Innovations
are the fuel of the automotive industry. They serve to differentiate
brands, adapt cars to changing customer preferences, provide answers to
global challenges and so ensure the continued success of the industry.
In the face of ever stricter emissions limits and increasingly scarce
commodities, the entire concept of individual mobility is at risk. It
will take innovative and affordable technologies, especially with regard
to drive systems and materials, to realize the full growth potential of
100 million motor vehicles by the year 2020.
In 2001, Mercer Management Consulting (now Oliver
Wyman) published a comprehensive study titled “Automotive Technology
2010.” Since then, this study has become the basis for many strategy
discussions in the industry and inspired many of our automotive
consulting projects. Six years later, the new study, “Car Innovation
2015,” continues this trend-setting work and expands the technological
perspective to all aspects of innovations, not just the technological
ones.
A new year always means the same thing! New hangovers, gyms crowded
with people trying to keep their New Year’s resolutions, and, something
people will actually keep more than a month, new cars! 2014 will see the
rollout of dozens of 2015 model year cars, but only a relative handful
are completely new. Below is a selection of the most significant and
exciting models lighting up dealer lots this year. Unless otherwise
stated, all prices are TBA.
2015 Honda Fit
Don’t let its size fool you, Honda’s smallest offering this side of the Pacific has been busy. Besides an all-new hatchback model to replace their critically-acclaimed outgoing Fit, Honda plans to offer a sedan and micro-suv variants. Expect all-new styling and improvements to the already impressive handling for the hatchback, which will likely be the first to our shores. Honda is also touting bumps to the Fit’s power, efficiency, and standard options. I’ve got my eye on the sporty RS trim level. Although the exact specs for the States-side version have yet to be announced, rumor has it this fitter Fit will roll out in the spring.
2015 Ford Mustang
2014 marks the 50th anniversary for the Ford Mustang but the Blue Oval isn’t resting on the venerable name plate’s laurels. The all-new Mustang is a lower, wider, more modern evolution of the icon’s retro styling. The improvements are more than skin deep, with a slew of changes designed to bring the ‘Stang’s performance into the 21st century. With those and improvements to fuel efficiency and interior quality, the original pony car could once again be the finest filly on the track.
2015 Subaru WRX
Subaru’s respected, rally-inspired take on the humble Impreza is back as a sporty sedan. A powerful engine, all wheel drive, and improved handling hide beneath menacing sheetmetal. Unlike the gold-rimmed, frat-boy racer of old, this new WRX boasts more mature styling, with nary a giant wing to be found - even the trademark hood scoop is more tastefully integrated into the overall design.
2015 Chevy Colorado and Ford F-150
Compared to the fast-paced world of passenger cars, the world of light trucks moves slowly, with only modest styling and technology changes from year to year. That’s why it’s such big news that not one, but two pickup stalwarts will debut complete redesigns. Chevy’s “small” pickup, the Colorado, has picked up some handsome new styling while Ford’s F-150 (a.k.a. the best selling passenger vehicle in the country) is also preparing a brand new entry. While Ford is keeping the F-150 under wraps for now, expect it and the Colorado to launch new technologies.
2015 Hyundai Genesis
The original Genesis sedan was Hyundai’s daring foray into the luxury sedan market, and the stately sedan, although derivative of the Lexuses, Benzes, and BMW’s with which it competed, was a competent, high-value entry that put those mainstays on notice. The second generation sedan going on sale next year further pursues the Genesis’s strongest suit, value, while refining the styling and performance even closer to the segment’s mainstays. New this year is the carbon dioxide sensor - the Genesis can sense when your bad breath is making it stuffy, and automatically bring in fresh air.
2015 Honda Fit
Don’t let its size fool you, Honda’s smallest offering this side of the Pacific has been busy. Besides an all-new hatchback model to replace their critically-acclaimed outgoing Fit, Honda plans to offer a sedan and micro-suv variants. Expect all-new styling and improvements to the already impressive handling for the hatchback, which will likely be the first to our shores. Honda is also touting bumps to the Fit’s power, efficiency, and standard options. I’ve got my eye on the sporty RS trim level. Although the exact specs for the States-side version have yet to be announced, rumor has it this fitter Fit will roll out in the spring.
2015 Ford Mustang
2014 marks the 50th anniversary for the Ford Mustang but the Blue Oval isn’t resting on the venerable name plate’s laurels. The all-new Mustang is a lower, wider, more modern evolution of the icon’s retro styling. The improvements are more than skin deep, with a slew of changes designed to bring the ‘Stang’s performance into the 21st century. With those and improvements to fuel efficiency and interior quality, the original pony car could once again be the finest filly on the track.
2015 Subaru WRX
Subaru’s respected, rally-inspired take on the humble Impreza is back as a sporty sedan. A powerful engine, all wheel drive, and improved handling hide beneath menacing sheetmetal. Unlike the gold-rimmed, frat-boy racer of old, this new WRX boasts more mature styling, with nary a giant wing to be found - even the trademark hood scoop is more tastefully integrated into the overall design.
2015 Chevy Colorado and Ford F-150
Compared to the fast-paced world of passenger cars, the world of light trucks moves slowly, with only modest styling and technology changes from year to year. That’s why it’s such big news that not one, but two pickup stalwarts will debut complete redesigns. Chevy’s “small” pickup, the Colorado, has picked up some handsome new styling while Ford’s F-150 (a.k.a. the best selling passenger vehicle in the country) is also preparing a brand new entry. While Ford is keeping the F-150 under wraps for now, expect it and the Colorado to launch new technologies.
2015 Hyundai Genesis
The original Genesis sedan was Hyundai’s daring foray into the luxury sedan market, and the stately sedan, although derivative of the Lexuses, Benzes, and BMW’s with which it competed, was a competent, high-value entry that put those mainstays on notice. The second generation sedan going on sale next year further pursues the Genesis’s strongest suit, value, while refining the styling and performance even closer to the segment’s mainstays. New this year is the carbon dioxide sensor - the Genesis can sense when your bad breath is making it stuffy, and automatically bring in fresh air.
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