2006 Detroit Auto Show

The Detroit Auto Show is one of the big three annual automotive shows, along with Frankfurt and Geneva, and makes Sydney’s yearly shindig look like a backyard barbecue.
This year’s show held particular significance for the towing fraternity because North American auto giants such as GM, Ford, and Chrysler discovered the humble crossover SUV.

Ford opened the show with the stunning new Ford Edge concept, which shares its vitals with Mazda’s sleek new CX-7 SUV, and looks a bit like the Ford Territory. It’s a little shy of the Territory’s dimensions, but packs similar performance, with a 3.5lt V6 engine driving all four wheels.

For boats beyond the Edge’s projected two-tonne towing capacity, Ford trotted out the big daddy of all F-Series trucks; the F250 Super Chief concept.

Its visual design pays homage to the great diesel electric locomotives of the 20th century, and is single-handedly responsible for a 60 per cent increase in chrome manufacturing in the States.

Whether you love or loathe the look, the Super Chief’s not the shy, retiring type. It has a six-foot long bed behind a double cab with seating for four. The rear doors are hinged at the rear and each back seat occupant has their own chrome/leather footrest, which revolves up out of the floor.

In between is a fully stocked, retractable bar with tumblers and an ice bucket.
Its six-metre plus length rides on 24-inch tyres and requires just less than two continents to do a U-turn.

Under the bonnet hides a potent, supercharged V10 engine capable of running on petrol, hydrogen or ethanol. But don’t expect this concept vehicle to be in showrooms anytime soon; even Americans don’t go in for this much luxury and performance in their trucks … yet.

GM, meanwhile, with its Buick Enclave SUV, has taken a more pragmatic approach to four-wheel drives.

It’s somewhat shorter than the Super Chief in length but still longer than a Land Cruiser. For the Australian market, it could be built as a right-hand drive if the demand is there.

Under the bonnet sits Commodore’s 3.6lt V6 engine tuned for 200kW and mated to GM’s all-new six-speed automatic transmission, which we’ll also see in Commodore this year.
The Buick Enclave will not come to Australia badged as a Buick. But under GM’s current branding strategy, it could arrive Down Under wearing a Holden lion.

Also on the GM stand, with hopefully no chance of venturing to Australia anytime soon, was the ridiculous Chevrolet Kodiak personal prime mover.

This four-wheel drive mega-pickup measures more than eight metres bumper to bumper and rides on a wheelbase longer than an entire Commodore.

It comes with a variety of engine and axle combinations rated to tow up to 8.5 tonnes. The price starts at US$41,000 and can be optioned beyond six figures.

GM’s real jewel, though, was its H3 Hummer, significantly smaller than the original H1s that were made famous by Operation Desert Storm. The H3 will almost certainly hit the Australian market in the next year or two.

Interestingly, the 4.8m long four-seater, which has a 2.5-tonne towing capability, is powered by a Vortec 3.5lt engine and the same four-speed automatic transmission as the current model Holden Crewman.

If you want to start squirreling away for your very own H3 Hummer, aim to have about $50,000 by early 2007.

And bug your Holden dealer mercilessly.