LA Motor Show 2013: all you need to know

Global debuts of some of the world’s most important new cars mean the LA Motor Show is one of the most important dates on the motoring calendar. The Tokyo Motor Show runs alongside it and we've got roving reporters at both shows ready to bring you all the details. Cars to be unveiled in LA include the new MINI Cooper, the Jaguar F-Type coupe, BMW 4 Series convertible and the eagerly awaited Porsche Macan SUV.

Audi

Following an interesting Frankfurt Motor Show 2013, Audi will be taking a bit of a step back at the Los Angeles Motor Show. Audi launched the new Audi A3 Cabriolet and updated Audi A8 at the German show – two important models in the company’s line-up. But with no new cars, Audi’s highlight will be the ostentatious Nanuk Concept, which mixes supercar performance with the look of an SUV. Although it’s just a concept car at the moment, Audi will use the show to gauge public opinion.

BMW

Hoping to steal some of Audi’s thunder, the BMW 4 Series convertible will be shown at the LA Motor Show for the first time in public. The 4 Series convertible is larger than the BMW 3 Series convertible it replaces and retains the folding hardtop, which takes 20 seconds to lower. Prices start at £35,650 for the BMW 420d SE, which means it costs around £4,000 more than the recently released BMW 4 Series coupe. Rumour has it BMW will showcase its all-new BMW X4 concept at LA, too, which is set to go on sale next year priced from around £30,000. The BMW i3 and BMW i8 will also be on display, with the former already on sale in the UK.

Ford

Ford will unveil an all-new large SUV at the LA Motor Show in an effort to plug a gap in its current line-up. At the moment, it offers the Ford Focus-based Ford Kuga, and the smaller Ford EcoSport, which is based on the Ford Fiesta and goes on sale in the UK in early 2014. But the new, full-size SUV will be based on the new Ford Mondeo and should rivals cars like the Volvo XC90 and Volkswagen Touareg. Although unconfirmed, rumour has it this new 4x4 will be sold largely unchanged around the globe and be called the Ford Edge when it goes on sale next year.

Honda

Honda will also reveal a new model in LA – the Honda FCEV. It’s a hydrogen-powered car, which releases only water as a waste product. Little else is known about the Honda FCEV, except that it should go on sale in 2015.

Jaguar

The Jaguar F-type coupe will make its official debut in LA. The coupe will cost slightly more than the Jaguar F-Type convertible and will feature the same range of engines including a 335bhp supercharged V6 and a huge 448bhp V8. Also set to appear in LA is the Jaguar C-X17, the company’s new SUV, which we first saw at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. It will go on sale in 2016, with a price of around £35,000, and will rival cars such as the Audi Q5 and BMW X3.

Land Rover

Land Rover is going to officially unveil its new long wheelbase version of the Range Rover at the LA Motor Show. Pictures and details of this car have recently been released. It will add around 15cm to the length of the premium SUV, offering a lot more legroom and interior space for passengers in the back. Aside from more space, the long wheelbase version of the Range Rover is unlikely to offer anything more over the standard version – though a special Range Rover Autobigraphy Black edition should take care of that.

MINI

One of LA’s biggest talking points will be the new MINI Cooper. While visual changes to the MINI may be subtle, the car is totally new and should improve on the old car in nearly every area. Along with new engines, the new MINI Cooper 2014 offers more space, better economy, improved emissions, uprated safety and new levels of equipment. As with the old car, we can expect the 2014 MINI to be one of the most fun small cars on the market.

Mercedes

The talk of the Mercedes stand will be the Mercedes GLA SUV – the German car maker’s answer to the BMW X1 and the Audi Q3. The Mercedes GLA will go on sale at the end of November 2013, and can be bought with two-wheel drive for improved fuel economy – or four-wheel drive for better off-road ability and grip. Engines range from a basic 1.6-litre petrol to a top-of-the-range 2.1-litre diesel. Mercedes will also use the Los Angeles Motor Show to display the 621bhp Mercedes S65 AMG saloon, the Mercedes S63 AMG and the Mercedes SLS Final Edition, which features lightweight carbon fibre body panels to lower weight and improve the way it drives. This will be a last hurrah for the Mercedes SLS supercar.

Nissan

Taking centre stage at the Nissan stand is the new Nissan X-Trail. It gets a sleek new body and looks very similar to the brand-new Nissan Qashqai, revealed earlier this month. It will feature a raft of clever features and will be 20 per cent more efficient, although Nissan says it will remain a capable 4x4 when you want to take it off-road. Also on show will be the Nissan Juke Nismo RS and the Nissan GT-R Nismo – a tuned version of the Nissan GT-R supercar.

Porsche

The new Porsche Macan SUV is all-set for its public reveal in LA. We’re expecting it to be one of the most fun to drive SUVs in its class, and a rival to the BMW X4 and Audi Q5. Engines will include everything from a 254bhp 3.0-litre diesel, which can manage 46.3mpg, to a 394bhp 3.6-litre V6 petrol that is sure to be lightning fast. The Porsche 911 Turbo will also be on display, alongside the new Porsche 918 Spyder hybrid supercar.

Subaru

The Subaru WRX concept will be the star of the Subaru stand at the LA Motor Show. The WRX badge has come to signify a blend of performance and all-weather grip, thanks to powerful turbo-charged engines and sophisticated four-wheel drive systems. The WRX concept car will give us a hint as to what the new Subaru WRX STi will look like when it arrives next year – and should be one of the most interesting cars of 2014. Also on show will be the Subaru Levorg concept, which points towards how the next generation of the Subaru Legacy may look.

Make sure you keep checking back as we update this article to include all the most exciting news direct from LA. We'll have a team of dedicated reporters at the show, ready to spill the beans on all the important debuts and the best new cars for 2014.