Detroit Motor Show 2014: round-up

The 2014 Detroit Motor Show opened its doors on Monday and there were plenty of interesting and important new cars to take a look at.

Now that the covers are firmly off, we recap the most significant new cars unveiled for the first time this week. Read on for a round-up of the biggest car launches at Detroit in 2014.

Audi

Audi’s range will grow by 11 models in the coming years and the first new car will be the Audi Q1 – the company’s baby SUV – which will compete with cars such as the Nissan Juke and Ford EcoSport, as well as other small SUVs that are rumoured to be under development at Mercedes and BMW. The Audi Allroad Shooting Brake concept car was unveiled in Detroit, which gives an idea of the styling of Audi models in the pipeline, including the Q1 and the new Audi TT.

BMW

The two biggest stars on the BMW stand are the firm’s BMW M3 and BMW M4 models, which are faster and more economical than the outgoing versions. The M3 model now becomes a four-door saloon body only, while the M4 is a two-door coupe. The BMW 2 Series also made its debut at the show - the car is the renamed BMW 1 Series coupe and is BMW's answer to the Mercedes CLA. Revised versions of the X1 and Z4 are also on the BMW stand this week.

Chevrolet

Chevrolet previewed the high-performance version of its Corvette. Called the Chevrolet Corvette Z06, it’s expected to have around 600bhp thanks to a huge V8 engine, although whether the car will be sold in the UK officially has yet to be confirmed.

Ford

One muscle car that is confirmed for the UK is the new Ford Mustang, which will be built in right-hand drive for the first time. It will be offered either with a small capacity four-cylinder engine, for improved emissions and economy, or the more traditional large V8, for a higher top speed and a lower 0-60mph time.

As well as this, the 2015 Ford F-150 pick-up truck was on show. It won't be coming to the UK, but that shouldn't stop the huge 4x4 being a huge success in America and the rest of the world. The Ford F-150 has been the best-selling truck in the US for decades and the new aluminium body, said to cut around 300kg from the overall weight, will help the F-150 be more efficient.

Infiniti

The luxurious wing of Nissan unveiled its Infiniti Q50 Eau Rogue concept at the show. It's a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series-rivalling Infiniti Q50 and the firm has suggested it would would have around 500bhp if it were to go into production, which is as yet unconfirmed. The Eau Rogue is named after a high-speed corner at Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps Formula 1 circuit. Read our dedicated story here for more info on Infiniti's high-perfomance saloon concept car.

Kia

Korean firm Kia released teaser shots of its Kia GT4 Stinger Concept in the lead up to the show and the car turned out to be one of the biggest talking points from Detroit when it was unveiled on Monday. It will be powered by a 311bhp, 2.0-litre turbocharged engine and is set to offer a fun driving experience. However it was the car's striking looks that caught the eye on Monday - you can see official images with our story on the GT4 here.

Lexus

The Lexus RC F coupe could also provide some competition for the new BMW M4. The eye-catching Lexus will have a huge V8 engine that’s set to produce around 455bhp. It is based on the RC coupe that went on show in Tokyo.

MINI

The MINI John Cooper Works (JCW) Concept was launched in Detroit this week and its longer and wider than the old Mini JCW. Traditionally the high performance version of the MINI, the JCW concept previews the production-ready car that’s set to go on sale in the summer. It’s fitted with a 2-litre engine producing around 200bhp. That should mean a top speed of more than 150mph and a 0-60mph time of around six seconds.

Mercedes

While the new MINI launch drew large crowds at the show, the first public sighting of the new Mercedes C-Class was potentially the biggest news of the event. The 2014 Mercedes C-Class is set to improve on the car it replaces in every way, being more efficient, faster and more spacious than the car it replaces.

The new C-Class was joined on the Mercedes stand by the Mercedes GLA 45 SUV, the fast version of the firm’s Land Rover Evoque rival. The sporty GLA model is set to go head-to-head with the Audi RS Q3.

The high-performance Mercedes S600 was also unveiled at the show and gets a twin-turbo V12 engine that produces 530bhp - it's the most powerful S-Class model, not including the AMG versions. The S600 will serve as the top-of-the-range car in the S-Class range and has been launched as Mercedes' ultimate luxury saloon. Prices have yet to be officially confirmed but the car is expected to cost more than £120,000.

Porsche

The new Porsche 911 Targa made its debut at Detroit. The Targa model is a semi-convertible version of Porsche's iconic high-performance model. It sits between the coupe and convertible and takes inspiration from the original Targa model, which was first seen in 1966.

Toyota

Toyota was rumoured to be using Detroit to showcase the new Toyota Supra and the company unveiled a sports coupe concept car called the FT-1 Concept. Toyota did not release many details on the FT-1, but the car is said to have a 'high-output' conventional engine in addition to its sculpted looks and interior. Whether the car will ever go into production is unclear, but it certainly gives clues about the design of future Toyota models.

Volvo

Volvo used the Detroit show to showcase the Volvo Concept XC Coupe. Its styling gives us an idea of how the rest of the Volvo range will look in the future and, in particular, the new Volvo XC90 – Volvo’s large SUV – which is expected to go on sale towards the end of the year.

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