LOS ANGELES — As another auto show season opened last week with nearly simultaneous press previews at big salons in Los Angeles and Tokyo, followed closely by an exhibition in Guangzhou, China, the message from automakers to potential customers seems to be: The future is here.
But is anyone listening? Is anyone ready to buy?
Each of these shows is awash in dozens of technologically advanced vehicles that are here today, ready for purchase. What automakers now need is a pool of willing pioneers, risk-takers, and early adopters.
Many of these vehicles, as recently as a few years ago, seemed to be merely dream machines, glittering like faraway stars in a distant future.
“The brutal truth is that we have to do some of these things, to meet regulatory goals,” Scott Keogh, the president of Audi of America, said in an interview here Thursday. “But the consumer doesn’t have to meet Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards. And we still need to sell him a car. He wants a car that he likes and is willing to buy.”
Keogh suggested that Audi’s A3 E-tron Sportback, unveiled here, was an example of an appealing new technology package — a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle — without sale-killing trade-offs.
Vehicles that need special fuels; require dedicated charging systems; offer limited fueling stations, diminished capacity, or compromised packaging are examples, Keogh said, of cars that “give people four, five, six reasons to walk out the door of the dealership without buying.”
He added, “We can’t, and don’t, sell science projects.”
There is no shortage here of safe, traditional, gasoline-powered transportation choices: a new Ford Edge, the small Porsche Macan SUV, a Subaru Legacy wagon, a midsize Chevrolet Colorado pickup, a new coupe version of the Jaguar F-Type sports car, even a slightly less mini Mini. Expensive tastes were addressed with compelling exotic cars like the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo, inspired by a video racing game, and the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid.
Honda and Hyundai unveiled new models here powered by hydrogen fuel cells, as did Toyota in Tokyo.
“Brands have to lead; they can’t become stale,” said Michael Bartsch, vice president of Infiniti Americas. “We have to take chances — with design, with engineering, and with innovation.”
Besides the alternative fuel technologies displayed here, more automakers are showcasing autonomous driving features and functions. These emerging technologies provide driver assistance in braking, steering, and crash prevention.
What is unspoken is that these features are usually optional, and the trick is convincing consumers they are worth the extra cost.
“The bottom line for us, and the consumer, is that there has to be a business case for these cars and all this technology,” said Keogh of Audi.
The idea is to hit the sweet spot between wants and needs, and to make the sale. An auto show, Keogh said, is the perfect place for manufacturers to get feedback.
“Between the press — who provide a hopefully unbiased, critical, and informed look — our dealers and our customers, an auto show gives us a good read,” he said.