The Worst Cars at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show
Cadillac’s first compact luxury coupe was a disappointment from a style viewpoint. There’s a new crest in the middle of the trademark giant front grille of this vehicle, but that, and its more agile handling, isn’t enough to set it apart from other luxury competitors. Cadillac’s car is designed to bring additional younger buyers to the brand, but its boxy shape may not be enough to draw them from nameplates.
REUTERS/Rebecca Cook
This sedan was designed to replace the TL, but there’s not much to embrace about its styling. Acura’s trademark “Jewel Eye LED headlights” are a bright spot, but the rest of the vehicle is uninteresting and too safe to attract much notice. It likely won’t cause current buyers to flee the brand, but it may not be successful in attracting converts, with all the other sizzling luxury offerings in the market.
REUTERS/Joshua Lott
This new product doesn’t bring any surprising styling from a vehicle in a segment not known for bold designs. Though it gets an impressive 42 miles per gallon in fuel economy, that factor alone is unlikely to sell the vehicle. There’s nothing to new capture one’s attention, and it could easily blend in with previous model year Passats.
REUTERS/Joshua Lott
No auto show would be complete without Chevy’s quintessential sports car. It could be considered blasphemy in some circles to chastise this new model, but the Corvette now has plenty of tough competition in the luxury performance car segment, and this latest model does little to make it stand out. Chevrolet hasn’t done much to overhaul its exterior. Perhaps that’s because the automaker is reluctant to tinker with an icon. That may not be the wisest decision, with so many cool models of a similar class nipping at its heels.
*This slide has been amended from a previous version.
REUTERS/Rebecca Cook
The first thing one notices on this car is a large, rectangular, rear spoiler that sticks up like an obstruction. There’s also a “hood scoop” that provides a supply of fresh air for cooling, but it’s placed conspicuously on top of the car, resulting in an odd, unappealing shape. Subaru points to narrower headlights “designed to evoke a raptor’s stare” that flank the grille, which do make the front of the car more interesting. The overall shape, though, is standard and falls short.
REUTERS/Joshua Lott
Though the North American International Auto Show included many bold vehicles that defied conventional styling, in some cases automakers played it safe – to detrimental results. The styling on this new Audi A8 does little to differentiate itself from its sporty, luxury peers. Despite a redesigned front and new LED headlights, the car doesn’t pop. It looks boxy and conservative. And with an MSRP in the $75,000 range (the cost of the current model), this could have been more scintillating.
REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay