"You won't even be noticed unless you offer something different. That's why we're breaking the mold," Jim Holden, DaimlerChrysler President, said about the Stratus coupe and sedan world debut at the Chicago Auto Show.

In addition to a new look, the 2001 sedan will have larger four-wheel disc brakes as standard equipment, thicker brake linings, as well as Continental-Teves' ABS Plus software system. "It (controls yaw) when the vehicle is in a curve condition or on a split (wet/dry) surface," said Burke Brown, Director of Vehicle Development for Large Car Platform Engineering.

The Stratus sedan gets a 2.7-L DOHC, 24-valve V6 engine, boosting power by 24 kW (32 hp) and increasing torque by 27 N•m (20 lb•ft) compared to the existing engine.

On the safety side, the sedan can be equipped with an optional side airbag curtain. The curtain is located in the roof area, and the firing mechanism is in the rear pillar. The curtain protects front and rear passengers.

A Stratus coupe replaces the Dodge Avenger, which was introduced in the 1995 model year. The coupe's top engine is a 3.0-L V6 with 149 kW (200 hp) and 278 N•m (205 lb•ft) torque. Power is increased 28 kW (37 hp) compared to the 2.5-L engine it replaces. Coupe body rigidity increases 90% in bending and 9% in torsion.

"The coupe and sedan are derived from different platforms," said Ronald Zarowitz, Program Planning Executive, Small Car Platform. The Stratus coupe is a variant off the Mitsubishi Eclipse and Galant platform, while the sedan is the successor to today's Dodge Cirrus and Stratus.

Frontier makeover

Nissan designers have given the Frontier compact pickup truck a muscular body via a new front fascia, hood, fenders, bumper, grille, headlamps, fog lamps, wheels, and tires.

"The attention given to this vehicle is usually given to full-on model launches," Jerry Hirshberg, President of Nissan Design International, said at the Chicago Auto Show's world debut of the 2001 Frontier. On the technical side, a new supercharged 3.3-L SOHC V6 engine that produces an estimated 157 kW (210 hp) and 325 N•m (240 lb•ft) of torque is available as the top power performer in a three-engine lineup.

Hyundai's crossover sedan.

The Crosstour concept vehicle, based on the Sonata platform, features a gullwing hood and an SUV-like rear compartment.

"By segmenting the hood, we can devote one side under the hood to simple maintenance items, like oil change and radiator fluid," Senior Designer Dragan Vukadinovic said at Crosstour's Chicago Auto Show world debut.

Unlike conventional doors, Crosstour's front doors hinge at the front and the rear doors hinge at the rear. Vehicle entry and exit is aided by the absence of a B-pillar. "For structural compensation, there are reinforced crossmembers in the floor and in the roof," said Vukadinovic.

Crosstour is without another typical vehicle element: windshield wipers. "There are three strategically located jets. High velocity air blows off rain or snow," Vukadinovic said.

The rear seats can fold flat, which allows stowage for two bicycles inside the vehicle's arc shape. The vehicle's overall height is 1580 mm (62.2 in). A flip-up panel—on the backside of each rear seat—provides a lockdown point for a bicycle's fork. The hingeless hatch design provides the framework for rear glass retraction into the roof. The open tailgate space can be tapped as a rest area via the built-in seating. The four-door concept seats four people and has a modified Hyundai DOHC V6.

Toyota unveils four-door truck

"With years of experience building the Toyota Hilux four-door pickup for markets in Europe, Asia, and Australia, it would have been easy to build a Tacoma version of this well-known commercial-use truck," Don Esmond, Toyota Division Group Vice President and General Manager, said at the Chicago Auto Show's world debut of the 2001 Tacoma Double Cab. Although the Double Cab shares Tacoma componentry—engines, transmission, drivetrain, basic chassis—the four-door pickup sports all-new sheet metal.

The Tacoma Double Cab has a "best-in-class" 280-mm (11-in) ground clearance and a 1550-mm (61-in) cargo bed. The compact pickup truck will be offered in two-wheel and four-wheel drive with the 4x4 being powered solely a 3.4-L, DOHC, 16-valve, 142-kW (190 hp) six-cylinder engine. The base engine is a 2.7-L four cylinder that produces 112 kW (150 hp) and 240 N•m (177 lb•ft) at 3600 rpm. The transmission is a four-speed electronically controlled automatic.

The Double Cab is one of five all-new light trucks Toyota is bringing to the marketplace over the next 12 months. "For Toyota, this will be the year of the truck and SUV," Esmond said.

Extreme sports-influenced Pontiac Piranha

Nontraditional Pontiac touches are everywhere on the Piranha: on the instrument panel, glovebox, seats, roof rack, and sunroof. "The instrument panel in a typical vehicle requires about a $14 million investment for tooling. This instrument panel wouldn't get anywhere close to that expense," John Mack, Pontiac Brand Character Design Manager, said during the vehicle's world debut at the Chicago Auto Show.

Taking the nontraditional instrument panel into production is being seriously considered, according to Mack. The concept car's instrument panel includes ski-boot-type latches for HVAC hoses. "Fabric on the instrument panel and doors literally zips on and off for personalization and cleaning," Mack said of the interchangeable, functional decor inspired by elements inherent in a collapsible tent.

The extruded aluminum instrumental panel covering is spandex, a fabric common to exercise clothing. Areas of the spandex also function as flip-up cupholders where the fabric is slit. The glovebox can double as a beverage and food cooler since the lining is made from compressed foam. Interior trim is made of bead foam similar to that found inside a mountain bike helmet.

"Seats can be taken out and used as beach chairs," Mack said. The dual-function seats use a cast magnesium frame covered in a mesh fabric. Seatbelts for the four foldable, removable seats resemble the harnesses and buckles used by rock climbers.

Exterior treatments also demonstrate different takes on common accessories. Unlike a conventional roof rack that rises above the roofline, Piranha's roof brackets (two on each side of the vehicle) are flush until popped into place. Add the spring-load rods, stowed in the interior's rocker panel, and the roof rack system is ready. Advantages to an as-needed roof rack include lower assembly costs and less airflow disruption when the brackets are flush with roof.

A pleated fabric sunroof opens side-to-side between fixed roof rails. "This has never been done before," Mack said. A manual crank folds the fabric from the midsection to the outer side. Passenger side, driver side, or both halves can open to expose the sky.

Although there are no plans to put Pontiac Piranha into production, certain features are likely to appear on future vehicles. "On the practical side, there's lots of patentable stuff on this vehicle," Mack said.

The concept Piranha rides on a modified Pontiac Sunfire chassis, and its suspension system has Grand Prix components. The front-wheel-drive Piranha uses a supercharged version of GM's Ecotec 2.2-L, 16-valve, four-cylinder engine that achieves 158 kW (212 hp) at 5900 rpm and 275 N•m (203 lb•ft) of torque at 4600 rpm. Piranha's atypical oil filter cartridge, made of paper and plastic, eliminates the need for a canister mating surface.

"With Piranha, we're about delivering unsurpassed Pontiac driving excitement, while adding extreme innovation in the form of functionality and customization," Mack said.

Interesting details of the Pontiac Piranha include the roof rack, seat, and instrument panel (shown zipped/unzipped).

Buick Rendezvous

The 2002 Buick Rendezvous is a fusion of sport utility vehicle, premium sedan, and minivan. Its optional third-row seat allows seven-passenger seating. "The third-row seat, designed with sufficient headroom and knee room for a 95th-percentile male, has the first of its kind tubular mechanism that allows the seat cushions to stack on each other and lay flat," Mark Reuss, Rendezvous Vehicle Line Executive, said during the Chicago Auto Show. Rendezvous has front bucket seats. Second-row seating is available in a split bench format for three persons or as two captain's chairs. The optional third-row bench seat accommodates two people.

Rendezvous employs General Motors' newly designed short-and-long-arm independent rear suspension, and Versatrak, an all-wheel-drive system (standard on Rendezvous CXL).

"There are no buttons to push or levers to throw," Reuss said. The Versatrak system uses front-wheel drive for typical driving situations, but shifts to on-demand rear-wheel drive when slippery road conditions are encountered. An aluminum driveshaft links the front-mounted transaxle power takeoff unit to a rear drive module. Inside the rear module, sensors in the twin Geromatic units detect difference in the rotational speed of front and rear wheels. If wheel slip is detected, the rear-mounted Geromatic gerotor pumps pressurize fluid to engage clutches that redirect torque to one or both rear wheels.

Weight savings and fuel efficiency considerations dictated material choices for the Rendezvous. Aluminum powertrain parts include cylinder heads, intake manifold, oil pan, transaxle housing, pistons, driveshaft, and rear-drive module housing. Versatrak's control arms and knuckles are also aluminum. A molded composite 16-kg (36-lb) rear liftgate opens to a cargo area that provides a 3080-L (108.9-ft³) volume—when the third-row seat is folded and the second-row seats are removed—more than five times the trunk space of a Buick Park Avenue.

Power is generated by a 3.4-L V6 that generates 138 kW (185 hp) at 5200 rpm and 285 N•m (210 lb•ft) of torque at 4000 rpm. The engine is mated to an electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission. The vehicle's four-wheel-disc brakes are managed by a four-channel anti-lock system.

The Rendezvous shares its track width and brake, all-wheel drive, and suspension systems with the Pontiac Aztek. However, they have different sheet metal, seat configurations, and wheelbases, the Rendezvous' being longer—2845 vs. 2743 mm (112 vs. 108 in).

Truck meets car in the Chevrolet Traverse

Unlike a typical sedan, the all-wheel-drive Traverse concept vehicle has the towing capacity of a truck—2540 kg (5600 lb). "With Traverse, Chevrolet has reinvented the family sedan," Joel Piaskowski, Lead Designer/Brand Character Design Manager, said during the vehicle's world debut at the Chicago Auto Show. Traverse development began with midsize truck architecture, then blended in sedan attributes.

The rear seats can travel 230 mm (9 in) fore and aft, and can fold flat to create 2190 L (77.5 ft³) of storage space. Interior grab bars provide entry/exit assistance. "Each grab bar has a solenoid under a rubber pad that pops a door open when you tap the pad," explained Piaskowski, adding that the two grab bars in the back compartment serve as tie-downs.

Traverse's "Smartback" system offers access to the rear. There are skid plates on the back side of the rear seats that, when folded, create a flat load floor. Cargo can be concealed with a pull-across cover. The backs of the front seats have tray tables with integrated cupholders. The vehicle offers General Motors' OnStar information service and an integrated laptop computer.

Traverse is powered by a 4.5-L V6 engine. Independent front suspension uses upper and lower control arms, torsion bars, and a stabilizer bar. Rear suspension uses rigid-axle semi-elliptic leaf springs, stabilizer bar, coil springs, and anti-roll bar.

Kami Buchholz

AEI April 2000