury-activity vehicle to vie against such vehicles as the Lexus RX330.
Other new GM cars provide evidence the automaker feels it can win back buyers from imports with high-performance models, such as supercharged SS versions of Impala and Monte Carlo at Chevy; the return of the fabled GTO nameplate at Pontiac and a 400-h.p., $50,000 rendition of the Cadillac CTS called the CTS-V.
Chevrolet
Chevy has targeted the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord with its midsize Malibu and Malibu Maxx (6-inch longer wheelbase) sedans built off the same platform as the Saab 9-3 and upcoming Pontiac Grand Am renamed G6. Malibu features such goodies its rivals lack as remote starters and power adjustable pedals.
Chevy also has enlisted a pair of new small cars called Aveo that will arrive from South Korea early next year to take on–what else?–the entry-level small cars from Hyundai and Kia.
To lure consumers into their full-size pickup as age and incomes grow, Chevy brings out a new midsize Colorado (GMC version the Canyon) with 4- or 5-cylinder engines.
Chrysler
The two-seat Crossfire sports coupe (Transportation, May 11) and Pacifica crossover vehicle/people hauler (Transportation, April 6) have been added to help the automaker meet its goal of boosting sales by 40 percent for ’04.
Dodge
The Dodge Durango SUV (Transportation, Sept. 1) is redesigned and swells in size (7-inch longer wheelbase, 7-inch longer overall length) to provide much-needed cabin room, especially for the third-row seat, and a V-6 first promised when Durango bowed as a 1998 model, finally arrives, a 3.7-liter, 210-h.p. V-6.
Durango goes on sale in November, same time the new Ram SRT-10 pickup arrives, sporting the V-10 engine borrowed from the Dodge Viper that develops 500 h.p. and 525 foot-pounds of torque.
Ford
A multibillion-dollar investment was made in a remake of the full-size F-150 pickup (Transportation, July 27), the industry’s best-selling truck (last 26 years), best-selling vehicle (last 21 years) and Ford’s chief source of profits.
Not only has it been redesigned, but the cabin also is 6 inches longer and 1 1/2 inches wider to provide added comfort. All models come with four doors, and a small–5 1/2-foot–box is available to make parking and garaging easier.
In vans, the Ford Freestar succeeds the Windstar and the Mercury Monterey replaces the Villager, developed in cooperation with Nissan (Quest) and last sold in August 2002.
Both offer an optional Safety Canopy in which side-curtain air bags for all three rows of seats deploy and stay deployed for several seconds to protect occupants in a rollover; and, borrowing a feature from the Honda Odyssey, have third row seats that fold flat into the floor for more cargo room.
Borrowing a feature from the Chrysler minivans, they also offer power sliding side doors and liftgate that stop and retract when making contact with a person or object.
Infiniti
Infiniti adds the car-based FX35/45 in the spring, and drops the truck-based QX4 this fall. Infiniti will get a version of the Pathfinder Armada but hasn’t announced a name.
Jaguar
Jaguar makes its XJ sedan larger but lighter through extensive use of aluminum. XJ8 models have a 294-h.p. V-8, and the XJR adds a supercharger that boosts horsepower to 390.
Kia
The South Korean automaker adds the midsize Amanti sedan, based on the Hyundai XG350 but with its own styling capped by a large, Mercedes-like grille.
Lexus
Lexus introduces a redesigned RX330 SUV (Transportation, May 4) this fall, with the nomenclature denoting a new 3.3-liter V-6. The RX330 is due to get hybrid technology next spring and the similar Toyota Highlander after that.
Mazda
Mazda replaces Protege with the Mazda3 in sedan and hatchback body styles. Mazda also brings the rotary engine back to the U.S. in the RX-8 (Transportation, Sept. 14), a four-door sports car with a small rear seat, zoom-zoom styling and 199 to 238 horsepower, depending on whether the transmission is automatic or manual.
Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi increased its SUV lineup to four with the Endeavor (Transportation, Jan. 26), another early ’04 entry that debuted in the spring.
A redesigned Galant is sportier with a new 3.8-liter V-6 as an engine choice. Galant is built in Normal, Ill., alongside Endeavor.
Nissan
Among imports, Nissan moves into Detroit’s traditional turf with the Titan full-size pickup, the first Japanese truck with the size and brawn to go head-to-head with the F-150 and other domestic pickups.
Titan, built at a new plant in Mississippi, goes on sale by December with a standard 305-horsepower V-8 and the ability to tow 9,400 pounds. It comes in King Cab (extended cab with rear-hinged rear doors) and Crew Cab version with four conventional doors.
The Pathfinder Armada, a full-size SUV built from the same design and packing the same 5.6-liter engine, will precede Titan this fall.
Nissan introduced a radically different Quest in June that mixes styling flair with seven-seat capacity to lure buyers with a sporty image.
Maxima production moved stateside this year, and it introduced the 2004 version in late spring based on the Altima platform including its 3.5-liter V-6.
Suzuki
The compact Forenza ($12,000) and midsize Verona ($16,000) will be built in Korea by the remnants of Daewoo Motor Co.
Toyota
Toyota offers the Tundra DoubleCab, a crew-cab version of its pickup with four conventional front-hinged doors. Previously, Tundra came in regular- and extended-cab models.
Toyota stretched its Sienna minivan 6 inches, to 200, and boosted horsepower by 20, to 230. The redesigned Sienna went on sale in spring (Transportation, March 9).
Toyota moves its gas-electric hybrid technology into the midsize class with the redesigned Prius hatchback sedan. At 175 inches long, the Prius is one to two feet shorter than most midsize cars but earns midsize status from the federal government based on interior volume.
An electric motor supplements a 1.5-liter gasoline 4-cylinder engine in the second-generation Prius, and Toyota says fuel economy will be a league-leading 55 m.p.g.
Toyota now sells more passenger cars in the U.S. than Ford or Chevy, and it redesigns the Camry Solara coupe this year. A convertible follows next year.
Toyota’s Scion division debuted in California in June. Two models aimed at 20-somethings and younger are due in the Midwest by next summer. Current models are the xA four-door hatchback and xB four-door box, with a third planned for 2005.
Volkswagen
The number of SUV models keeps growing. Early ’04 arrivals include the Volkswagen Touareg (Transportation, July 20), which with the 2003 Porsche Cayenne are the first SUVs from the two German companies, who jointly engineered the vehicles.
New on the luxury front is the Phaeton, a loaded all-wheel-drive sedan available with 8- and 12-cylinder engines and a sticker price starting around $60,000.
Failed to make the cut
More than a dozen nameplates didn’t make the cut for ’04. They are:
Acura CL
BMW Z8
Chrysler Voyager minivan
Dodge Dakota R/T pickup
Dodge Ram Van
Ford Escort ZX2
Ford Explorer Sport
GMC Sonoma pickup
Infiniti QX4
Isuzu Rodeo Sport two-door
Mazda Protege
Suzuki Vitara convertible
Volkswagen EuroVan
