Jan 14 (Reuters) - Automakers from the United States, Europe and Asia are rolling out new and redesigned production and concept vehicles at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. PRODUCTION Acura RDX: Honda Motor Co Ltd will unveil the redesigned Acura RDX crossover vehicle, hoping to stand out in a crowded field of compact, luxury SUVs. BMW i8 Coupe: An updated edition of BMW's electrified sports car marries a three-cylinder gasoline engine and an electric motor for a combined 374 horsepower. BMW X2: A sporty companion to BMW's X1 and X3 compact crossovers, the new X2 arrives in U.S. Chevrolet Silverado: General Motors Co's best-selling pickup gets a full redesign for model year 2019. Its companion, the redesigned GMC Sierra, will be unveiled later this year. Hyundai Veloster: Hyundai Motor Co's sporty Veloster gets a new silhouette, while maintaining its trademark three-doors-plus-hatchback configuration. Mercedes G-Class: The long-running Gelandewagen gets "the biggest makeover in its history," according to Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz, but keeps its rugged boxy shape. Ram 1500: Fiat Chrysler's popular full-size pickup gets a top-to-bottom overhaul and goes on sale later this year as a 2019 model. Toyota Avalon: Toyota Motor Corp's range-topping Avalon sedan gets a full redesign for 2019, but faces dwindling demand from U.S. GAC GS8 crossover: Chinese automaker GAC Motor returns to the Detroit show with a new flagship crossover model, the GS8. GAC GA8 sedan: GAC describes its GA8 as a "signature sedan," one that may be aimed at the redesigned Toyota Avalon. Infiniti Q Inspiration: Nissan Motor Co Ltd's premium Infiniti brand teases a possible successor to its Q70 sedan. Lexus LF1 Limitless: Toyota's premium Lexus brand provides a sneak preview of a future top-of-the-line crossover model.
The lid itself is power activated. Rear passenger compartment offers optional equipment including a center console and special lighting. In addition the two rear seats 鈥ay 40 x 40 drop down and add a lot of additional cargo area. The center area (or 20%) is the center console that goes from front to back. There is a sophisticated ventilation system for the cold and hot seats: they suck the air out instead of blowing it out. Porsche states it is better than the competitions. If heated seats are in front and back that is a plus. If cooling seats are also in all four-bucket seats that is even better! The steering wheel is also heated and that in winter months is a plus. The center console is stylish sporting slim buttons and a touch screen infotainment system that is just like that in the 911. Instrumentation is familiar in the Porsche Panamera with four gauges clustered around the larger tachometer in the center.
3990.00) system from Burmester runs through 16 speakers and as far as most of the reviewers we discussed the sound quality with they agree with us that it is perhaps the number one system available. The Porsche communication management system has above center console superb navigation system. The Panamera was to be very light and fuel efficient 鈥済reen鈥?so that no gas guzzling tax would be charged. Use of lightweight steels, alloys, magnesium and plastics helped in weight savings needed to help reduce fuel consumption as stated by Gary Fong of Porsche public relations department in Atlanta, Georgia. The Panemera S weighs in at 3,968 pounds, the Panemera all wheel drive or 4S at 4,100 pounds, and the twin-turbo at 4,300 pounds. The Panamera is 276 to 596 pounds lighter than the A8, 750i, LS 460 and S550 giving it the best fuel economy of the group. Porsche, for the first time installed the start/stop system that reduces fuel consumption.
I have used it on numerous Bosch Test vehicles. Takes a little getting use to but once familiar with its operation no problem. Similar to the start up of a hybrid. They succeeded in reducing the weight, cutting fuel consumption and in fact through all their design of the vehicle including aerodynamics the Panamera saved nearly 4 miles per gallon. Porsche states that the Panamera S and 4S get 16-city/24 highway/19-combined mpg. The Panamera turbo gets 15-city/23 highway/18-combined mpg. Porsche says the twin turbo mpg numbers are about 20 percent better than the competition's numbers. Direct fuel injection injects fuel up to 1740 psi directly into the combustion chamber optimizing torque, power output, fuel consumption and emissions. Bosch has supplied BMW, Audi, VW Mercedes and even Ford and others with the system. Higher fuel efficiency is captured through the seven-speed double clutch transmission. Porsche states if you use less rpms then better economy. The shifting is done within a few hundredth(s) of a second.
Power from the engine is transferred to one of two clutches thanks to the ZF seven speed PDK(Porsche Doppel Kupplungsgetriebe) transmission. The flow of power is transmitted through one gearbox at a time while the next gear is preselected in the other half of the gearbox. We had no clutch slippage as others have indicated off the line. The manual mode is operated by paddle shifters on the steering wheel. Move from first gear to seventh gear with ease. The 7th gear delivers amazing gas mileage. Image at 125 miles per hour the engine is running at 2800 rpm. But, if I am driving any model of the Porsche Panamera I want to use the paddle shifter to move me around the most exciting roads. The lower gears make the Panamera exciting especially on the two lane highways in the mountains of Northern California. The European Manual Six Speed ZF transmission will not be offered at this time in the US.
