All of the big reveals from the 2016 LA Auto Show are in, and now TFL’s Roman Mica and Andre Smirnov are counting down their top five debuts from the show.
The LA show was very crossover-heavy, no surprise considering the market is moving in that direction, and a few of them made it onto the list.
#5: Alfa Romeo Stelvio
Alfa Romeo’s latest crossover, the Stelvio, is nothing more than a raised Giulia, meaning that it’s really a sports sedan in crossover guise. It’s named after a legendary mountain road, which shows that this is no off-roader, rather an on-road crossover meant to be just as much fun as a sedan.
#4: Honda Civic Si
Honda was sneaky with this debut, as no one really knew about it before the show. Not much has been revealed about the Civic Si other than the fact it it will have a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and it will only come with a manual transmission. Everything else was a secret, but it is supposed to be the most powerful Si ever made.
#3: Chevrolet Colorado ZR2
Andre, the truck guy, picked this one because it is the most off-road-worthy Colorado ever made. With its separate locking differentials and trick suspension, it is in the upper echelon of factory off-road vehicles. The only thing it needs, Roman thinks, is more power under the hood and it would be a direct Ford Raptor competitor.
#2: Mazda CX-5
The most “normal” car – or crossover – on the list, the CX-5 is an evolution of the current model and an important vehicle for Mazda, as it’s the company’s best seller. Styling has been updated to more closely mimic the new CX-9, but Andre isn’t convinced – he couldn’t tell if it was the old CX-5 or the new one.
#1: Jaguar I-Pace
This one is a game changer for Jaguar. Although it’s technically a crossover, its high level of luxury and exclusivity aims it squarely at the Tesla Model S, not the Model X crossover. The range is a bit disappointing – 220 miles – and it takes 90 minutes to charge. But the I-Pace, expected in showrooms in 2018, is the first real competitor in the luxury EV segment after the Tesla.
Check out the full video above for the bonus entry and to find out what Roman and Andre think about the best debuts from the LA auto show.
