Preview: 2018 Los Angeles Motor Show

The Los Angeles Motor Show is the last major auto show of the calendar year. Which means it is the last opportunity for carmakers to end the year on a high note, thereby leaving us with much anticipation for cars arriving in the following year. The 2018 edition opens its gates at the end of this week. So here is a detailed report of what cars we expect to see at the LA stage and which of them would make it to our shores:

Audi 

Audi revealed the new and updated R8, dismissing the rumours of shelving the mid-engine supercar or the speculation of the V6 engine. The new R8 is sharper, more powerful and more efficient than before and is coming to our shores soon.

Audi has finally given a green flag to the E-Tron GT which will be Audi’s take on the electric sports sedan segment. Based on the upcoming Porsche Taycan, the E-Tron will debut in a concept guise and will spearhead the Ingolstadt-based carmaker’s EV offensive.

Apart from these two big hitters, we can expect some firepower from the Audi Sport division in the form of S7 Sportback or RS Q8. But nothing has been confirmed yet.

BMW 

The full-size BMW X7 and the all-new 8 Series Convertible will make its first public appearance. 

But all eyes at the BMW stall will be on the M340i which is the most powerful 3 Series till date. Under its muscular hood is a 369bhp 3.0-litre straight-six which sends power to xDrive four-wheel drive. 

On the green car front, BMW will showcase the iNEXT Concept which is due to hit production only in 2021. 

Bentley:

We have already seen the new-gen Continental GT which looks amazing. But the British connoisseurs are waiting for Bentley to drop the top and reveal the GTC variant, which is rumoured to arrive at the LA stage. 

Honda:

Honda is bringing back the iconic Passport and LA will be the first place to see it. The Passport is a rugged SUV with better off-road credentials than the CR-V upon which it is based. It will be specific to the American market but we’d love to see the Passport in India as well. 

Hyundai:

Hyundai is going big. The Korean carmaker will arrive at the City of Angels with the full-size, three-row flagship SUV called the Palisade. Based on its sister model, the Kia Telluride, the Palisade will get the Hyundai’s new design language and will be powered by a 3.3-litre V6 producing around 350bhp. It will go on sale in the American market first followed by Europe. 

Jeep:

At the LA Show, we’d finally get to see the Jeep Pickup. Although it isn’t confirmed yet, the JL Wrangler-based pickup will adopt a “Gladiator” moniker. It’ll carry the same design as seen on the new-gen Wrangler. This will be the first Jeep Pickup in almost 30 years and it will be feature loaded as well, in order to compete in the midsize pickup class. It might also debut some form of electrified powertrain, a first for the American SUV maker. 

Kia:

Kia has been extensively teasing the new-gen Soul and we’ll get to see it in full at the LA stall. The new Soul will carry forward the same characteristic styling of the previous model but with fancier and modern pieces The powertrain will be carried forward while the all-electric variant will also be available, sharing it with the e-Niro and Hyundai Kona EV.

Mercedes-Benz:

The Three-Pointed Star is likely to reveal its SUV flagship, the new-gen GLS-Class, at the LA Motor Show. Although no specific details are available at the moment, we have already spotted the three-row Mercedes on many occasions already. Based on the new platform, the new-gen GLS will adopt Mercedes’ family design seen on the new-gen CLS and GLE. 

Apart from that, the AMG division will bring in the GT R Pro to the LA stage which we think is a track-ready version of the already bonkers GT R. The GT R Pro will capitalise on motorsport heritage with extreme weight-saving measures and revised powertrain.

Moreover, Mercedes will also have on display its India-bound line-up which will include new-gen GLE, AMG GT 4-Door, A-Class Sedan and hatchback, and B-Class.

Porsche:

Finally, after a long wait, we will see the new-gen Porsche 911 at LA. The 992-gen 911 is bigger, lighter and has advanced features compared to the current 991.2-generation. Moving to MMB platform, the new 911 will retain its distinguished shape though. However, it will get active aero and a wider track making it tail-happy and more practical as well. After it goes on sale in the international markets, Porsche will surely bring the new-gen 911 to India sometime later next year.

Joining the new 911 will be the GTS version of the Panamera and Panamera Sport Turismo. We’d also see the updated Macan, which is India-bound as well.

Toyota:

At the Toyota stall this year, we’ll see the Avalon and Camry tuned by the Japanese carmaker’s TRD Division. The go-faster version of both sedans features aggressive styling along with a bump in power output. 

Joining these two performance sedans will be the Corolla sedan which is due to reach India later next year. Moreover, Toyota will also showcase a more potent version of the famous Prius hybrid with E-Four four-wheel-drive system. 

Volkswagen:

We will bid farewell to the iconic Beetle, as Volkswagen prepares to showcase the Beetle Final Edition at the LA stage. It will be the swansong to the legendary car, since according to rumours, VW plans to axe the Beetle after the current generation.