Top five new star cars from the Detroit Motor Show

The North American International Auto Show (or Detroit Motor Show to you and I) kicked off the international auto show calendar earlier this week and, although it’s no longer king of the car shows, there’s still a plethora of new models to ogle over.

Here’s five of the best…

Audi Q8

Read more about the Audi Q8 here

Audi has really got into the swing of the SUV craze lately, what with its new Q2 crossover and refreshed Q5, but it hasn’t forgotten about the higher end of the market either. It has just revealed its eagerly anticipated Q8 concept, and gives us an idea of what the production-ready variant should look like when it hits the road in 2018.

The concept gets a clever etron hybrid platform, but in spite of green credentials it’ll still manage 0-62mph in a shade over 5 seconds. Elsewhere, there’s a futuristic dashboard, a humungous boot and of course Audi’s renowned Quattro four-wheel-drive system. Could this be the cheap Bentley Bentayga we’ve been waiting for?

BMW 5 Series

BMW 5 Series lease deals

We’ve already seen the 2017 BMW 5 Series in glorious high definition, but it is Detroit where it has made its debut in the flesh. Although it isn’t as large as a 6 or 7 Series, the 5 Series has traditionally been an important flagship for BMW and, with autonomous tech and a hybrid variant on the cards, this ‘G30’ incarnation will be no exception.

Excluding its futuristic i3 and i8 hybrids, BMW isn’t known for outlandish departures when it comes to styling and this new model is no exception.  Behind the wheel, on the other hand, it should be a different story thanks to its 7 Series platform and tech innovations…

Kia Stinger

Read more about the new Kia Stinger here

Kia must congratulate itself on keeping this one a secret. In brief, it’s the most powerful production car Kia has made to date – the Kia Stinger GT. Featuring a rear-wheel-drive layout and a 365bhp V6, its aim is to take on and dethrone the many German exec saloons.

It may be great to look at, but we’ll have to wait and see if it’s up to the task from a driver’s perspective…

Mercedes E-Class Coupe

Mercedes E-Class Coupe lease deals

It was last year’s Detroit Show where Mercedes unveiled its marvellous new E-Class Saloon, which has since spawned a set of siblings in the form of the Estate and All-Terrain. Next up, it’s the Coupe’s turn, which was uncovered last month. Like the new 5 Series though, it’s the first time we’ve seen the E-Class Coupe in the flesh.

Rather than a larger C-Class, it’s fair to say the new E-Class range is more of a miniature S-Class, so expect more of the same; an interior full of only the finest materials and a range of potent yet frugal engines under the bonnet.

Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace

Volkswagen Tiguan lease deals here

That’s just an ordinary Tiguan, right? Wrong! Volkswagen unveiled the new Allspace in Detroit, which unlike the regular Tiguan gets seven seats and more luggage space. Rather than making a point out of the car’s elongated body, the AllSpace seems to deliberately hide the fact.

That’s no bad thing. Being just 22cm longer than a five-seat Tiguan, the sharp looks remain meaning that, despite the new Kodiaq’s attractive pricing, it’s likely the Tiguan that will remain king of the quality SUVs.

Anything else I should know?

Despite being the home of the American car industry, it can no longer be said that Detroit is the main American car show. In fact, numerous manufacturers won’t be making an appearance. Porsche for example, was present at the LA Motor Show a few months back and will be at the upcoming New York Show, but it is giving Detroit a miss.

That said, this year dozens of start-ups from around the world will be in attendance, most notably those concerned with autonomous car tech. The show opens its doors to the public on Saturday 14 January, so keep an eagle eye on our news section for further developments!