detroit auto show

Top car tech from CES and the Detroit auto show: CNET On Cars Episode 10

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We open the year with a double header from what I think are the two biggest car events in the U.S. each year: The Consumer Electronics Show and the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The latter makes total sense in a show like this, but CES has also moved up the ranks as a major moment for car tech. I mean, Ford and GM climbed all over each other in a battle to be the first major automakers … Read more

Efficiency is key at the 2013 Detroit auto show (roundup)

The 2013 North American International Auto Show -- simply, the Detroit auto show for those familiar -- was the stage for quite a few debuts that ran the gamut of vehicle types, classes, and feasibility. Chevrolet pulled the wraps off of the next great American supercar, a dueling pair of luxury sedans were debuted by Infiniti and Lexus, Ford showed off a very thinly veiled look at the future of one of the best selling vehicles in the world, and glossy concept sedans and crossovers could be found around every corner.

Among this wide range of vehicles, one theme was shared: fuel efficiency. Of course, it's no surprise that the next generation of vehicles will need to sip less fuel than the last, but we found the variety of fuel-saving techniques for these concepts and production cars to be almost as interesting as the cars themselves. We've rounded up a few highlights below:… Read more

Facebook Graph Search takes on Google

Tuesday's CNET Update is searching for friends who put useful data on Facebook:

Today's tech news roundup looks at Facebook's Graph Search, a new smart-search tool that focuses on specific details within people, photos, places and interests. Instead of searching with a keyword, like on Google, users would narrow down different fields to find data. Some examples:

- Search for friends in your city that like the show Fringe, and it can help you organize a watch party for the finale.

- Search for Mexican restaurants in Palo Alto that your friends have been to, and avoid … Read more

VW shows off new hybrid system, engine in Detroit

DETROIT--Volkswagen has been much better known for its high-mileage diesel models than hybrids. Yet here at the 2013 North American International Auto Show, VW showed a concept car featuring a new transmission that will let it turn almost any car in its lineup into a hybrid. The company also showed a new, more efficient direct-injection 1.8-liter engine making 250 horsepower.

The CrossBlue concept, a diesel hybrid, relies on what VW board member Ulrich Hackenberg referred to as an eDSG in an interview with CNET. The eDSG is a new version of VW's Dual Shift Gearbox (DSG), a transmission … Read more

2014 Corvette Stingray debuts with rev-matching 7-speed

DETROIT--Chevrolet has pulled the covers back on what is easily the most hotly anticipated (and worst-kept secret) of the 2013 Detroit auto show: the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.

Only three Corvette models have ever borne the name Stingray: the mid-'60s second-generation model, the third-generation car produced through the '70s and into the '80s (arguably the most iconic), and now the seventh-generation (C7) 2014 model. Chevrolet states that it's reviving the name for the 2014 model year because it is the best 'Vette ever. Well, it's not like Chevy would claim anything less of its newest halo car, … Read more

Infiniti teases Q50, an update to the G sedan

Infiniti says it will unveil a new sport sedan, called the Q50, at the upcoming Detroit auto show. The model introduces the brand's new naming strategy, and is billed as a replacement for the current G sedan.

Typical for pre-auto-show teasers, all we get is an image of the new car's headlight. However, that shot reveals styling much different than seen on current Infiniti G and M models. Rather than the high lens of the current headlights, which mold into the pontoon-like front fenders, the teaser shows a hooded headlight topped by an LED strip.

The headlight design … Read more

New Corvette teased and leaked ahead of January unveil

At the Detroit auto show next month, Chevrolet will unveil the 2014 Corvette, the seventh generation of the legendary American supercar. GM's own media releases ahead of the launch reveal a modern, high-tech car that should compete with the best from Europe. At the same time, it appears Chevy addressed a long-time Corvette issue: cabin quality.

To date, the most reliable information available concerns the new Corvette's engine. GM released a presentation detailing construction, testing, and specifications for this new powerplant. The engine, designated LT1, replaces the outgoing LS3.

Although it retains the 6.2-liter displacement of the … Read more

Honda readies small SUV for Detroit

Today Honda sent out a sketch of a new concept vehicle the company intends to unveil at the North American International Auto Show in January. Honda calls the concept an Urban SUV, and it looks like the predecessor to a new, small SUV in the lineup.

The sketch shows the profile of a car with lines similar to the latest CR-V model. However, Honda updated the CR-V for 2012, so the concept is not likely to be a new version of that car.

More likely would be a smaller SUV, similar to the Subaru XV Crosstrek and BMW X1, a … Read more

All-new Lexus IS to debut in Detroit; what should we expect?

Lexus has announced that it will be pulling the wraps off of the all-new IS at the 2013 North American International Auto Show--better known to those of us car guys and gals as the Detroit Auto Show. The automaker has stated that the new model "has been completely redesigned, inside and out" and will be inspired by the LF-CC Coupe Concept (which we saw make its own debut at the 2012 Paris Auto Show) and the brand's LFA halo car.

Beyond that, the automaker hasn't said anything else about the new IS. So, exactly what should … Read more